PICTURE SHOWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1712, 1 April 1913, Page 6

PICTURE SHOWS.

HIS THEATRE. A positively first-rate programmo of pictures was screened at Eis Majesty's last night. The bill really includes several "stars," hut chief of all is "The Shaughraun," an Adaptation of Dion Boucicauit's well-known play. Without describing tho play, tho title of which is so familiar, it may bo said that tho film shown last night is ono of great excellence, and lovers of this class of piece would do well to avail themselves of tho present opportunity. "In and About Chicago" is a splendidly instructive picture. Excellent ideas of the working of many of the big city enterprises and of municipal improvements may be gleaned. Among the phases touched on are the lift bridge, tho famous stockyards, the fire-fighting organisation, and the statue of Lincoln. "Mary, of Briarwood Deil" is a quaint English.love story. Mary loved a blacksmith, but a better dressed man camo along and Mary eloped with him. The silver-tongued one proved false, and eventually, on ; her death-bed, Mary sent for her> old sweetheart, aud before sho died they were united in matrimony. "A Canine Sherlock Holmes" introduces an extraordinarily clover dog, which tracks down a gang of criminals. The dog discovers two 'of the gang sitting in a park. Ho N watches them from behind a pillar until thpy move on, and then follows them to their home, all the time keeping himself |n cover. Outside the house he feigns lameness, and a woman takes him in and loolts after him. When left alono in the rooin iia escapes witli a letter and a bunch of' keys, which he finds on the table. These lie gives to tho dslective, who proceeds' to tho den. There a desperate struggle ensues. While holding one man down tho detective calls to tho dog to bring him paper and a poncil from the table, and the dog obeying the detectivo dispatches; him with arequest to the police for help., A moment later tho thief is reinforced, ! but theidetectivo'struggles on until fired at point-blank. Then lie drops, apparently dead. The robbers prepare to quit by motor, and when all but one are out of the room putting their booty aboard tho "dead" detective ri§es and overpowers and handcuffs the man in tho room. The police "are early on the scene," and capture tho motor-car and its load. Last scene of all—the detective carrying tho dog home under his arm. Among the other pictures are: "A Peace Offering," "Koscainboles Gloves," "Fire-fighters of Milan," and "Stage-struck Sally."

THE KING'S THEATRE. "The Black Slicep" is the "star" in the fine new programmo which is now being shown at the King's Theatre. The story is one which does not shirk carrying _the | dark theme out to the bitter end. Dick, the black slieeij, insults one of his father's guests, and 'is banished from home. Awhilo beforo he goes he is out riding, and he meets the stableman's wife and littlo boy. ..Ho gives the boy a ride, but the stableman resents what he thinks is familiarity to his wife.. Later, Dick and the womai}- are again ssen talking 'and this increases the stableman's _ jealousy. Trouble between husband and wife ensues. Then she gets a letter from her sister, asking her to go to New York, and avoid her husband, who is treating hej- ill. Slio 'leaves a note for her 'luisbund, and sails for America. Knowing that Dick is leaving about that time, the stableman concludes that they have gone tjogother. He fellows. On the boat Dick and the woman (Annie) meet. At Annie's sister's place in New York they meet frequently, and the sister, likiug Dick, advises Annie, to marry him. The pair marry, and go to a depot in the back country. There' Dick quarrels with an Indian soon after his arrival. Years later, when Annie's boy has grown up, Dick offends a • girl the lad loves," and on tlio evening of tlio day the quarrel over this occurs, the Indian shoots Dick in. revenge' for insults. Dick, however, on his death-bed, expresses the opinion that the lad did the deed. Tlio boy is warnotl of his danger, and his friends advise' him to go to Canada till the trouble blows over. He endeavours to escape, and tho'chase is thrilling. Finally he is tracked by a mounted trooper, who locates him in a house and is forced to fire on him. The lad. is wounded, and his mother is sent for. At the boy's bedside the mother • and the trooper meet—the mother and the father' of the boy. On tl\o way to tlio boy's trial the trooper saves the lifo of 'the Indian who shot Dick, and the redskin, learning that the trooper is tlio accused boy's father, confesses that he shot Dick. He repeats his confession in the 1 court, and Dick is freed. Aud then;— height of ingratitude—the troopei who had searched twenty years for his wife, ' is scorned by her. 1 lie supporting pictures, all of which are very entertaining, are:—'"Pathe Australasian Gazette," "The Scoop," "Manufacturing Motor Tyres," "Omens of the Mesa," "Abbreviations" "Pathe English Gazette," ''Interrupted Wedding Bells," and "Nam Gior Festival." '

THE NEW THEATRE. Tho programmo at tho New Theatre was_ changed yesterday Tho star item iejoices in the sensational- title "Vanquished," or "The Madcap Countess." The film takes the best part of an hour to run through. The story deals with a captious woman (the Countess), who sets her cap at a mere man. In the end. she finds that she has "strained at.a gnat and swallowed a camel." The story 1 is full of exciting incidents and the hero does many weird things. For instance, ati one < juncture of. the story hoi'loop9 tlio loop in a motor-car. There is also an exhilarating rescue from drowning and somo sensational high jumping on horseback. This piece should bo a success. "John. 1 Arthur's Trust," a drama by tho Lubin Company, is the best of tho minor dramas on the programme. Local colour is added with a film 'depicting the "Easter Carnival at Newtown

THE EMPRESS THEATRE.; "Oil and AVater" is the title of tho feature-picture on the new programme introduced at the Empress Theatre yesterday-. "Oil and Water" will not mix, however hard one may try, and. thus.-the title is symbolic of the. main basis of the play—a mesalliance. The heroine is a famous balLet dancer, tho hero a young man of high ideals, with a puritanical mind. He falls in love with the daiicer because she appears to be almost his ideal of what a woman should bo. Ho marries lier, and transplants'her from tho hotbed of, the stage to his mother's rural cottage. , His brother, a parson, lifes with them, and being more of a puritan than an idealist, undertakes the spiritual welfare of his brother and his brother's wife. Once tho pampered favourite of an indulgent public, the ex-dancer finds that rural domestjeity is rather too much for her, and begins to brood upon the past pleasures and excitements of the stage. A visit, from two of her old friends who impart tlie latest stage scandal stimu'-, lates her to decisive action. Sho proceeds to break up tho happy -homt!' and returns to her old life. Briefly, that! is the story told in "Oil and Water." Technically speaking, tho film leaves nothing to bo desired. Others items are: "Brothers," "Carnival at Newtown Park," j "Tho Bitter Lesson," and tho "Topical! Budget."

SHORTTS' THEATRE. At their change session yesterday, Messrs. Shortt screened an assorted programme. The leading'film, "It's Never. Too Late to Mend," is over 2000 ft. long. The production is by the Edison Company, and is an adaptation from a novel by Charles Rende. The novel has had a wide circulation, and most people c-ro cognisant of the plot. "A Double Event" is a good item. It combines reality ivith burlesque in a very piquant way. The love-making part of the sketch is extrenely grotesque, but ibis is balanced by on excellent steeplechase, in which tho hero rides to victory. Other good items worthy of mention an? "A Fraud that. Failed," which 'nvolvcs a couple of morale "Eavesdroppers," and "Frisoot and Tweedledum Fight a Duel." This programme will be screened again to-day