WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 3085, 30 April 1913, Page 61

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Br Peter Pax. April 25. Dear “ Pasquin,” —Mr Joe MacMahon paid a brief visit to this city this week. Genial Joe is a candidate for civic honours

in Auckland. He lias received word from brother Charles, who is having a good time in London.

Before Mr Maughan Barnett left finally for Auckland this week he was the recipient of yet another presentation. The heads of the City Council departments handed (him a silver tea service and a silver cigarette case. His last public appearance here was when conducting “ Carmen ” on Tuesday evening. The Town Hall was packed on the occasion, and Mr Barnett was warmly applauded on taking his stand in the conductor’s rostrum. By the way, “Carmen” was a great success, and the Wellington Choral Society deserves warm commendation for its interpretation. Madame Pinschoff and Mr Hamilton Hodges carried off the honours as soloists. The members of “ Bud ” Atkinson’s Circus, which met with disaster, were passengers to San Francisco by the Tahiti today. Two of the Indians of the party wore engaged by a local picture-house manager to parade, in full war paint, outside his theatre. His enterprise was well rewarded, for the Indians drew crowds to the place for the two days they were on exhibition. “ The Blue Bird ” has charmed Wellington folk. It is indeed a triumph for the scenic artists and stage mechanists. Some of the scenes are both beautiful and wonderful. Excellent business has been done all the week. W. A. Low, ahead of Marlcw’s Company, is in town, but the popular little man is hampered with a bad knee, an old misfortune of his running days having reappeared. Ho gets about with the aid ot a stick. “Billy” will bo touring manager, of the Hamilton-Plimmer Company next June. . . Mr Herbert S. Claughton. of this city, has been appointed musical adjudicator (vocal and instrumental) at the Levin Competitions Society s festival, to be hold nextmonth. Mr J. Goo, of West’s Pictures'directorate, is expected here from Sydney snortly, on business in connection with the local house. Madame Mary Conly, the distinguished Australian/ soprano, is expected to appear here in “Elijah” with the Royal Choial Society. , , Mr J. E. Russell, late manager e.f me Empress Theatre, leaves for Sydney to-day. The staff of the theatre this week "resented him with a silver-mounted travelling companion and shaving set. The presemation was made by Mr Licter, the new manager. , The Greater J. D. Williams Company s branch 'here has been closed, and Misses 0. Green, O. Young, and Mr A. C. \Voocjs have boon presented with souvenirs of thenservice to the company. FULLERS’ PICTURES. The new programme of moving pictures introduced iat t-nc Princess r lhoatre on the 28th met with a hearty reception at the hands of a large audience. The series contains many good films, and while none is below the average standard set by previous programmes, two or three stand out as particularly fine specimens of the kmematographic art. “The Secret of the Safe is an exciting dramatic production of Italian origin, which is as full of incident as one could desire. “Around Montenegro” is a very interesting scenic film, showing some splendid views of Cettinje, the capital of the State, the mountainous country surrounding it, and of the Lake of Scutari. “Man and Bear” is a sporting film of some merit, showing an encounter between th« two. “Rodolfi, as Lady Hairdresser,” and “Pimples’ Fire Brigade,” are good comedies. “His Western Way.” and The Topical Budget No. 78,” complete the programme. Appropriate incidental music was supplied by the orchestra. HAYWARD’S PICTURES. The powerful fiction of Ghas. Readc has provided excellent “copy” for the picture playwrights. The possibilities in this author s arresting novel, “It is Never 100 Late to Mend,” for the construction of a photo play, arc obvious, and, given a capable company of actors, success was a foregone conclusion. The film is about 2000 ft long, and intensely interesting. Three • excellent comedies spice the new programme. KING’S THEATRE. A feature of the new vaudeville programme that was presented at the King s Theatre on the 28th was the welcome reappearance, after a prolonged absence, of the Stagpoolc Troupe, four acrobatic artists of distinguished merit. This is not the only turn of merit in the programme, ami in almost all the others comic features also bulk largely. The trick cycling acts of Henry and May are an excellent example of this, and are, in fact, a show in themselves. A contortionist of extraordinary diversity also figures on the bill under the not inapt title of Bendo, and manages to make knots of varying degrees of intricacy of ids body. Dalton and Moore, who appear in singing and dancing specialties, are also a clever pair, and while away a brief and breezy period with merry quip and jest. Mr Percy Dalton is another performer who is eminently worth seeing. Pie is a tuneful and melodious singer, and as a rag-time dancer lias probably never, been equalled on the local stage. Several excellent biograph studies complete a really excellent programme, which was witnessed by a largo and appreciative audience. QUEEN’S THEATRE. Picture exhibitions have reached such a high standard of excellence, even though there may be still room for improvement, that it is difficult to make any discrimination between one exhibition and another. There is in the new series at the Queen’s an abundance of interesting matter, much of which is fraught with exciting incidents. The remark contained in Pickwick Papers that “It is the seasoning what does it, Mr Weller,” is just us true as over it was of more things than a “swarry” consisting of “a biled leg of mutton and trimmins.” There are three dramatic productions that arc quite commendable in rile light of what is customary at pictorial entertainments. Gratitude of man and beast is the motif of “ Faithful Unto Death,’’ elephant and Hindoo servant alike participating in the rescue of an English officer and his family. “ Under the Stars and Stripes” is, as its title implies, a story of the American Civil War. It graphically portrays the adventures of one Lieutenant Thomson. “ Miss Lirriper’s Legacy ” is a pathetic drama, and its main prop is a dying father’s love for his son. There is a very pathetic ending to the picture—so pathetic that it almost becomes a matter for regret that the author did not see his way

to revive the father rather than kill him as ho did.. Throe comic pictures are included in the list, and the title “comic’’ is deserved. There is also a sporting picture representing an automobile contest, which presents exciting features, and a beautiful coloured scenic picture, “Parks of Oaserta.”