AMUSEMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12407, 27 August 1918, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

CRYSTAL PALACE.

"'TW Honour System’ justifies all I mfc has been said about it and more,” | was tho general verdict of those who witnessed the initial screening of this hne picture at Crystal Palace vesterday. '(he picture deals with the’ great I hocinl problem of prison reform. Ever | since the fact has been recognised that Jt is a duty to society that criminals should bo give,, a chance to reform, am. that reformation can only' be l by i humiUle this *° e ‘ ll has the subject of much camost consideration in all civilised Zv neS V BMd ? OUhtIGSS - »* n, result, , . ny . reforms have boon introduced, hit in this picture a. very advanced cfoim is depicted iu operation. This loloiiu is tho honour system” of prison government, under 'which tho prisoners are placed on trust by be u" given a reasonable amount oLfSom Uuvicts in plain clothes, arc, shown tvoikjng m the fields and 01.1 roads playing baseball and enjoying all maii--1101 ol benefits. Sonic of them even allowed to go outside th 0 prison 0 d .Hint' f I' 1 < i ontrast t0 this the vhniii nC } ' U , tal s h steil \ of government is the l lor^'ra i'’ f ' Under this system the pnsonera are confined in small and % a C ° lls - arc beaten ffl until thn' 1 ' eor^s °f torture, until the, prison becomes to them such a ventahle bell on earth that manv n ° contl ' nst bctween the tiro systems is most striking and cannot but fail to appeal to alb + lO rte is, not merely a treatise on these tivo systems of nrison government. It unfolds a; J£BR for its themV this storv f k” 1 ' Tl6 central ' figoi-e iu denmpd st« 5 t« - a yo,nig rnnn is con--21 f for life- ,in •„ f+ f whlcl ) lle ls innocent. He iL nil r a ’ ! )nson conducted aloim 0f 4 b ™N%; Then thl > ry shows how tne young man manages to bring this state of a ff£ nX t“ e Gotorao. if tk( after some difficulty secures 1m US’]"!? 1 Under this svs. tern tluee days’ leave is asked for the fST’ ho- mayvS® r ? tat, °n m which to test a piece °f wireless plant machinery ho ha i ,vented. Opponents of the S ys° , .strenuously oppose the granting dilioir -tint % a +r cmly ' consc ' llt ' 011 conJitioni that if the young prisoner fails to return tie “ Honour Systenr” Si co o rdSw(v "’1 h - • T , llc yoiu, S man ao coiclmgly departs with the firm resolve unnenT b f S +? edg0 ' However, the opponents of the system Hr all sorts of frmn r tb nd kae P him W Iromtiio prison for longer than three * h ?n is very nearly successful n The young man wins at a terrible cost to him- ■ elf, lon the experiences ho , passes thiough in his attempt to defeat the schemes of the opponents of the system are so terrible that, he dies soon after his return. But “ The . Honour system is .saved. This is but a bare outline of the story, which is so inter--1 w °ven with romance, tragedy and pathos, relieved with quaint and humorous situations, that the picture must bo seen to be appreciated. The film ■was produced by William Fox, and it represents tjie. best work vet turned out by this master of picture craft: in every way the scones are realistic and true to life, and the settings are both Javisli and magnificent. The cast, which includes Miriam Cooper, Milton •bills, and George ‘Walsh, is particularly strong,; and additional interest, is lent' by the fact' that hundreds of actual convicts a refused in the, reproduction ot many of the scenes. The other items on the programme- were a. Mutt and . .left cartoon and a topical gazette. At. tlie evening session do. luxe the Crystal talace orchestra played a suitable;se- • oction of music. “ Th 0 Honour Evsiteur will by screened again .to-day and all this week. As there is obtain to be a * Jl g demand for seats at the evening sessions do luxe intending patrons for any. evening .are strongly advised to book at The Bristol or at the theatre itself. • OPERA HOUSE. Walter George’s Company of Sunshine Players, a brilliant little band of entertainers who specialise iu musical comedy of a surprisingly high order, again provided tho piece' de resistance at the Opera House last evening/ when the toiin.li production of th e season, ‘•The Gratia Hotel/’ was staged: ■ lor the first tiling It was the unanimous opinion of those vvho had seen this company’iTprevio.us efforts that it was its greatest success to date, which, after taking into consideration the