ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12074, 27 February 1925, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE ATTRACTIVE VAUDEVILLE. The popularity of Africander and his liens and tigera is such that they are to run another week at His Majesty’s Theatre. Everyone who has witnessed Africander’s work in the Huge cage with five lions and a couple of ferocious tigers has marvelled at the .wonderful control he exercises ever these forest brutes of creation. A man requires exceptional nerve and a cool hand and head l when conducting a performance in such limits with seven wild animals. It is a rare thing to ba able to tame tigers to a degree that they will pet form as lions are trained to do. But Africander is their master, and when they do exhibit their unwillingness a very few (seconds suffices Africander to get them going Also on the bill is J. E. Sutton, who is an entertainer at the piano, is another new importation from the Old Country, and m* contributtons were clean, bright, and well presented. 'As a raconteur he excelled, and his song “Gone” was very humorous As an encore he gave a clever » American character • sketch. Carlton and Rosslyn are a fine English duo,' and their selection of musical comedy, interspersed with humorous. dialogue and stories, found the audience sitting up and taking the fullest interestT Mies Jenny Roy, oclebrated Scottish souibrette and dancer, gave a refined display of footwork, and her songs were very pleasing. Quite a new programme of ventnloquial entertainment was submitted by Carlton Max, who is < i.e of the most finished artists in this respect who has appeared before a New Zetland audience. Others on the bill aire John Moore, Highland entertainer; Megan Brothers, musical clowns; Eugene Knoop, ambidexterous caligraphist. i _

THEATRE DE LUXE GREAT FEATURE FILM TO-NIGHT. Zane Grey’s “Wanderer of the Wasteland,” produced for Paramount by Irvin Willat. will be screened at the De Luxe Theatre, commencing to-day. The entire action is photographed in colours, and the result is stated to be amazing. A prominent artist, witnessing a screening of the picture, naid that for many minutes after the picture had faded from the screen he was speechless with the beauty of it, and then, as a man in a dream, he tried to find words to formulate his impressions. But the words to do the picture justice could not come forth, and in the end he confessed himself baffled by the beauty of a picture which was beyond his power to , reproduce in paint or in words. Surely a striking tribute. Advices received at the home office of Paramount are to the effect > that “Wanderer of the Wasteland,” produced entirely in colour by the technicolour process,, bas taken Los Angeles by storm, with the public even more enthusiastic than the critics, all of whom are unanimous in thhir praise. The featured players are Jack Holt, Kathlyn 'Williams, Noah Beery, and Billie Dove. In addition, a special musical programme will be rendered, and an. outstanding supporting programme will be presented. A monster matinee will be held on Saturday. The box plans are now open at the Bristol Piano Company, Aitken’s Book Arcade, or ring Theatre, ’phone 28080.

QUEEN’S THEATRE “HER LOVE STORY.” Romance and royalty, love and mother-love, sumptuous settings and gorgeous gowns, a warm, pulsating story, attractively filmed and expertly directed, and the centre of it all, surrounded by a tip-top cast— Gloria Swanson! These are the comEonent parts that go to make up an our and a half’s solid entertainment, at tba popular Queen’s Theatre, and thev are assembled in one photoplay, “Her Love Story,” adapted from Mary Roberts Rinehart’s most popular Novel “Her Majesty tbe Queen.” In one scene the bridal outfit as worn by Gloria Swanson cost £2OOO. It will be many a day before the screen sees another story of such absorbing interest; tinglipg thrill, and oolourful backgrounds.. It concerns the life and love story of a fascinating little princess whose beauty attracts the attention of the king of a neighbouring country. In spite of the fact that she is in love with another, a handsome captain of the guards, she is compelled to marry the king. Later she gives birth to an heir—the son of the captain-lover whom she had secretly married. Too honest to live a lie she tells the king the truth. From that point the picture develops several sensational situations which eventually lead to a happy ending. Miss Swanson looks every inch a queen, and gives a vivid characterisation. lan Keith is excellent as the gallant guardsman, and the rest of the supporting cast, including George Fawcett, Mario Majeroni, and Donald Hall, are more than adequate in their respective roles.

KING’S THEATRE “The Silent Watcher,” featuring Glenn Hunter and Bessie Love, and adapted to*the screen from Mary Roberts Rinehart’s “The Altar on the Hill,” is announced as the attraction at the King’s Theatre this evening. Frank Lloyd, producer-director of “The Sea Hawk,” ‘ Black Oxen,” and other recent screen successes, has transferred the Rinehart narrative to film as a First National, and, according to pre-viewers, the picture stands out as one of the distinct dramatic achievements of the year. The story deals with the efforts of a young secretary to a senatorial candidate to show his appreciation of a promotion given him, by his loyalty, and many intensely interesting and exciting developments arrive simultaneously with the news that Lily Elliott, a show girl, with whom the candidate had been in close association, had been murdered. How the hey shields his employer by assuming the blame fornis a plSt which brings about an unusual climax. Glenn Hunter, famed for his stage creation of Merton in “Merton of the Movies,” and featured in several motion picture successes of the past two years, plays the part of Joe Roberts, the secretary. Bessie Love, whose work in “Woman on the Jury” cannot soon be forgotten, has been cast as Mary Roberts, Joe’s sweetheart. Hobart Bosworth plays the character of Senator Steele and Alma Bennett, recently Seen in support of Corinno Griffith in “Lilies of the Field,” portray:! Lily Elliott, tlie slio-.v girl. Gertrude Astor, Lionel Belmo-re, de Witt Jennings, Aggie Herring, George Nicholls and Brandon Hurst are among the other members of the supporting east. The King’s Select Orchestra, under Mr A H. Jerome, will render a bright programme of incidental music, and the supports will include Topical Budget and comedy. The box plan is at the. Bristol until 5 p.m., after at theatre. A matii’ic performance with full programme and orchestra will take place to-morrow at 2.39,

