ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1928, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE OPERA HOUSE. SYD. CHAPLIN—RACE NIGHTS. “Oh! What a Nurse!” which critics declare to be the best of Syd. Chaplin’s productions, surpassing “Charley’s Aunt,” and “The Man on the 'Box,” will be the attraction at the Opera House on Thursday, Friday and Saturday next. Chaplin appears as a newspaper reporter, who dives from a ferry boat to rescue a girl, and gets picked up by a. rum running tug, and is forced into the costume of a bootleg queen in order to divert suspicion from the real culprit. Like any good newspaper man, the reporter, with an assignment to cover, does not pause even to change his clothes when he has a job to be attended to. The result is that, in the bootleg queen’s outfit, he runs into a .maze of trouble, and, to get himself out of it, seizes a nurse’s costume. From then on, his adventures are indescribably comical. When “The Better ’Ole” was made it looked as if Syd. Chaplin had reached the end of his tether as far as comedy was concerned, but in “Oh! What a Nurse!” he plays for most of the time the part of a petite little nurse. Plans for the season will open at Collier’s this morning.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. PICTURES OF MERIT. Gerald Beaumont's racing story “Heaven Bent” was shown on a double etar bill at Everybody’s theatre last night, under the title of “The Rainmaker,” a Paramount picture. It is a story unusual in theme telling of thj adventures of a jockey supposedly possessed of the power of coaxing rain from the firmament at will, and thereby controlling the race track. The atmosphere of the story- changes from the racecourse to the Mexican border, where drought and water shortage cause an epidemic. Here the forceful acting of the principals, William Collier, junr., Georgia Hale, and- Ernest Torrence, makes “The Rainmaker” a very fine story of varied angles. Norman Kerry and Lois Moran arc perfectly cast in “The Irresistible Lover,” a Universal-Jewel comedy-drama which is the second feature. The storyconcerns the continual hot water in which Kerry finds himself because of his many and varied love affairs. He falls in love with blondes, brunettes, redheads and in-betweens with equal abandon and falls out just as easily until he meets Miss Moran. From then on his efforts are confined to convincing her of his real worth. He eventually succeeds, but not before he has lost her several times and provided the audience with abundant amusement. A short British news reel and a new musical programme by the orchestra give completeness to a fine evening’s entertainment. The programme shows again to-night and tomorrow night.

THE PEOPLE’S THEATRE. “THE WANING SEX.” Norma Shearer takes the leading role in “The Waning Sex,” a Metro-Goldwy nMayer picture, which commences at The People’s to-night. Miss Shearer plays the part .of a young woman barrister on the verge of the inevitably brilliant career; comes along the inevitably fascinating young man; also comes along Cupid with him, as matched against the young barrister’s ambition. The result is not palpitating drama, hot-blooded romance and the like; it is uproarious and farcical comedy, liberally sprinkled with sporting thrills and sporting feats, all to show which is the waning sex. The plot never falters, the action is invigorating and sustained until the end, the titles are hugely funny, and, above all, there are Conrad Nagel and the one and only George K. Arthur in the cast to ensure its histrionic wealth. It is a battle of the sexes, with Cupid in the ringside seat; once women used td be clinging oak trees, and men have enunciated their displeasure at the proceeding. A full programme in support includes a comedy and a New Zealand film.

THEATRE ROYAL—WAITARA. TO-NIGHT—“GOOD AS GOLD.” The stupendous and awe inspiring beauties of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado serve as the backgrounds for “Good as Gold,” Buck Jones’ starring vehicle for Fox Films, which is to be shown at the Theatre Royal to-night (Tuesday). This is a Western that none should miss seeing, for it has everything that goes to make up a superlatively flue screen entertainment. The scenery alone surpasses most scenies in sheer beauty and grandeur, and the story, acting and stunts of daring and danger are such as kept the first audience who witnessed it absorbed every moment of its showing. A cast of screen favourites are in all roles of importance and Silver Buck, Jones' famed steed, is also shown at his best.

WIRTHS’ NEW CIRCUS TO-NIGHT. SOME EXCEPTIONAL ATTRACTIONS When Wirths’ Circus opens in New Plymouth for one night only on Tuesday February 7, paddock, Morley Street, patrons will have a unique opportunity of seeing a number of the outstanding attractions of the circus world of the present day. No fewer than five star turns from the big circuses of America and Europe—Ringling Bros., the Olympia, London —were secured by Mr. George Wirth on his recent world tour and these will positively appear with the mammoth show in New Plymouth. If there can be any particularisation among attractions of such exceptional merit, pride of place must bo given to Pallenberg's amazing bears, beautiful furry grizzlies that ride high bicycles and scooters, that walk on stills, that skim round on skates and that accomplish other entertaining feats, evincing as keen a delight in their own performance as does the astounded audience. In the Redain troupe the man has abnormal strength and is seen with three beautiful girl partners in some remarkable feats of strength, and a tableau of classical posings in which he shows hrs splendid physique. This act is finished by the man holding a sort of merry-go-round

on his head with the three women driving three separate aeroplanes attached. The weight of the whole apparatus he holds on his head is considerably over LOOOlbs. Chester Dieck, the marvellous Indian, is seen in a great act performed on a number of bicycles and motor cycles of all sorts and sizes. The Indian rides them up and down perpendicular ladders and over all manner of objects. Finally, he rides down a steep incline on to a volcano which explodes as he strikes it and throws both rider and bicycle two somersaults In mid-air, at the same time belching forth a volume of steam and fire. Hilary Long, with little Jessica, does some remarkable head balancing feats on a revolving trapeze anl his slide down an inclined wire on his head is most thrilling. Wirths’ performing lions have been trained by Captain Smith. During the performances of the lions Mlle. Gulnare Hoyer will enter the cage and perform her wonderful dance of the thousand leathers, as danced by her at Folios Bergeres, Paris. Chico and Grace, a lazy acrobat and his dainty partner, give marvellous performances on the Roman rings and trapeze. Miss Madeline is a graceful dancer and rider. Then there- are Miss Eileen May, the intrepid mentor of the huge elephant herd, Miss Gladys and Miss Doris, who are as much at home with horses as she is with elephants; Alfred Clark, the champion rider of the world; little Peter, Palamo and Long Shanks, a trio that will make you laugh till you cry, and a dozen others that more than sustain the reputation of the big show and all that “Wirths” stands for. For the latest novelty tin hare pacing the people are invited to bring their own dogs. The zoo, with all its rarities, will be open from 4 to 5 in the afternoon, when the animals will be fed.