excellence ot its three other proauctions, should be adequate praise iu itself. ■' Although there is but little semblance of a plot the piece is stocked with a variety ot extraordinary, situations, and many ot them, especially in George Storey’s sccna, - Which Switch/’ and Polly MacLaren’s dance specialties, arc worthy' of being found in the best of musical comedies. George Storey was again in lus clement, ana he regaled the hi tee audience with' his drolleries and other pleasantries right throughout the evening s performance, with all his accustomed eclat and cleverness. His comedy efforts were ably seconded by Gcorgie Martin, a. vivacious little lady who throughout tho playict gave a dehghtiul and interpretation in the part of. the hotelkeeper's da ughtoi. Another piece of charactensaticm was that for which' Milton Owen was responsible, and as Major Pott ho gave his best performanco. to date. Polly MacLaren a charming - dan,sense, was in excellent form, and her two dancing- essays in winch she .was accompanied by awolltraincd ballet, were quite characteristic of her best. 01 tho vocal portion of the piece Hylcln,-{shannon's rich- soprano voice was heard to advantage in “I Monder if it’s True,” while Holly Leslie, the.-, possessor of a, deep bass voice, aroused his hearers to a high pitch oi enthusiasm bv, his interpretstion of ‘‘ Down fci the Depths.” Wall* George bad httlo to do, but bis solo effort, ‘ Joila, was done iu.liis best nuunci, "\\hiio 13ulc*Je.i\Iilnei* wjis pleus* / bl °. T :u ,’i she undertook. IJic first half of the .programme was devoted to vaudeville, and it is safe to say that it was one of the strongest first halts ” presented at the popular theatre for .some time past. ‘Wallace Brownlow, baritone, with liioro than a vaudeville reputation, appeared for the vrst time, but unfortunately a sore throat prevented the two numbers he gave being beard to advantage, although his interpretation of “All the AVorld Loves a,Lover” was excellent but. "In the Garden of My Heart” be was not so successful. Burns and Le Clerc, two nimble-footed dancers, also made their first appearance, and scored an instantaneous success, being particularly pleasing in a number of bur, lesqucs. Bessie. Lester, a. vivacious American comedienne, was beard in a number of quaint .Jewish impersonations which were, gracefully interpreted, while other pleasantries, many of them at tho expense of the audience, elicited generous applause. As a final effort she sung with feclmg a popular American ballad, “Baby’s Prayer at Twilight,” Engine Ogilvie,. the popular Scottish comedian, who is both original and versatile, gave, an excellent burlesque characterisation of a rather ancient daughter of Caledonia, in the hilarious manner which marked his efforts of the previous ‘week. He repeated‘his skit on tho conscientious objector, and rounded off an-'.excellent-turn with a Scottish ballad. Wells and Wells repeated their extraordinary tumbling and athletic feats, which arc interspersed witli (plaint humour ami liairraismg thrills. As usual, the excellent orchestra, conducted bv Miss Ackersion, acquitted, itself admirably. Tim programme will bo repeated to-night.

THE GRAND THEATRE. , The Grand Theatre was reopened last • evening.. .after '. ah interval, of , several weeks. In tlio interim the theatre has been in the hands of builders and'decorators.; and has been practically doubled in size and beautified to such an extent as to place- it in the very front rank of the picture theatres of the Dominion. ' The new Grand is twice thd width of: the old, the distance between rear .seats and screen in the lower part, of the house being slightly reduced. -/The new shape gives every member of the audience a good view of tlie screen without distortion. An exceptionally wide and imposing ohtranee has been erected, and a handsomely appointed 'foyer leads the ■way; to_ the dress circle. The interior decorations arc in lavender, cream add gold, clear and delicate in effect, the ceiling being enriched with' dainty paintings and. heavy mouldings;: The lighting comes through leadlight windows in walls .and celling, _giTiiig a very, soft bright illumination. On either side ?