GRAND OPERA HOUBE

“ROMANTIC INDIA” SATURDAY EVENING NEXT. His Excellency the Governor-General, Lady Fergusson, Miss Fergusson, and suite, will be present at the unique and edifying entertainment, “Romantic India,” commencing at the Grand Opera House on Saturday evening. Colonel Eldred Bottinger, D. 5.0., F.R.G.S., is not a lecturer; he simply acts as guide, and takes his hearers on an extensive itinerary, starting from Madura, in the south, to Madras, Bombay, Central India, Udaipur, Quetta, Peshawur, Cabul, Kash-mir,-'Delhi, Agra, Lucxnow, Benares, the Tibetan frontier, Puri, and Calcutta, and tells them in a breezy fashion the manners and customs of Indian life, the caste system, and the outlook of the teeming millions in Asia (being 16 times the size of New Zealand). The artistic beauty of the moving and coloured pictures is a revelation of the degree of perfection to which the art of the cinema and photography has been brought. Lowell Thomas spent over two years doing this mighty work, and covered 50,000 miles in this his latest and mysterious travelogue. All critics of papers where it has been shown say it is an entertainment which no one should miss seeing. # To those in search of amusement tliere is not a dull moment, and to those of an artistic temperament they have a feast of marvellously beautiful scenes. Ail are advised to see and hear the romantic and picturesque side of India, and travel with Colonel Pottinger through many of these forbidden and unknown lands. Book early at the Bristol, as the season is a short one.

EMPRESS THEATRE “BROADWAY AFTER DARK.” To-day sees the change of programme at the Empress, when the above sensational picture will he presented for the first screening. The combination of Adolphe Menjou, Anna Q. - Nilsson, Carmel Myers, and Willard Louis, as part of the allstar cast in the coming “Broadway After Dark,” to be presented today, is a guarantee. of the good film fare in store for local followers of the silver screen. The four, above-men-tioned are headliners, their names having scintillated in electrio lights from every important theatre front in the country. The story deals with tw> extremes of Broadway life, the upper strata and the lower, and the way circumstances interweave them. Tired of the artificialities of his set, Ralph Norton, a typical pampered son of wealthy parents, but , withal a gentleman, decides to discover what life really is, by living it among the almost down-and-outers of the theatrical boarding-houses. Here he meets Rose Dulane, a young victim of unfortunate circumstances, working as, a slavey. She is shadowed by a detective, who won’t let her forget the fact that„she served time in prison for theft. Ralph decides to find out if clothes really make a woman, by sending her to the set. Then the plot comes fast, and furious, with surprising developments. Beside the four players mentioned above, the cast consists of . Norma Shearer, Edward Burns, Vera Lewie, Mfervyn Le Roy, Jimmy Quinn, Edgar Norton, Gladys Tennyson, -Ethel Miller, Otto Hoffman, 1-ew Harvey, and Michael Dark. The supporting programme includes a lightning comedy, entitled “Robbing the Rube,” and the latest Empress News Film. Tfie Empress Symphony Orchestra, under Mrs Dick, will contribute an excellent programme of music. The box plan is at the Bristc till 5.30 p.m.. then at the theatre (’phone 3442). TIVOLI DOUBLE FEATURE BILL TO-DAY. Commencing to-day, at the matinee, is another selection of attractions - that should prove ' still more popular. As usual there will be a double feature bill, one being George Ariiss in his famous stage success “The Devil,” and this is its first screening in Wellington. It is a powerful play visualising with electric intensity not the “Devil of Hades,” but presenting the celebrated life story of the notorious Dr Muller. Men and women were merely his puppets, to be played with as his own diabolical nature dictated. In the guise of a trusted friend he gave advice which, when carried out, worked to their unhappiness. It is a mighty drama of a crafty rogue. The other feature is “A Woman of Paris,” one of the screen’s most brilliant offerings. •‘ A Woman of Paris” was written and directed by Charles Chaplin, and perhaps because he is only known as . a comedian.- one is apt to think that the picture is one of a light nature, hut the opposite has happened. ‘‘A Woman of Paris” "is the story of a woman’s heart, carrying with it the supreme problem of the ages—humanity being composed not of heroes and villains, but of men and women, and all their passions, good and had, have been* given them by God. They sin only in blindness, and the ignorant condemn their mistakes but otherwise pity them. This Bnlendid programme will be screened twice daily, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Plan at the Bristol, or ’phone 50.