THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXXVII, Issue 49, 11 August 1917, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

(By Prompter.)

THE "Battle of the Ancre," a series of unique cinema records were shown for the first time at His Majesty's Theatre, on Mon-d-av night under the auspices of the V.M.C.A. Mr A. J. Enttrican, speaking to the large gathering, explained the obvious when he declared the pictures were not faked. They arc indeed 1 wonderful records of the real thing and make the civilian imagine some of the indescribable horrors of the terrible battle front. The exceedingly bitter contest for supremacy on the Ancre proved the undying heroism of Allied British troops and the varying phases of this great ordeal, are shown in the picture with as much familiarity as is possible. Divorced from the sight and smell of blood, the groans of the dying,, the yells of "berserk" men, the tumult, the noise- and the clrimour, it is easy for an average imagination to fill the gap®. The operators who braved most of the perils of the combatant (without a combatant's chance of retaliation) (.am one's admiration. The horrid desolation, and devastation of vj.r, in which no animate or inanimate thing is sacred, is tremendously impressive in this picture. The ghastly means taken which have been perfected 1 with one object (the destruction of men) are eagerly viewed, the grotesque death amble of the. terrible tanks, the belching kick of the great guns, the great and minor operations of artillery, the forward move of the staggering infantry, the amazing genius expended on death seizes the imagination and makes one hope, that ' these hitherto unimaginable horrors will soon be at an end. This writer believes that the ghastliest phases of war should be presented to civilians. They can only faintly realise from silent and colourless pictures what a soldier suffers for" the comfort and safety of the stay-at-home.

Paul Stanhope's Musical Comedy Co., at Fuller's Opera House, have a Avhirling hotch-potch of merriment in "Razzle Dazzle," an irresponsible medley of skilled fun, frolic and music'that avoulc! cheer even a member of the Efficiency Board, or a Six O'clocker. Paul himself is Al as a music hall Irishman, av'lio, among his soitoavs and his loves, bursts into songs and jests. He sings "Kisses" in a, Avay to tickle a bronze statue. Will Rayner bursts into "The Marseillaise" Avith vigour and address and 1 sings that delicious gem "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes" as if he was looking into them. Miss Helene Le Quejsne gets a great hearing for her "Hello, Auckland!" and a vocal invitation to have a trip in her boat. Miss Edna McColl, the inventor of dances, sings "Bango Tunes" Avith effect andl the Grafter's Quartette have a whole hunch of stuff that gets home to the people. Then there are Lottie Newman, George McColl and a tip-top chorus of girls. The openpart of the programme gives the Buntv Coinedv Co. a chance to do a new sketch "Found a Baby," highly amusing and exceedingly well done, Carieton and Sutton, the dancing duo', Billy and Doris also a dancing duo, Balto the astonishing balancer and the Cnsko performing menagerie. The Avhole keynote is brightness.

The Auckland Male Choir gave a .rema.rka.blv fine concert in the Tmvn Hall on Thursday night last. There Avas a verve about it that raised the already Aery high reputation of

the Choir in the estimation of .the people who know its work so well. Dr. Thomas bad in, lall- about 65 singers who appeared to enjoy themselves. The audience certainly did. ''The Viking Song" fired the enthusiasm of the audience. It is exoeednglly illustrative, generous, and many of the Choir tackled it with vim and' got as much out of it as ■possible. Julius Harrison has infused into this song the rollicking freedom of. the. .sea-rover. "Who Snails with Drake?" was instantly .successful and nobly done. Storch's "Battle Prayer" perhaps but illustrated the mew enthusiasm of the Choir. It was splendidly sung with the fine expression which is so necessary to its .success. The quaint human "Alexander" got a great and delighted hearing. It cheered the audience up and and if you oan get an .audience, cheerful—it's yours. There was nothing finer than the Chorus dinging of "Night and Day." The "Bacohana,ian Chorus" sung by the exceedingly respectable Bacchanals rather lacked wickedness and "In Absence" got the hearty approval it deserved. Messrs A. H. Ripley's and H. Barry Coney's solos were received with, great pleasure. Mrs. A. H. Ripley and, Mrs L. G. Whiittakor ware, accompanists.

