HIS MAJESTY’S.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1361, 25 May 1916, Page 32

HIS MAJESTY’S.

DARCY-McGOORTY FIGHT PICTURES. A pictorial entertainment of excep tional merit, with the Darcy-McGoorty boxing contest as the principal attraction, will occupy the screen at His Majesty’s Theatre, starting to-night (Wednesday), May 24. The films of this great boxing contest for the world’s middleweight championship, which was fought at the Rushcutter’s

Bay Stadium, Sydney, in the presence of 20,000 people, are acknowledged to be the best picture reproduction of a boxing match yet obtained, and boxing enthusiasts should not miss this unique opportunity of witnessing the phenomenal Australian middleweight, Des Darcy, in action. The contest proved one of the most thrilling in the annals of boxing in Australia, and in view of McGoorty’s world-wide reputation the meeting between these two great athletes created, intense interest in all parts of the globe. The film is being presented by Chas. MacMahon, who nas made excellent arrangements for a strong supporting programme which cannot fail to ensure an enjoyable evening’s entertainment for all picture lovers.

In the J. C. Williamson Ltd. production of “On Trial” at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, is a recently arrived English actor with the title of “Royal Player”. This is Frank Elliot. By an old British Act of Parliament the title of “Royal Player” is conferred on actors who before reaching the age of 40, appear for three consecutive seasons at Drury Lane as leading men. The distinction also carries a yearly sum for life —enough to make the holder independent. The honor is very highly regarded and coveted. Indeed few attain it Mr. Elliot is the first actor in 25 years to gain it. The parts lie played were the lead in “The Whip”, “The Hope”, and Nobody in “Everywoman”, in which role he followed H. B. Irving.

Sidney and Daisy Yates, whose “Fox Trot” (nothing to do with the Fox films) dance is one of the features of “So Long, Letty” at Her Majesty’s, Melbourne, had the interesting experience of being in Paris at the outbreak of the war. Two months before the outbreak of the war, Miss Yates went to Paris to play a part specially written for her by Mme. Flers, of the Ambissedeurs Theatre, in “La Revue de Printemps,” in the course of which she introduced the “Moonstruck” number from “Our Miss Gibbs.” At that time Sidney Yates, who is her brother, was producing dancing numbers at the Follies Marigny, Olympia, and lhe Scala, as well as appearing in dances of his own. When war was declared, they found it advisable to leave Paris as quickly as possible, before all traffic was stopped, but it took them ten days before they were able to achieve their object. In London they were booked for the Hippodrome, Manchester, after which they went to South Africa, where they were engaged for Australia by Mr. Harold Ashton, of J. C. Williamson, Ltd.

It has now been arranged that the Tivoli Follies Pantomime Company will reach Auckland by the CanadianNew Zealand liner Makura on Sunday, July 9, a week later than was originally contemplated This extension of the season in Australia has been made on account of the huge success that has been scored by the Follies in Melbourne, where the company has been playing for nearly three months past. The extra week has necessitated an alteration of the dates of the tour, which, as far as the North Island is concerned, is now as follows: —Auckland, July 10 to 17; Gisborne, July 18 and 19; Napier, 24 and 25; Hastings, July 26; Wanganui,

July 27 and 28; Palmerston North, July 29; Masterton, July 31 and August 1; Wellington, August 2 to 9. By this alteration it will be noted that instead of playing New Plymouth, Eltham and Hawera on the West Coast, the company will travel by the East Coast and play Gisborne, which is considered to be a better show town than any in the Taranaki district. The Gisborne people are lucky, as they have not seen 1 the Tivoli Follies previously.

The Hale Hamilton-Myrtle Tannehill season, which has proved so successful at the Melbourne Theatre Royal, is being followed by anotner triumph, viz., the presentation of the great picture spectacle, “The Birth of a Nation,” the epoch-making film, which is generally acknowledged to represent the finest achievement in cinematography. “Colossal” and “stupendous” are the adjectives that apply to the undertaking of an enterprise that cost £100,000; took eigne months to prepare; involved the using up of 132,000 feet of film; and in which 18,000 men and 3000 horses are seen in the 5000 scenes that make up “The Birth of a Nation.” Thougn the history of the United States is the basis of “The Birth of a Nation,” it is, apart from the wonderful nature of the attraction itself, of particular interest to Australians by reason of the great question of black versus white involved in it. The advocates of a White Australia will find that “The Birth of a Nation” furnishes them with many potent arguments in favour of their policy of Australia for the white man.

What other picture producers merely suggest D. W. Griffiths has actually achieved in “The Birth of a Nation,” which is now being screened at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne. Whole armies of men were engaged in battle scenes, which were fought under real service conditions by real soldiers. They give an insight into the horrors of war and all the phases of battle that thrill and awe the beholders. A complete city was built and burnt for “The Birth of a Nation.” Sherman’s army sacrifices Atlanta to the flames, and the conflagration is so realistically pictured that one can almost smell the smoke and hear the cries of the terrified people as they flee to the hills for their lives. Few make any attempt to save their household effects, so great is their haste to escape the flames and the hated Yankees. Up the hills they rush —men, woman and little children —an endless parade of

misery, dread and hopelessness. This is one of the 5000. scenes of vivid and remarkable realism in “The Birth of a Nation.”

In the forthcoming production of “The - Birth of a Nation” at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., will be seen Raoul Walsh, who produced the Fox feature film .“Carmen,” which made such a stir recently when presented by the Williamson management. Walsh was assistant to D. W. Griffith in the big 1 hoto. spectacle, and also appeared as Wilkes Booth, the actor, who murdered Lincoln in the Ford Theatre, New York, in 1865. In “The Birth of a Nation” the auditorium of the theatre is reproduced just as it was at that historic and tragic performance, and every detail of the assassination is enacted.

It is a long time since Australians have had the opportunity of witnessing a noted comedy in this country with the creator of the principal role in his original part. At the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, “Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford” is being staged with Hale Hamilton as J. Rufus. Hale Hamilton and Wallingford are inseparably associated by reason of Mr. Hamilton’s creation of a role that made him world-famous. He played it in New York for nearly two years, lor the best part of a year in Boston, and for ten months in London.

To her general popularity with the public, Dorothy Brunton has added the distinction of being the soldiers’ idol. In Melbourne, where she has won an enormous success in “So Long, Letty,” Miss Brunton is a great favourite with the military men, who have made “So Long, Letty,” their most popular attraction. Night after night the men from the camps throng Her Majesty’s, and not a performance passes that does not reveal what a great favourite Miss Brunton is with the soldier boys The marching song. “Good-bye and Good Luck,” which Miss Brunton sings, has been adopted by the men on die march and by the military bands which bring the soldier theatre parties to Her Majesty’s. These have become exceedingly numerous since the opening night of the play, and in the evening when a body of soldiers marches through the Melbourne streets preceded by their baud playing “Goodbye and Good Luck,” or other “Letty” selections, the answer to the question as to where they are going is general! given as, “They’re off to see ‘Letty’ again! ”