ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8784, 14 July 1914, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

“PAUL JONES.” The Wellington. Operatic Society continues to draw large houses for its production of “Paul Jones.” Last night the audience was in a particularly happy mood, and each of the players was heartily received. Tho production is a most creditable one, and goes with a swing, which is not always the feature of an amateurplayed piece. Last evening Dr Norman Hales, as Bouillabaisse, and blaster Fuller, as The Insect, were m excellent form. . Tho piece will be staged again this evening, when His Excellency tho Governor and the Countess of Liverpool will be present. THE EMPRESS THEATRE. An attractive dramatic story, “Black .Heart and White,” is the main attraction of tho now programme submitted at the Empress continuous pictures yesterday. Miss Ida Nielsen, a highly successful young Continental actress, takes the principal character. It is related in the story that Elsie Brown obtains a position as governess in tho Hortons’ home. Wilfred Horton, the worthless son, wins Elsie’s affection. He takes her secretly to a public ball, but to defray the expenses of the evening he steals a £5 note from his mother’s room. Elsie is accused of the theft, but sooner than betray Wilfred she refuses to speak, and is dismissed. Subsequently, she goes to Wilfred for assistance, but finds him engaged in another flirtation. Elsie seeks to kill herself, but the bullet does" not cause death, although it deprives her of her sight. Later on, Wilfred experiences an accident, which causes him to go blind. He sends for Elsie, and confesses _ his knavery to his parents. Elsie’s vision is restored, and she accepts an offer of marriage by the Hortons’ coachman, who "had befriended 1 her. Special mention' is also due to “Oxygen” (scientific). “Williamson’s Weekly” (topical), “The Solomon Islands” (travel), and “Faithful” (A.B. comedy). HIS MAJESTY’S. Blondeli is great. As “The Lost Boy” in the comedietta which served to illustrate his peculiar eccentricities, he more than compensated for any weak spots in the programme presented at His Majesty’s last night, He is the richest absurdity that has ’ been seen in vaudeville for a very Jong time past. He is dumb when he comes on the stage, but he makes the audience laugh. And when he starts to talk he makes them laugh much more. And when the cries on a deep sepulchral note they rock in their seats with merriment. He is the personification of dry humour. It is never strained, so far as he is concerned, and of a quaint order particularly his own. There are moments when hp almost becomes serious, blit they but pave the way to jokes which aro rendered all the more pointed. He kept the audience highly amused from the time he entered, and played havoc with a lady’s teatable, until he left with a rifle, which transformed itself into an umbrella. In some very original dialogue he is assisted, by Miss Katheryne Caine, and the comedietta is altogether well contrived. The sketch. “The Eternal Triangle,” by Irve Hayman, Ina Hayman, and Ronald Edgar is also a neatly conceived melodrama in. miniature. The programme starts well with Crotton and Skremka, in a Reman statuary, posing, and athletic act ot length and well sustained interest. The culminating feat is new and artistic without causing a cold shiver to the audience on account of any risk that is involved. Miss Ray de Vere sang ballads pleasantly, Leslie and Sol Bern did an excellent character comedy turn, and the Eary Trio were successful in some acrobatic oddities. As for the rest there was some music which was good and some which was not. There was the assumption of virtuosity on the violin without the necessary skill to back it up, a lady performed on the piano from her shoulders as if she wore engaged in an athletic struggle, three trumpets were blasted with circus-like vigour, and finally a family of saxophones were set roaring like “Bulls of Bashon.” The simple truth is that instruments were tortured, and tbe compositions of Brahms, Sarasate, and Donizetti almost reduced to caricature. •

“ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.” There can be no room for doubt that the Cihes Company’s great classic picture-play “Antony and Cleopatra,” which was introduced at the King’s Theatre last evening, stands preeminent among all the wondrous “masterworlcs” in cinema enactment. Rich in vast spectacular scenes, wondrous in the architectural settings, indefinably impressive in the tion, the subject is raised to a pedestal of pretentiousness that overshadows all predecessors, not even excepting th© Cines Company’s other wonder-picture “Quo Vadis?” Divers authors, other than Shakespeare, have handed down various versions of the enchantment exercised over the allconquering Roman general by the ravishing bsauty of the last queen of Egypt. The Cines Company, however, has adhered mainly to the Shakespearean play, with a brief interpolation by P. Cozza that enriches the plot. The story is ■ familiar enough, and thus a_ mere recapitulation of the more important episodes will suffice. The introductory action shows Antony, the manly aJlconquering Roman general, flushed with his recent victories in the East, receiving envoys from Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, who has learned of his fame. Antony, too, has heard of the dazzling beauty of the Egyptian, and tells her envoys that if she wishes to pay homage she must do so personally. Cleopatra, on receipt of Antony’s message, consults an old snake-charmer, and decides to shape her actions according to the result of tho horoscope. The witch asserts “Antony will become thy lover, 0 Queen.” Cleopatra conceives the ambition to ensnare Antony, first by bowing to the “eagles” of Rome, and then to lure him to Alexandria, whore she will hold him with her, always. Then, as Enobarbus related to bis friend Agrippa, she appears on th© river Qyndus in a barge that, “like a buinish'd throne, burn’d on the water: the poop was beaten gold; purple tho sails, and so perfumed, that the winds were love-sick with them.” Cleopatra’s victory was quick and complete. Antony is next seen dissipating the golden hours in luxury and love, while Rome calls in stentorian tones to him to remember his duty to the Fatherland and abandon the wanton who holds him enthralled Even his own wife, sister to the mighty Octavius Caesar, fails, to bring Antony to a sense of duty.

Then Octavius leads a huge expedition to Alexandria, which soon overwhelms Cleopatra's unprepared army. Antcyiy appeals'to bis faithful servant to kill him, but the latter prefers to end his own life instead. The heroism and devotion of the man steels Antony for - his last desperate act. He •thrusts his javelin deep into his own ■side and falls prostrate beside his servant. Cleopatra, on learning of her lover’s tragic end, is overwhelmed with grief, but subsequently thinks to exercise her wiles over Octavius, who, however, proves quite iraplacab.o in his determination to have her led in chains in his triumph through Homo. As Octavius is inexorable,. Cleopatra, sooner than suffer the utter indignity that faces her, ends herj own lifo by holding an asp to her breast. (ictavius returns to Rome, and is received with tumultuous joy as he passes through the streets inj triumph. Among many scenes of an l exceptionally inspiring character are those of the pomp and splendour of Cleopatra’s court, where she appears on her throne with a young lion and a leopard as portion of her bodyguard. There is a sumptuousness and elaborateness also about the approaches and interiors of the Egyptian temples and palace. The passage in which a young slave girl arouses the fiendish jealousy of the queen enables the producers to introduce a powerful incident depicting the girl being thrown into: a crocodile pond and several huge saurians dive in where their victim disappears. This is a vivid and desperate tragedy, in keeping with the spirit of those times. The panoramic® showing tho vast army of Octavius marching along the beach in tho moonlight evoked loud applause. The attack on Alexandria and the views of the triumphal processions through the streets of Rome have never been approached in magnitude. The unwinding of the film occupied the entire programme. The interpretation of the part of the beautiful, yet voluptuous, Cleopatra is a brilliant achievement by Signorina Gonzales. The orchestra of fourteen performers, under the baton of Signor Martinelli; deserves the highest praise, tho music being appropriate and sympathetically expressed. There was a crowded and enthusiastic audience. ■ “Antony and Cleopatra” will appear again this evening. EVERYBODY’S PICTURES. The initial programme screened at the Opera House, when Everybody’s Pictures commenced running a few weeks ago, was really splendid, and since then they have more than maintained the high standard then set. Yesterday’s new collection of films, for variety and excellence, was well in keeping with its predecessors, and from first to last the largo audiences'that assembled never lost interest, and each succeeding picture’ was more loudly applauded than ever. The chief item is “Black Roderick tho Poacher,” a stirring drama of the Highlands of Scotland. The story is a romantic one, and is enacted amid Scottish scenery, which forms a most effective setting. Young Lord Dane is engaged to a lady of high lineage, but he occupies some of his leisure hours by making love in a harmless kind of way to Mary, the pretty daughter of Donald, a game-keeper. Black Roderick discovers this, and when accused of poaching by Donald, warns him to give closer attention to his daughter, lest she comes to trouble through Lord Dane. A violent scene ensues between Lord Dane and Donald, and later Donald is shot by Roderick, who* is discovered poaching. Suspicion falls on Lord Dane, but Donald recovers, and the innocent man is saved. There are a number of fine supporting items, including Romance of the North West” (an “xmting Western drama), and “Rice Culture in Java.” There are also a couple of comio films, “Polidar and ihe Lions,” and “His Favourite Pastime.” wh ; ch kept the house in a great state of merriment, during tfieTr production. The same programme will be shown again throughout to-day.