THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 48, 7 August 1915, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

[By Peompteh.]

photos, the audience is without any doubt whatever taken right into the firing line. Students of military matters will be delighted! with the advance of French infantry up steep country, but very much surprised! at the closeness of the formation, and the comparative fewness of the casualties which are plainly observable. In these pictures one sees' the shells bursting, and the whole damnable engine of war doing its hellish business. Exceedingly pathetic are the numerous pictures of actual casualties being dealt with by the medical officers, and one is able to see precisely what bullet wounds look like. Many of these pictures are unspeakably ghastly, but I believe that people should see how horrible a thing war is, so that they may do their level best to get it over as soon as possible. A notable picture shows a German .warship passing under a bridlge of the Keil Canal, the lecturer averring that he himself was one of the photographers who was subsequently "ordered off" by the Huns. Glimpses are seen of the various types of fighting ships that are talcing part in the gigantic sea operations. It is to be remembered that the actual battle pictures were taken at the risk of tine photographers' lives, and that some operators responsible for them were killed while in the vicinity of the firing line. They are of deep and absorbing interest. Mr J. Wallace Atkinson, at the evening sessions, sings patriotic songs. * ' ® © ss> The popularity of the Queen's Theatre shows no signs of waning, and large crowds are going along to see a particularly opulent and ambitious two-act drama, "An Example." The interest centres largely in the exposition of that great unselfishness which is the most precious material of the scenario writer, and in the emotional display of virtues common to mankind. The telling of a simple story by people of genius and with the surroundings natural to impressive events always attracts people more than the exposition of a complies. t:.:l plot, and in this story there is tie genius of simplicity and high art in the acting. "Almost a Scandal 1 ' is notable for its inclusion of the growing celebrity Billy Ritchie, an exceedingly clever comedian, whom one is amazed to find began life as a student for the Methodist ministry. He is, however, now living a most useful life by amusing the millions. "The Town of Tipperary" shows that the town is much more artistic than the song. The film is of great interest to Irish people who have never been there. The Eclair Budget is a fine exposition of all the notable Avar and social events of the moment, and there are besides a number of very excellent comedies. ® <$ © Very naturally the film that is of the most absorbing interest at the Lyric Theatre is "The Might of the Allies." It is an exceedingly fine tind familiar view of the prodiigious power that has to be used' to keep another prodigious power occupied. Familiar as we are per picture,with the type of men who go to make up mir owxu magnificent army, this series is highly useful, as it familiarises us with the heroes of Prance, the legions of the Czar, and the incomparable gallants of King Albert's su?erb little fighting force. All their armies are to ibe seen in fighting trim —a panorama of sinister power, the 'ike of which has never before been iggregated in the world's bloody hisbory. Also may one see the navies >f France and Britain in all their ugly majesty. A particularly good mowing of the fifth military reinforcements from Wellington attracts pleased attention. "Cartoon© in a Barber's Shop" are excellent specimens of the artist's skill. "Billy's Wager" is a comedy of good laugh value. Various beauty spots in the Channel Islandls are shown, andl I notice that when scenic pictures of sxtra foeauty are one the screen quite

