MONTGOMERY'S ENTERTAINERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2171, 29 August 1907, Page 2

MONTGOMERY'S ENTERTAINERS.

A cu xi-ii-.il evening's entertainment was enjoyed by a full house at the opening pel foriniuiee ol .Montgomery’s popular company. Thu pictorial display was excellent, tile films being first-class and the range of subjects comprehensive, whilst a number of vaudeville items were pleasantly interspersed in the programme. That tho audience was Keenly appreciative HUS self-evident, hearty applause punctuating the performance. Of the pictures ini tho first half, those depicting the first football match between New South AA r ales and New Zealand got -a great reception. The spectators were shown what an enormous concourso of people the 52,000, recorded as tho attendance at the

match, represents, and the enthusiastic interest the contest ovoked. Tho faces of Hunter and his men as they filed out into tho field wore clearly recognisable, tho , preliminary interchange of courtesies botweon tho two teams was depicted, including the Alaorilanders in tho act of uttering their weird “war” cry, and a kaleidoscopic viow of the play was given. It came as a surprise to note that tho N.Z. scrum wore considerably pushod about by the Cornstalks, hut a yell of triu-mpli issued from the “house” as almost invariably tho “All Blacks” twisted the scrum and socured the leather. To judge from tho pictures the New South AVales half-back was a littlo wonder. Glimpses of tho meteoric dashes for the lino were quito exciting. A really fine series of pictures enlightened Gisborneites -as to the, story told in. the opera-drama “Parsifal,” and a representation of the great carnival at Nice was given with great success. Tlio gay revels of the light-hearted

populace, entering with (treat zest into the spirit of tho carnival, were enough to excite envy in tho breasts of colonials. Tlio great procession was soon to he a marvel of art, ingenuity, and resource. All that imagination could conjure' up for spectacular effect was witnessed in the pageant. Views of the great cars bearing dainty or weird, fantastic, and grotesquecreations of fertile minds, with the throng of laughing, dancing revellers, were realistically presented. “Black Beauty” was the title announced <\ series of pictures showing the wonderful sagacity and faithfulness of a horse, whose master had been robbed oil the road. A VOl v laughable film, “A Moonlight Dream, dealt with the old topic of an lnebriate’s experience in dreamland, including a hazardous trip through space, and the prosaic awakening. The results attained in this fanciful class ol pictures borders on the miraculous. A few vaudeville -itmes were introduced ill the first half of the programme. In the comedian business” Air. AVill Alonks kept the audience in a simmer of merriment. His song, “Do, ra, me,” made a hit, and together with an eccentric dan.-e was encored. Air. H. Thomas sang a descriptive song on a toncning Court scene. Air. E. Atontgomery gave a fine rendition of “I AVant to be a .Soldier.” The song, which has a tuneful tilt, was nicely illustrated with colored slides. AVlien the words ol the chorus were thrown on the screen the “gods” joined in the refrain. Tlie main attraction after tlie interval was a graphic pourtrayal of the AVebb-Towns sculling match. The proprietor showed great enterprise in having special films taken of the exciting event. Tlie result is that the man in the audience is given a better grip of the contest than lie could have gained had lie been one of the many

thousands of spectators who lined the river banks that day. First of all some beautifully-developed pictures are given of AA’ebb at his training quarters, and practising on the river. A view is given of the start. Towns is seen to be holding the lead for some distance, then tlie Gisborne spectators give a patriotic cheer as the New Zealander is observed to be spurting to the front. Tlie sceiie all along the water-way, in place? crowded with launches and small boats, is excellently presented (the film being taken on a launch following the race), and when tlie winning-post is reached a cheer goes up from the house. The film clearly shows he relative positions at most stages of the course, even the occasional variation of stroke can be detected. It would seem (unless the camera lies) that the AA’anganui mail had a very easy win, the victory being more pronounced than tlie ‘cabled reports would lead one to imagine. AA’ebb and Towns shaking hands, Towns lodging his protest with tho umpire, and the scene of commotion as tho river fleet. set out for home, all conic out very strikingly, Pictoriall.v, the sad plight of an orphan girl], her beguilement into a den of pickpockets, lier rescue, and the rc-scuo of another little waif who had befriended ; her, was a narrative of human interest. “Three ha’porth oi leeks” was a film of the “faked” kind, showing the gyrations of an intoxicated man who had been despatched on an errand by his wife. The final scene of a “scrap” between the enraged wife and the sottish specimen of manhood, though exciting laughter, was not- in the best of taste, when children form part of the audience. A popular feature was the musical act of Alessrs. Harman -lid Alorton, who .(lid some really clever work with a variety of musical iiistru-. . ments. They really demonstrated how two totally different airs can be ■made to harmonise. One of tlie performers played a selection oil two cornets simultaneously, with pleasing effect, The other showed the capabilities of the violin in the way ol imitating the bagpipes, the cackle of a hen, screech of a parrot, the trombone, etc., etc. After other instruments had been handled, the performers “brought down the house” with a “band” selection, acceptably rendered. Each was a host unto himself, one simultaneously -manipulating Hie piano, cornet, liig drum, and kettledrum. Air. AY. H. Alontgomery, a vocalist of ability, sang “Tho Bandalero,” his inteprotation of this spirited song meeting with due appreciation. Tho company anounco several changes in this evening’s programme.