The heart-searching dirama "White as a Lily," put on by the Brandon-Gremer Dramatic Company, filled the King's Theatre and thrilled the people on Saturday and succeeding nghts and is still doing it. Love, romance and villainy are imtcrwoA'cn in the Avay Aye love so avcl] and sobs for the little children avlk> are'rent from their'parents by the polished avtetches Avho do the wiickedness are heard. The love of honest people Avatered by virtue and diabolically opposed by the infamous scroundels Avho plot through each vivid act gives it a sAveet savour and one is relieved to find that although the odds are on the success of thte .scoundrels in the first act, Nemesis fastens its canines in, the ear of evil before the final curtain,. Miss Kathleen Arnold did not appear on Saturday night, this favourite actressi being indisposed. Miss Alice Redo, the poor Avife, on whom the villains perpetually dropped the acid bore it Avith exemplary sweetness and good nature. Her acting was distinctly good. Miss Mabel Hardinge as a hard-hearted adventurous who finds that Anllainy may endiire for a night but gaol cometh in the morning is highly skilled in her dramatic pourt rayal. Maur'icp Taioh'y is Lord Arliston and a very good peer he makes. Kenneth Carlisle is a Avicked stockbroker Avith a couple of eyes and a pair of fists op the dollar bag all the time. Miss Biddie Hawthorne, Frank Neil and W. Coulter dilute the play with comedy. The dear little children for whom the sobs are heard' are Violet Milne and Rua Butler. They play nicely.

Commencing at the Matinee Saturday, August 11, the popular A. Brandon-Cremer Dramatic Co Avill present the Avell-knoAvn military drama, "Under Tavo Flags," by Ouida. It is a drama of intense interest shoAving the devotion of a girl to her country and comrades Miss Kathleen Arnold will appear as Cigarette, Misjs Mabel Ha/rdlinge Princess Corona. Misses Rede, HaAVthorne are also suitably cast. MiFrank Neil Avill appear as Rake, th*> faithful servant, Mr Maurice Tuohy Bert Cecil, Mr Kenna, Lord Itoc'king ham, Mr Carlisle, Col. Chateautary, also Messrs Reis, Archer, Coultorj Henderon, Hill. "Under Two Flags" is full of exciting scenes and incidents. Patrons are reminded that arrangements have been madp by the management whereby. day sale tickets can be obtained from Finlay's, neAVsagents, Pitt Street also reserve seats.

A highly exhilarating coined v drama is "Paddy O'Hara" seen at the Strand Theatre. Paddy is o wholly impossible Irish Avar correspondent AA'ho goes to the Balkans: doesn't care whose uniform he

wears, who bowls whole armies- out and throws them through windows, rescues a princess, captures a telegraph office at the point of the gun telegraphs his own "scoop" and diddles European diplomacy and several armies one-handed. William Desmond is the devil-may-care Irishman and plays this extraordinary melodrama with vividness. A whole Army lies asleep in order to allow William to pass by without being observed, and by the time he gets back to London in a bell-topper and frock-coat his princess and her pa are already there and all is over bar the wedding breakfast. "Villa of the Movies" is a highly divertim'travesty of the Mexican Avar, full of extraordinary good "fakes" and scenes of the Aviklest description. It's a sure laugh getter. The actor who does Villa, the Mexican general, is that bandit's exact image. There is an excellent Pa the Gazette.

The Queen's Theatre has a Paramount -picture, "The Travelling Salesman," which does not depend for its rich and varied'humour on the throAvi"-' of tarts, or the chief comedian falling over the doorstep sitting down in a bucket of water or being paished in the face by another gentleman. It is a,delightfully fresh' and piquant story of possible happenings in real life, a type of Avork too infrequently seen on the screen. In real life, comedy and drama are always intermixed and laughter chases tears- from cradle to grave. "The Salesman" has a bunch of aclA'c.nture« during life that will exhilarate thp most jaded and' bring nothing butpure i'a lighter to the throats of the audience. The Famous l Players enrich the story Avith viA r id acting and it is noticeable that the connectiiur A'-erbal links on the'screen are short and pointed. You get a lesson and a laugh in exquisite form in "The Travelling Salesman."

"Big Tremaine" i.s the fine Metro feature starring at the Princess Theatre. Tremaine's brother is an ardent rotter Avho snares his brother's SAveetheart and dollars to do it Avith. Of course, a. fat-headed Avorkl including big Tre's mother thinks big Tre.. the thief and the hero has to keep on being a decent chap to make a topping picture. It i.s Avorked out in splendid country by splendid people. • The love interest is SAveet and natural. Harold LockWood plays lead Avith May Alison and these two talented folk aided by an army of first-class players put up a heart-searching st.Ory in Avhich there is nothing to offend the susceptibilities of the most pious teaA r endor. Maybe there are a few Bijr Tremaine's—unselfish, and honourable in real life. There is a Christie Comedy, rich in farce, dimples, athleticism and smiles, brisk, breezy and irresponsible and there is also a fine neAvs film.

