PICTURES AND VAUDEVILLE

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1928, Page 11

PICTURES AND VAUDEVILLE

THE BARNSTORMERS' SUCCESS. The Opera House was fairly well filled last night for the showing, of the Sherlock Holmes picture, “The Sign of Four,” and the vaudeville programme put on by the Barnstormers Costume Comedy Company. .As a result the Pukekura Park funds should benefit considerably. Eeeric mystery planted in an old-fashion-ed English country house on the banka of the Thames swarthy Hindus dealing death with the prick of a poisoned thorn, treasure in an iron-bound chest, a little love—these were the main subjects about which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had woven his story of the greatest fiction detective: The “Sign of Four” was plainly melodrama, but it was English and English-produced, The appreciation of that circumstance was evident. Despite a few faults that could be seen here and there, the peeps at London through its grey mist, its buildings and its traffic, and the views of the river lent a charm of their own to the picture. The atmosphere was warm and home like, and human, and there were some very humorous sidelights on those very humorous people, Cockneys.

Under the leadership of Mr. F. Reade Wauehop, the Barnstormers put on a very bright show, full of colour, movement and laughs from beginning to end. Mrs. BirchJohnston was full of infectious vivacity, especially in “Ye Good Old Drama,” a most amusing parady on melodrama. Mr. Wauehop was a vampish vamp and Mrs. Johnston the villian. Messrs. H. Stewart, H. Morey, H. Winter and W. Taylor acted the other necessary parts, mostly female, and, combined, they succeeded in making the audience feel exceedingly pleasant. Mr. Taylor’s work as a comedian was both original and ludicrous from start to finish, whether he was doing an unsteady boneless fandango or wobbling around with the half-seas-over “Sea Dogs” (Messrs. Morey, Winter and Stewart.) Roars of laughter greeted his sailor’s hornpipe performed probably after the style of a drunken jellyfish. Mrs. Johnston as a Cockney domestic in “I Didn’t ’Arf Laugh” was particularly good', especially her laugh. Mrs. Oscar Mears’ greatest success was in the cute “Hello Cutie” song sung in the costume of a pierrette. She kept dispensing a fund of brightness whenever she was on the stage. Mrs. P. Atkinson and Miss K Moyes both took part in artistic fancy dances with Mr. Wauehop, Mrs. Atkinson giving a solo as well. Mesdames Winter and T. B. Pointon and Mr. Baden Bellringer sang solos for which appreciation was shown in requests for encores, and Mr. Harold Winter led the company in a rhythmic action song in costume, the "Ukulele Dream Girl.” Miss M. Jeffries sang the solo “Say it With Flowers,” action being supplied by girls with bouquets. “Six Little Hard Boiled Efegs” by 'the men was a song on the lines of "Ten Little Nigger Boys.” Other items were an opening chorus "Were here to please you” and “There’s Something Nice About You, Dear” (Mrs. Johnston), while the finale was a medley led by Mrs. Mears and Mr. Wauehop. It included a "Taranaki Trot” in which the movements of the arms looked suspiciously like the operation of milking a cow.