• j 1 5 screen illuminated scenes, behind pillars, suggest an outlook- over the Venetian lagoon. Last evening’s attendance was a very large one, and the- pictorial programme presented-wav worthy of the occasion; The leading feature was the Screen Classics-Metro production “ Revelation,”, in which the celebrated Russian actress Alla Nazimova played a, leading foie. The drama presented was a well-constructed one with, more unity of conception, than is usually tin/case- in seven-reel photoplays. a dancer (played by Mdlle > Nazimova), the mistress of an American painter in Paris, poses as his model for/ai painting representing a miracle—the Madonna, appearing in a vision to a devout monk in a monastery garden, and leaving as the tokenof her blessing rosebuds pn an old rosebush that had not bloomed 'for m'any years. / To give verisimilitude to the painting Joline smuggled herself into the monastery garden in male attire, and then posed as the Madonna-while the monks were in chapel. She,was seen by one of the nionks, who believed her to be'the Virgin Mary .and incontinently swooned away., -Joline and her painter-lover packed up their traps and departed. Shortly/after the rosebush burst info bloom, and the monastery was agog with a new miracle. Joline undertook to disillusion the monks, hut in an interview with the .’venerable prior ■ experienced a change of heart, and thenceforward rehounccd. her sins and led a. life of seuvicc. Later, as aRed Cross nurse-, she rescued her former lover on .the held of battle,'the picture ending in their marriage. Supporting film's included some . fine , pictures of the 'Higli School-Omst’s :College football match; a Glfarles Chaplin comedy, “The Count.” iaud the first chapter of a new serial, “ The Great Secret,” portraying Francis- X. Rushman and Beverley Bayne. . Songs by -.Sir ~W;; J. 1 Trewerne, and bright incidental music by the Grand orchestra of under Mr 'A-. If. features of ati The. daily sessions w.o’ig , .y)« ,^?d/ i to-cla-y, when the pictorial pvqgraiVnupijiwas repeated. , QUEEN’S THEATRE. A film of greatrintereskito- all lovers of animals jvas scfceiieil-air the chief .attraction of the iiewvprdgra.inme at the. Queen’s Theatre .. The. picture unfolds a drama.-of great human interest, hut many of the chief actors in this drama are animals of ail sorts, both wild and tame. There are lions, leopards, elephants, pigs, sheep and many other animals, all well trained, of course, but trained in such a maimer that their acting is anything hut unnatural. The wild animals of the jungles provide many exciting: situations, whilst the domesticated animals are the central figures in many scenes of pastoral qiiiet and beauty. As might ho expected, the elephants provide soma very interesting displays of highly trained work. For instance, one elephant rescues'a man from a- slimy pool, carries a young lady to a clandestine meeting with her lover, ' and later brings.home a lost child from the jungle. And the intelligent animal docs this in such a inanucrais to show careful and lengthy training in his . part. The chimpanzee is also'very in-, teresting, partly because many of his actions arc most uncannily human. Although the chief honours go to the animals in this, picture, die human members of the cast are not kept absolutely in’the background. Eileen Sedgwick, in the part of Gretel, is most proficient, and certainly adds to her growing popularity. Park Jones is. ad-' rniirablo, as the hero, and other "■important roles ‘ are taken by Kingsley Benedict, Harry Clifton, L. M. Wells and ilrs Whiting. _ The settings and stagings are very well done, some of the scenes of jungle life being most beautiful and interesting. Certainly it is a picture that should appeal to both young and old alike. The second feature ou the programme was a. drama of the Mustang, series, under the tide ■ of “The Ranger of Lonesome Gulch.” The story concerns a ranger, who loves a. daughter of a retired professor living on a ranch. However, another man from die city comes between the lovers, and although he does not win the,girl, he manages to estrange her temporarily from her lover. After the quarrel, as the girl is riding home alone, sha is attacked by a. band of drunken horse traders, and is compelled to take refuge in the ranger's cabin. An exciting-fight tollows, and although the immediate re- • suits are unfortunate. to- .the/ lovers tlie final scenes show a happy endingto all their troubles. Like- all tang dramas, tins -film is notable.for • cue line displays of horsemanship and an abundance of open-air incidents. It Hu° bill 1 ' ‘ P i r ° VC il PW )lllnr Mature on 7 1 ,, A ' Uost diverting comedv, U ' 5 bogus Beast” completes this piogi ami ay. winch m every way main- K