The Tivoli Follies, which Avere such a consistent money-making show for Hugh, D. Mcintosh, have been reorganised and have opened at the new Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane. The company will still include Miss Vera Pearce, Miss Daisy and Mr Sydney Yates, the noted dancers, Mr Geo. Welch and little Billy Rego. Many Avould like to see this company in New Zealand again, but that does not appear to be likely at present.

The woman who reads every line on the picture screen at the top of her A r oioe for the benefit of all goers to every Auckland picture-house should be told in a slide by the management that nearly all New Zealanders can read. lit is intensely irritating to sit at the back of a woman in a half acre hat who not only yells the screened lines, but expresses her opinion of the people in the screen as if they were taking part in actual affaij-s of real life. "What did she do that for—l. wouldn't. haA r o done it" is the sort of thing the reading lady keeps up for a Aveary hour. It driA r os men into hotels.

Where Maisie Carte, the pretty New Zealand actress, appears, she usually leaves a wake of post cards —original post cards, it must be explained, designed by her own clever pencil. During her season, in, Melbourne with Nellie SteAV-art she has been at work on another lot to follow up the laughable "Knitting" series. These, which will probably be called "The Carte Kiddie," are to be published almost at once, to be in time to roach our soldiers overseas Avith a word of cheer for Christmas.

Miss Lillah McCarthy, who has just won her suit for. the restituitom of conjugal rights against her husband, the well-known dramatist and producer, Granville Barker, was out in New Zealand . some years ago, where her striking beauty and histrionic talent.made a great impression on discerning She has had a remark-able career on the stage, and was the first in London to .portray. Bernard Shaw heroines under the auspices of the Stage Society. Shaw himself was mainly responsible for her selection, for he had long admired her ability and had picked her out. as a very,promising novice when she was playing as an amateur, and he was the celebrated critic of the "Saturday Review." Granville Barker appeared with her in several Shaw, productions— notably in. "Mrs Warren » Profession," which was banned for public presentation by the English censor; "Captain Brassboimd.s Conversion," the melodramatic comedy with a Moorish background; "The Man of Destiny, the acute study of Napoleonic egotism ; "Candida," the intense and original version of "the eternal triangle" ; and one or two others equally well known. Besides achieving a reputation as an actor, Barker won a separate and enduring fame as. a dramatist. Students of tho "literary" drama' will remember that Ire is responsible for "Waste " . "The. Madras House," 'The Marrying of Ann Leote" and "The Voysey Inr heritance," the last of which was staged in Melbourne some time ago by Gregan McMahon's Repertory Co. ■ . ® ®- ® . ■ Jerome Kern, the composer of "Very Good . Eddie," now being played in New Zealand-, has made a fortune out of this very bright and humorous trifle. The royalties from the sale of over 500,000 gramophone records of the songs and selections, have brought him in a vast sum not to mention the royalties of the published songs, which are included in the popular rages in America, but his largest sources of revenue are from the performances of the musical play itself which is being played by half a dozen companies m the States. With such pre-eminent artists as Barry Lupino, Lillian Tucker, Fayette Pe'rrv, John Beck, Andrew Higginson, Alfred Bristowe, the musical comedy should be a recordbreaking attraction in the land ot the moa.

Even tho terrific fight scene of "Tho Spoilers" sinks into insignificance when compared with the one that provides a tremendous thrill in ■"The- Barrier," the latest RexBeach novel to' be transferred to the screen. Edgar Lewis has filmed this story of the North in seven thrilling reels, and has succeeded in staging one of the most realistic fights ever captured by the camera. It is said to be sufficient to carry the spectator away and to imagine that he is witnessing a conflict that can but end in the" death of one of the combatants. Mitchell Lewis, as Poleon Doret, and Victor Sutherland as Lieut. Bun-ell share the honours with Mabel Julienne Scott in.this play.

Walter Cornock, the young Australian characted comedian now appearing at the Melbourne Palace Theatre with Fuller's Dramatic Company, tells of an incident that happened to him during a season of vaudeville in Queensland some months ago. He was singing _th» late Tom Dawson's song "How Dare You'" Between one of the verses Dornoch thought he would get off a little patter, and began by making a few remarks to the audience about his worries, concluding with "Really, you have no idea of what I have'to put up with." Then some unkind person up above chipped in: "It can't be anything worse than what we have to put up with.