THE THEATRES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 75, 5 May 1914, Page 9

THE THEATRES.

THE KENNEDYS. To-night the versatile Kennedys will i change their programme, but last night they repeated the successes of Saturday night before a large audience. Mr Lawrie Kennedy is without doubt an exceptionally fine performer on both 'cello and cornet, and he has the enthusiastic approval of audiences. Lance Kennedy, too, is an. excellent musician with flute and violin, though one is inclined to prefer his flute playing, his playing of the '' Carnival'' was one of the best tilings of the evening. The company's rendition of the barcarolle from'the "Tales of Hoffman" incited the audience to demand more, and it is certain that the piece was so well performed, the blend of instruments and voices being so true, that the audience showed a fine appreciation in, asking for more. . The Kennedys are a company of musicians of more than usual merit, and to pick out one or two performers from amongst such general excellence is almost to make invidious distinctions. Suffice it to say that Keith Kennedy plays the violin with admirable technique and feeling, and Miss Dorothy Grace and Miss Rose Fitzgerald are charming songsters. The choice of songa and music also is as ■worthy as their rendering—the selections are all good, and appealing without being meretricious ( or of that cheapness which pleases the unappreciative. To-night's programme contains as fine quality as last night's, and for giving us such excellent music the Kennedys deserve to have a successful season. OPERA HOUSE. Surely every animal that ever came out of the Ark has been trained to do some kind of vaudeville turn or other, but never before has a Christchurch audience watched a trained troupe of bulldogs like that which performed at the Opera House last night. There are .four members of the troupe, and each is highly trained in his particular line. One animal, described as "a heavyweight fighting dog 721b in weight," punches the ball most artistically, and another does a hair-raising slide from the dress circle, hanging on to a rope's end by his teeth. The performance is a clever one all through. Miss Bessie Cahill, an operatic vocalist with a pleasing voice, sang a pretty waltz song, and an encore was loudly demanded. She made quite a hit with her audience. Edward Moran, a tenor, also sang well. His songs were well chosen, and suited his voice well. Another extremely interesting turn was that provided by "Weston's living models. They posed as well-known groups of classical statuary, and in every ease the idea was excellently carTied out. The whitened faces and limbs of each poseuse looked exactly like marble in the light of the strong lantern rays. It was only when they stood upright at the conclusion of the act that one realised that they were ordinary human being, and not cold stone. Several of the groups posed were loudly applauded, notably the Marathon Runner and another in which all three models took part. Trick cyclists of all sorts have visited the Opera House, but none have quite come up to the turn staged by Woodward and Page. The former turns a double somersault in an ingenious manner, and the latter does

mueh weird fooling. He dances in an eccentric manner and plays and rides a bicycle in the same way. Charles Zoli, with his inimitable song about Antonio Spagherie, appeared again last night, and was brought back three times. ,Henri Kubelik, with a mop of curly hair and a great proficiency in the violin, also made his reappearance. He introduced a '' wireless wonder,'' which he claims brings the human voice over miles of intervening space to the theatre where he accompanies it on his violin. Margaret Caraher and Kingsley and Graham are also performing again. COLOSSEUM. There was a fairly large audience at the Colosseum last evening, when the new programme was much enjoyed. '' Modes ofj Travel in Japan'' was the first film shown, and it proved most popular, being a scenic production of rare qualitj-. A very fine number of the "English Gazette" followed shortly afterwards," sandwiched in between two pleasing dramas, "The Open Gate" and "United in Danger." A laughter-rais-ing comedy then brought the first half of the programme to a close, proving a first-class production. The film was entitled "His Imaginary Family," the story pictured being something to this effect: A young man had been receiving a certain sum of money regularly from his uncle, on the strength of his being married. The young fellow was not married, however, and there were various complications in sight when he received word from his uncle to the effect that the old gentleman was contemplating paying him a visit in his home. He had straightway provide himself, ready-made, as it were, with a family for the occasion. A charming young lady was prevailed upon to become nominally his wife, while a homeless newsboy was installed in the position of an eight-year-old son, the improvised family taking up their quarters in furnished lodgings. The old uncle duly arrived, and was so pleased with his bogus relations that he gave it as his intention of staying for a month. The supposed man and wife were not long in finding out that it was their mutual opinion that the family circle need not be broken, and at the closing scene a prospective wedding was in sight. The star attraction of the programme, however, was "The Tudor Princess," an Edison production of a fine tvpe. The film is, in short, the love story of Mary Tudor. She loved and was loved in return by the Duke of Suffolk, but it was the wish of her brother, King Henry VIII., that she should marry Charles of Austria. She refused, and Henry's second choice for her was Louis of, France, whom the lady also refused". Her true lover had a narrow escape from death at the hands of the powerful ruler, but love in the end triumphed over all. An excellent programme is brought to a conclusion by the screening of "Rebecca's Wedding Day," a Keystone comedy masterpiece. The programme will be repeated this evening. HIS MAJESTY'S. '' The Third Degree'' attracted a very large audience to His Majesty's Theatre last evening, in spite of counter attractions, and patrons witnessed something exceptional in Lubin's clever cinema reproduction of Chas. Klein's famous drama, "The Third Degree." The film is 5000 feet in length, and is devoted to a most interesting narrative, disclosing in a complete manner the much-dis-cussed and condemned methods of the

