ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8683, 17 March 1914, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

"HOW TO DAXCE THE TANGO.” A crowded assemblage at the King’s Theatre last evening witnessed ‘‘How to Dance the Tango,” the Ivalem Company’s unicxue terpsichoreau motion picture ‘‘feature.” The production is troth instructional and entertaining. With two such famous exponents as Wallace McCutcheon and Joan Sawyer, the “stars” of the New York Theatre Koof Garden, the Tango ascends almost to the dignity of a classic. ' As solo instructors to the ‘‘upper four hundred” of New York, McCutcheon and Sawyer enjoy considerable prominence. The picture is divided into two phases- In one McCutcheon, dressed like a tennis player, gives private tuition at his rooms to individual ladies who are already very proficient dancers. A pianist furnishes the music, and the pupils soon master the intricacies of the tango. In the other scenes are displayed a fashionable cabaret, or large musical cafe, where the “bon-toh” assemble to cat ices and watch McCutcheou and Sawyer ’gyrate (Rhythmically in the Viennese Hesitation waltz, the Turkey Trot and the real Argentine Tango. It is certain that never before has such graceful dancing been witnessed in Wellington, in life or in cinema enactment. That these two "stars” are worthy of their renown is beyond question, and when the spectators at the cabaret perform the same dance there is a vast difference between their efforts and those of their instructors. The Tango, which, has been cynically described as a "symptom of the refining influence of wealth, does not appear in any way vulgar, as executed by Wallace McCutcheon and his partner.. But this may be in some degree duo to the fact that for ballroom purposes the 200 steps of the Argentine Tango have been reduced to 23. Every step is exhibited by the camera being directed at the dancers' feet in two or three instances. The maze of steps exhibited by the two "stars” when performing at the cabaret are bewildering to the amateur. The cabaret scenes are a magnificent spectacle, and the dresses alone are an attraction. The augmented orchestra, under the direction of Mr Charles Parnell, who has come from Auckland especially for the occasion, gave excellent effect to the dances by' most appropriate music which synchro- ! arsed accurately with the figures in the picture. The unfolding of the film occupies about 40 minutes. A word of praise is merited also by ‘‘Washington Views” (scenes in the capital of fihe United States), "An Aeroplane love Affair” (A.K. "feature” comedy), "Gaumont Graphic,'' "The Husband’s Awakenmg” (Lubin drama), and "Salvation bal (Vitagraph drama). “How to Dance the Tango" will be displayed again this evening.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. . The change of programme at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening introduced one of the finest vaudeville numbers seen here for some time. One has become rather wearied at the succession of tricksters on, wheels, but the turn - provided in this week’s list by Valentine and Bell is a remarkably ■’ clever one, and is novel to such a degree as to be far and away removed from, the turns of its class. Valentine himself is a little man with the agility of a chimpanzee. He jumps around in a marvellous way on various articles of furniture fitted with pedals. He goes the length of‘ taking down an oil-painting from the wall (he says it is a portrait of his mother-in-law), and rides it round the stage. His partner. Miss Bell, is a dainty and clover little lady, and also shows great skill on. wheels. This is one of many good items on the programme.“ The re-' appearance of Miss Millie Doris (the lady of the Hot-Cross Bun) was hailed with delight. She is a very clover character comedienne, and her song "Do Not Trust Him” brought the house down. The •, Strattons; the Scotch, singers and dancers, also appear again in Wellington ’in new songs,, which are capably and cleanly rendered.. Mr Tom Leonard ' the versatile comedian, is always popular, and his inclusion in any programme means plenty of fun. He sang last night a parody, very cleverly arranged, on “Everybody’s Doin’ It,” in which he impersonated an inebriated individual with good eficct. Amongst ul o oilier numbers are Les Bau Malagas, the Rosa Valerio Sextette, Carlton.and Sutton. Sidney Bach, and the Phillips Bisters. The programme will be repeated this evening. i ' CECIL HAINES RECITAL. The box plan for the Cecil Haines farewell recital at the Town Hall on Friday next opened at the Dresden yesterday morning, and judging from the first day’s booking it is evident that the Wellington public recognise that in the departure of this little artist we are losing one of our most popular and talented entertainers. A programme nas been arranged in which originality is to be t)h© keynote from the opening scene to the grand finale, and, with a view to adding an additional charm to the evening’s entertainment, nearly every item is to be performed in character. Lewis Carroll’s scene from Alice in Wonderland, entitled The Mad lea Party.” promises to afford great amusement, and the same may bo said of the Dickens character sketches, in .all or which Mass Cecil Haanes wild take part.

THE EMPEESS THEATEB. A "The War Makers,” a stirring foreign spy "feature” drama, by the Vitagraph Company, provided special interest in yesterday’s new programme of the Empress Theatre continuous pictures. A foreign ambassador in America is entrusted by his Government to procure a copy of secret United States war plans. He invited a number of diplomatists to a dinner, and through a forged letter induces the United States Secretary of War to bring the plans with him. The wine is drugged by order of the foreign ambassador, and while the secretary is unconscious, the plans are taken from him and copied. When the secretary recovers consciousness. the fact of the letter being a forgery is proved to him, and an examination of the plans discloses an inkspot which reveals the plot of the ambassador. Eosa, a woman spy,. is given the copy of the plane, and sets out for Europe. The secretary’s wife volunteers to jeapture the copy from Eosa. She embarks on the vessel with Eosa, and after a clever battle of wits, succeeds in finding the document in one of Eosa’s shoes. The secretary’s wife then burns the paper, and dispatches a wireless message to her husband conveying the glad news. Of the remaining subjects, the best are ‘The Twenty Thousand Dollar'Corot 1 " (Kalem drama), "Trolhatten Falls” (scenic), and "The Cat Came Back” (Princess Comedy).