THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, 28 November 1914, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

[By Prohpter.]

THE Opera House continues to resound to the mirth of the multitude, and audiences are surprised and pleased at the excellent and novel turn of "The Mysterious Masquerader." Herman and Shirley are the. people, and the man is attired to represent a skeleton. It is his exceedingly grotesque management of himself that transforms an apparently gruesome business into hilarious and clever comedy. It is inferred by the lady member that she "sees tilings" after having partaken sparingly of a. glass of wine, and 1 suggest all prohibitionists attend, in order to see how small a quantity of the devil's joy juice can produce so awful a result. It is really a very clever turn indeed.

A first appearance, with a good reception, was also made by Bert La Blanc, who, as a Jewish- soldier with a bent musket, kept the audience'in a good humour with his jokes, songs, and eccentric dancing. The Three Homaz contributed an equilibristic act, their balancing feats and feats of strength being neatly and expeditiously performed, the whole act proving to be one to the taste of the audience. Of last week's artists Foy and Foy danced and sang with much gusto while Neil Cant proved his versatility by singing the various parts occurring in the opera "Faust," and by imitating the artistes of a complete music hall programme. For the fourth week in succession the. Magpies contributed between them the whole of the first portion of the programme, appearing to even greater advantage than hitherto. Practically all their items were vociferously encored, some of the concerted items being particularly popular. Their finale, "The Piccadilly 'Bus," proved to be a most humorous item, the whimsicalities of the whole party being very much to the fore. There is a matinee on Saturday.

A domestic drama nobly played and plumbing the depths of sisterly sacrifice is the compelling feature of the Queens "movies" this week. "Woman Against Woman" has had no equal in locally shown films recently as a simply told tale most delicately done and appealing to every one alike. It is a tale of two country girls who after their father's death seek their living in a big city. The bad woman of the piece for reasons of spite plans the downfall of one of the sisters and with the aid of men she attains her object. The other sister fights the bad woman. Subsequently the betrayed girl becomes engaged to a rich man and her balby is taken charge of by the sister. The sister marries her country blacksmith. The bad woman crops up again and shows the blacksmith his wife nursing a baby. It is sufficient evidence to him that his wife is unfaithful and he rushes to drink for consolation. In a subsequent scuffle the bad woman is shot, the mother of the girls hears the true story and insists on reparation. The innocent sister and her blacksmith become foster-mother and father to the child and presumably the rich person who had married the mother never found out about it. The very large audiences watch the unfolding of this fine story with protuberant eyes. A large number of other films, among which are a couple of hilarious comedies, films of local and topical interest and many other films selected by the acute and painstaking management.

At the Lyric people have been waiting "en queue" on many nights lately. Perhaps the surprisingly excellent Gaumont Graphic which drags the peaceful citizen to the point of the bayonet is the reason. It is certain that the peaceful citizen will eagerly devour everything with war in it that cian be shown. "The Wrath of the Gods" is a very beautiful illustration of a Japanese myth expressing the ancient belief of our Allies (and a fine belief it is) that the person who doesn't play the game will be dealt with in a drastic manner by the gentlemen who run the universe. "The Battle of Lebbeke"i« of stirring Avar interest and makes you dtesire to gird on your catapult and grab your pearifle. Toledo in Spain is a scenic beauty. It its of the greatest interest because Toledo is the town where the art of making swords was brought to the highest perfection. I might perhaps except Solignen. "Feathered Acrobats" depicts the antics of a large number of birds which do things they were never.intended to do. Still people take an interest in perversions of natures. A fine instalment of those alluring sketches by a line artist, "AVireless From the War," is very good value. The rich selection of ail that is latest in war items is apparently the chief attraction of a full programme.

An especially fine and varied programme is drawing well at the Globe this change. "AVoman's Way" is of dramatic interest, and shows that a woman can forgive most things. In this case the woman divorces her untrustworthy husband, marries another fellow, and when her first appears again after having "done time," clings to him for ever like the, ivy. The dramatic unities are well preserved. "A Convict's Sacrifice" tells you about the things a real convict never does, and ..is, consequently received with tears arid sorrow for the nice, kind convict. A Lubin comic is "Lucky Rube," and it gets a big hand. The most important item is the Pathe AA 7 ar Special, which gets as hear the front as possible, and is good goods. "Tight Shoes" tells the story of some wedding guests who swapped, shoes while crossing the stream so to speak. Good wholesome comedy is obtained by a well worn device. "Would-be Thriner" is an A.B. comic, in which the actors work hard for their living. "Cast Up by the Deep" is a thriller with lovely scenery as a background for heart-thrills. A good vaudeville turn, "Miss Lena, Contortionist," is filmed, and is very good. "Codes of Honour" is a biggish drama in which the culprit lies low for 1a while, and then owns up in order to let the hero marry the girl arid make a good film story, and an "Up-to-date Courtship" is a comedy.