detective police of New York, used to secure confessions and convictions, chiefly, it is alleged, by ill-treatment, brutality, and hypnotic suggestion. The work has been excellently acted, while the production is beyond reproach. The story is that Howard Jeffries and Eobert Underwood are university students in a wild set. Howard's father, a rich banker, married a young second wife, and Howard and Underwood call to meet her in New York, Underwood recognises his old sweetheart. , His behaviour at the 'Varsity becomes worse, and he is expelled. He takes to painting pictures, and perpetrates a fraud, whereupon Mrs Jeffries cuts his acquaintance and he threatens to commit suicide. Meanwhile, Howard has married a waitress, who proves to be of sterling worth. The banker disowns his son, and Howard and his wife to poverty. Howard gives way to drink, and visits Underwood while intoxicated. He falls asleep on a couch, and Mrs Jeffries calls to reason Underwood out of his intention to take his own life. Immediately after she leaves, Underwood shoots himself. Howard, found there, is accused of murder, and subjected to the terrible ordeal of "the third degree.'' Under brutal treatment and impelled by hypnotic suggestion, he confesses to a crime of which he really knows nothing. His wife learns how the confession was obtained, and, after much trouble, induces an eminent lawyer to fight the case. A lift boy informs Howard's wife of Mrs Jeffries' visit to Underwood, and she accuses Mrs Jeffries of the murder, but does not dcnoir. ce her. Finally the two women succeed in establishing Howard's innocence, and the machinations of the police are defeated. The supporting subjects have been specially chosen, and are of fine quality. The programme will be repealed this evening, Box plans f.or tho season are open at tl:*j Dresden. SYDENHAM. The new programme at the Sydenham Picture Theatre last evening was entirely successful, being witnessed by a very large audience. The star attrac-' tion is "The Third Degree," a reproduction of Chas. Kleine's fampus play of that title. The film is 5000 ft in length, and is acted and photographed to perfection. ; The film is one that should not be missed. Excellent supporting pictures shown were:—"How Bobby Called Her Bluff," comedy; "The Gaumont Graphic," topical; "On the Coast of the Black Sea," scenic; and "Out In the Rain," comedy. The latter film is very successful, and raises laughter in abundance, while the scenic production "On the Coasts of Black Sea" is an exceptionally pleasing film, being a splendidly photographed of the finest type. The programme will be repeated this evening. GRAND THEATRE. "The Star of India" was the main attraction in the new programme presented for the first time at the Grand Theatre yesterday. "The Star of India" is a huge diamond in the possession of an Indian rajah, who has it placed in a temple and guarded by a blind priest and venomous snakes. A British attache filches the stone after killing the guardian, but is bitten by one of the snakes, and only lives long enough to hand the gem to a young American, without having time to explain how lie came by it. The American's native servant attempts to get possession of the stone, but is unsuccessful. The Aiueri-

can returns home, still in the dark as to what the stone is, and in an unguarded moment he shows it to his fiancee. Her woman's cupidity is excited, and she demands the diamond. He refuses, and there is the usual scene. Later the young man reads of a valuable diamond stolen in India, and he realises it must be the one in his possession, so he determines to restore it. Unfortunately for him there are others desirous of gaining the trophy, a jealous lover of his sweetheart employs a band of crooks to obtain -it, and they are successful. Eventually after a series of most exciting adventures the young American regains possession of the diamond, which he restores to the British Consul, his fiancee repents of her fickleness, and the gang of crooks are most appropriately drowned in a sewer while attempting to escape. The picture is very good throughout, and it fully deserves to exercise- as much fascination for picture lovers as the diamond does in the story. "The Topical News" contained an "up-to-date budget of recent happenings, including views of floods in the Thames Valley, Hucks and Hamcl looping the loop at Hendon, the parade of Irish soldiers on St. Patrick's Day, the wrecks of two vessels during the recent heavy gales in England. "Pimple's Humanity" was a laughable comedy, in which the chief actor smashes crockery in a reckless fashion which would appal the heart of any housewife. "A Life for a Life" was an attractive drama, which tells of a stern adherence to duty under trying circumstances. The programme is being ! repeated to-day. GLOBE THEATRE. The new programme showing at the Globe Theatre this week has many attractions, not the least of which is a stirring drama "The Yellow Jack." The story told is as follows: —Dr Geo. Lebet being in financial difficulties arranges with the co-operatioJ of a Chinese to kill a rich Uncle, f The Chinaman obtains admittance into the residence of the latter gentleman, killing him with a weapon on which were the initials of Chas. Lebet, a cousin of the doctor 'a. It was shown that Charles Lebet and the Uncle had quarrelled, and the young man is arrested. A detective is employed and Jhen follows sensation on sensation. The clever detective determines that the doctor was an accomplice in the atrocity, and calls on him. Eecognising that the game is up, the young doctor commits suicide just as the detective enters the room, but before he dies, leaves a confession by means of which his innocent cousin is rescued in the nick of time just as the trial seemed most hopeless. Good supporting films are "The Baby Tramp," comedy; "The Great Diamond Bobbery," comedy, and a recent number of the "Warwick Chronicle." The programme will be repeated this evening and throughout to-morrow. OLYMPIA RINK. The Olympia Bink continues to increase in popularity, and crowds attended yesterday to indulge in the i fascinating pastime of roller skating. !The Bink will be open for the usual ; sessions t'o-day. i ■' ■. j — =