CHANGE night at the Opera House was Tuesday, as , the Rivetrjna did not unload her cargo of artists at due date. Ooco and Chico are a brace of acrobats who appear not to have suffered from delay in transmission, and> their comedy antics and! lissome limbs are a joy to all beholders. A smart pair who quickly wound themselves round the affections of the audience. The Musical Olarinos are operatic artiste of more than usual ability, and do not make the mistake of appealing only to the long-wooled cognoscentic. Eveni I could understand and appreciate the delightful excursion into the beauties of the tunes one knows. As concertina duellists the Clarinos are quite Al. So often the concertina is a windy screeching abomination, but the Clarinos pump true melody out of the musical bellows. Nat Hawley employs himself in excursions to and from the piano and footlights. Either in his amusing and instructive verbal and vocal manipulations at the footlights or at the keyboard he is a nice, restful artist. Many of the items he presents are new to the habitues of the favourite vaudeville house. Hamilton and Barnes, the human machine guns (American pattern) fire patter on an endless band, but I don't see any water jacket about them to cool the chamber. At anyrate it's smart stuff to anybody who has learned the American language. Orphea, the instrumentalist who charmed the audiences so much last week, is stiHl throwing the spell. King and Brown, the two men with two legs between them are doing their wonderfully clever stunt against physical odds, greatly to the satisfaction of the people, and many medical men have attended to see them at it. Victor and his helpers is still throwing his voice about, and Eileen Fleury, the girl who impersonates people, is happily still with us. @. @ © On Thursday of last week, after thiis paper went to press, that splendidly efficient organisation, the St. Cecilia Choir, gave the fourth concert of the season's series l in, the Towni Hall. Dr. W. E. Thomas directed the choir of 158 singers. The ladies were heairdi to advantage, all eight items being sung very nicely. "Ring Out, Wild Bells," was delightfully given, whale the solo parts, were creditably sustained by Misses Fleming andi Gaummer. The choir distinguished themselves in "These Ffowers for Thee." For its singing of Brahms' "Sleep, My Little One," the choir was deservedly encored. West's "Maybell's Are Ringing" received a spirited rendlering. Cooke's "Hark, the Lark" was brightly . wiven. .and other choruses were "Dickory Dock" and an "Old Highland Melody." In the latter the solo part was effectively sustained' by Miss Olive James. Mfcs Margaret Oliphanit played Rubinstein's piano solo, "Reve Angelique" with taste. After her singing of Henrys' "We'll Know, We'll Understand," Miss Muriel Adams was encored. Mendelssohn's I 'Andante Allegretto" and "Finale" from the violin concerto and Wieniawski's "Legende" were given by Mr Keith Kennedy. Sullivan's "Margarita" and Adams' "Nirvana" were the ballads contributed by Mr Mountain. Miss Hasrvey accompanied the choir.

© @ &> "The Armies of Europe at War" are to be .seen on the screen of the Princess Theatre —a remarkable and in many instances a unique exposition of the great phases of the bloody all-world struggle. In a large proportion of tlie«e pictures, which are verbally described by a gentleman who obtained many of the kine-

a lot of people leave the show. I don't know why. Nobody leaves when the Graumont Graphic is on. It's always good. S§> ® ®> The King's Theatre has a rapid and sensational railway drama, "The Fiend at the Throttle." An engineer goes mad, escapes and takes charge of an engine, which he is

about to run into a trainlod of high '< explosives. Helen Holmes, by oooln<?ss and bravery, averts the disaster, and the audience breathlessly exclaims "Oh!" "John Bull's Sketch Book" is a seres of well drawn oartoons commenting hilariously on the war situation. "Who's in Hogg's Hollow?" a Vitagraph comicality dealing with the importance of the man who was everything in the town, from Mayor and Town Olerk to Justice of the Peace and pill vendor.' This is particularly bright comedy. "Rated at Ten Millions' r is a yarn of New York's "Ten Thousand/'.and it shows just how a man c»n v spend dollars if he only has them; There is much contrast between the people of the Bowery and those of theJtfanhattan side, and the morals of the etory are good. It ie remarkably well acted. A Keystone farce, "Do, Re, Mi, Boom," dtepieting the musical struggles of an amateur who desires to win the affections of a girl who loves a really truly singer. As it is done by the athletic Keystone comedians it is full of cackles. The splendid Pa the Gazette givesi quick glimpses of great passing events very largely connected] with war, and the symphony orchestra plays most effectively-

At the Globe Theatre a stirring drama in two acts is thrilling large audiences. "A Man With a. Record" is the story of a chap who has gone wrong at some time, and , is trying to live it down by being a decent, straight-going citizen. In the picture he does it. In real life he doesn't. It is cleverly conceived and! faithfully enacted. A Keystone comic is "Beauty Bunglers," an indescribably active farce in which the cult of loveliness is the foundation of. the plot, and the whole wealth of the company bounce like electrified footballs. "The Leopard's Lair" is a splendid wild animal story pictured in' South Africa, and introducing many of the large carnivorous animals which are still to be found even outsidle Parliament. It is rather wonderful that no stray leopard kills any of the actors—for they have a

- j*ood) chance. "The Great War" is real and invented drama mixed. It is a sermon on the text, "Duty versus Sport," and you will agree that sermons to sports are necessary if you read that thousands of boxing "sports" in Sydney howled 1 down the Premier, who went to the stadium looking for soldiers.