The King's Theatre lias a remarkable ''movie." "From the Land of Shadows,' picturing the dreams of a scientist, whose mind drifts back to prehistoric nature, and who in imagination peoples the earth as he believed it to be aeons ago. It has the "dramatic interest" necessary to distract a modern audience, and presumably the dramatic interest of 150,000 years"■'ago is identical with that of 1914. A War Gazette permits one to gaze on the British Navy, and incidentally refers to H.M.S. Sydney, which potted the Emden, and which has consequently become famous. Pictures winch advance as far as it is safe towards the front are shown in rich profusion and give New Zealanders a glimpse of the war that is no picnic. Of special interest to New Zealanders is a record of New Zealand fighting troops in Australia. It is a film that would stir the heart of a pork butcher or a society queen especially as a Minister of Defence (loud, continuous and frequent cheers) is seen "reviewing" them. All reviewing politicians should be boiled in oil. Are there not any reviewing soldiers about? "The Kiss" is a dramatised form of the labial osculation and is a good sample of the art. "Bill Saves the Day," too, and "A Substitute for Pants" is also of a humorous nature.

A sensational instalment of the amazing adventures of Lucille Love is being shown at the Princess Theatre, and the dear girl is shown in the house of Loubique, the spy, wh|?re (disappearing rooms are in use, and people get shot like rabbits. A fine, bright chase by 57 people over the roofs of New York is a good idea, and folks in all stages of gun shot wounds and black eyes fall on the leads. The only persons who don't get killed seem to be the dear gild and the heroic but ugly «py. "The Clerk" is a fine business story, in which the banker is the villain who leaves his wife to die while he is out drinking champagne with a "perfect lidy." The clerk is the person who should have married the girl, hence these tears. "Mixed Bathing at Coney Island" gets a good seeing, the Avar special is of siipe.r-excelTp.ilce, and much local film is shown to highly interested people who were there at the time. © ® © The Imperial Iheatre, Moscow, recently had the misfortune to lose 180 handsome curtains and painted settings by fire. The scenery was reserved for the theatre's great operas and ballets, and most of it was designed by Bakst and other stage decorators of the advanced Russian school. $ _ #> There is vigour in the arm of Mr Ernest Shand, the well-known mu-sic-hall artist, who, wrote some verses addressed "to Wilhelm" —to wit: He's a humbug, not a fair man, He's a rotter, he's a German, For he'll violate all treaties that are made; He may win a smallish battle, Shoot the citizens as cattle, But he hasn't made a single soul afraid. Here's to Belgium, France and Russia, May they cripple her and crush her; For the Germans caused this rotten war to-day. So let England send its fighters To annihilate the blighters— We've a very big outstanding debt to pay! Interviewed recently, Madame Melba made some remarks regarding the Boston Opera Company, who.se proposed tour of Australia has been indefinitely suspended owing to the war. "Practically everything had been satisfactorily arranged for the visit of the company to. Australia next year," said Madame. "The full company of principals and the regular chorus, with the admirable Parisian orchestra, which played with us in the last season in Paris, would have been brought here, and the fares alone to Australia would have amounted to upwards of £10,000. It was, of course, a tremendous undertaking, but it was practicable, and the pity of it is that the war has upset all our plans. But nil desperandum— the company may come yet, and it certainly shall not be my fault if I cannot succeed in making satisfactory arrangements when the war is happily over."

Mrs Courtneidge, wife of the producer and actor-manager, died in "England recently, after a prolonged and painful illness. She appeared in Australia several years ago under the stage name of _ Miss Rosie Nett, and was a charming, if minor member of George Mxisgrove's Gaiety Company, whereof her husband Avas a leading character. Subsequently she came to. Australia with her husband and daughter, Cicely, and their arrival coincided with, the production, of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," by the George Musgrove Company. Robert Courtneidge had charge of the stage arrangements for this truly memorable show, and little Cicely had the part of Peasblossom. The daughter, now grown up, and pursuing a brilliant stage career of her own, was one of her father's most valuable supports in his fine spectacular presentation of "The Mousme" and other musical pieces at the London Shaftesbury.

In order to assist recruiting, Mr Knoblauch, author of "Kismet," and Mr Seymour Hicks, the well known English actor, have written a sketch entitled "England Expects," and staged it at London Opera House. Reward in the form of money is not looked 1 for—indeed, certain parts of the house are free— but at the tables of the recruiting officers, who are in attendance each day enrolling those willing to serve their country, that's the reward. 9b ® ®> Arthur ..Bourchier, the Hon don actor, who was eminently associated with Herbert Tree in a. grand production of "Henry VIII." some time ago, wrote an article, "The Tragedy of Sunday," in "T.P.s Weekly," advocating the Sunday opening of theatres. Amid the shocked protests that followed this naif and courageous proposal, the voice of one, Hamilton Fyfe, was heard declaring that "if we had a drama which was alive, this (Bourchier's) suggestion would be worth discussing." "But the actors," continued Fyfe, "who turn what (should be art into shopkeeping, who would rather play rubbish and eat at the Carlton than do good work on a chop and a glass of beer have killed drama. They give us in its place mechanical rabbits." This outburst seemed to make a lot of the "rabbits" angry, and when the last mail left Mr Bourchier was maintaining a polite silence with extreme difficulty.