•tains >the high standard, of : excellence • that has been set by the Queen’B-The-atre. At the evening session j at which•a- “capacity” house: was recorded,, the “ Dainty “ orchestra , consisting of Mrs’ Middleton (conductor and pianist)j Miss Cadenhcad/(violinist), Mr George. Ellwood (’cellist) and Mr A. N.; Hutton v (flautist), - contributed' an excellent selection of music. The same ■ session will he held to-day, commencing at 11 a.m. ■ ■ n. LIBERTY THEATRE. All the, Goldwyn- productions than have been shown in: Christehurch_havo proved big attractions, and“ Xearly, Married,” the, Goldwyn-. comedy which , formed theprincipal item- om the j new '• programme at Liberty Theatfe yeeter- ..-s day, is no exception to the-rule,_ for at all-sessions this popular amusement resort-was- well attended. Madge Kennedy. is the principal artist in the cast, ’ and her acting in the part of the young,: gii-lp/who is “ nearly married,” -us - .-a triumph of histrionic art. .The story deals with, the complications,, which follow upon the decision of the young girl .not to' go, on her honeymoon., ■ ; She • a*- , rives at' this decision;,-’ mainly on.-w-ac-.-. count ■of a brother, who finally’-advises, her. to proceed against Jier-husband fora divorce.. The girl still loyes-her.-hija:-band, but in .spite of her brother’s advice. 'The -proceedings, are , rather/ .long. and tedious,/-and; : .whilst-they, are still . incomplete,., the - 1 girl one day meets her , husband. . Love triumphs, and .the pair decide to flee ' —far from the divorce court and from relations, who seek their separation. But ■ they have hardly begun,"their -flight. Avhcn news reaches them that a divorce has been ■ granted. . Then the question •; arises- between them'• -“ Are l.weivmaT-; ?i r vied?” But they have not much- time to settle this momentous problem, .for their relatitfnsf* and - sundry other per- ■ sons are iu”closo pursuit, intent upon seeing_ tlfaV;the decree of the divorce, court is carried out. - So the-couple.fleev’ and a most exciting chase- is the .-result;-: ’ During the course of this'. chase there.-, is excitement-. and humouti-rinoahuudv'-v a-nce, andf&lso-a httlerpfc+hdßu: :-In* tlie- -5 ■ end turns onFwoll;, aud/the-".-; final scenes/show the’ two young-people-v settling down happily sto matriodi-lifev:-': Another -I interesting item ori; thb- hilj: was a. film version by the Vitagrapli-.' Company of 0. Henry’s powerful: storv “ The Gift of The Magi.” - Items of ■ topical interest wore supplied, by .; the- , ever welcome “ Ganmont;: Gazetted’'.The samp pictures will bo screened at all sessions to-day and this evening. - - .■- THE BING BOYS, The J. C. William son revue, “ The Bing'Boys Are Here,” was repeated’-at ■’ the Theatre Royal last droning. in ’the presence of a large audience,--which thoroughly ' appreciated the attractive' " programme provided by the clever conipany. Among the most successful of ■■ many catchy solo and concerted songs •Were “ If You M ere the Only Boy iu the "World and I Were, the Only Girl,” ■ “Every, Little While.” “Grand- - 1 mamma’s Day” and “Tlie Kipling Walk.” ' Among the - many notable ■ special features of the perfomaneo may - be mentioned the firelight fancies ■secneja-’ the, dressing-room scene, -, the - trellis • scene and the"-Chu- Chin Chow scene,' with its illuminated ladders, a- regular triumph of stagecraft. ■ Jack Cannot, Minnie Love and Leslie Holland were • .especially successful in their respective ■ specialities/ The popular company will appear again -this evening. / " TREE-FELLING. - The poplars are felled; farewell to,the shade, ' And-the whispering sound of the - cool colonnade; ■The winds: ; play no- longer;and'.eing’m' the - , leaves ■ ‘ “-■■■- - ■ v:.v. Kor Ouse on His, bosom their-image, receives- , : Twelve years have elapsed" since I first: took- • a,view ... .a: Of my favourite.'field," and the' brak wh'«* 1 thcs’ grew; ... And now ia the grass behold they-are laid, And the tree is my seal that ; once lent n»*-", -. a shade! The blackbird has fled to another, retreat Whero-the-.hazels afford him a screen from the heat. And the scone whore his melody ■ charmed mo before i : ' . /T/ Resounds with Ins sweet-flowing ditty no More. 'Tis a sight to engage me. if anything can, To muse ou the perishing pleasure® of,man; Though his life be a dream, his enjoyments, I sec, ■ Have a being less durable over than bo. —W. C-owner.