LYRIC PICTURES.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 1 November 1917, Page 3

LYRIC PICTURES.

—Friday Evening—

" Britain Prepared."—Two methods have been denned by which the Allies may win the war. One is in the phrase of Sir John (now Viscount) French, " Munitions and munitions and more munitions." The other is by the unceasing and finally irresistible pressure of the British Navy. These views must have been in the minds of the British War Office and Admiralty when they chose the sights of war and preparations for war which they would permit to be filmed for the series " Britain Prepared." In addition to the army in training the series shows the munition plants of Vickers Ltd., which employ 100,000 men and women 1; and the pictures of the Navy holding Germany down in the North Sea are the most " actual " naval pictures ever taken anywhere. Such at any rate is the verdict of the London press generally. Mr Balfour, the First Lord of the Admiralty, said in his speech at the Empire Theatre (where the films were first unrolled) that he had "done his individual best" to send the photographers whera they could get the most real records of the great Navy on duty in the North Sea. —Saturday Evening— "Hell-to-Pay Austin "—Dainty little Bessie Love is the winsome heroine of this fine Triangle Fine Arts Company's dramatic story of human life and love in the rough lumber country of America, Big Billy Austin, boss lumberman, is as true as steel, white all through, but a "holy terror "to the slacker, hence his name. He falls in love with Briar Rose the darling of the camp, but the untimely appearance of the woman of the past, to remind him of a silly infatuation and a disastrous brawl in a gambling saloon, mars the course of true love, and many sensational things happen before the unscrupulous charmer.of his past life, and her evil associates are finally outwitted. Wilfred Lucas, the great character in " Acquitted" does some fine work in this latest Triangle success, and his courtship of Briar Rose (Bessie Love) is delightful to watch. Incidental to the story are sensational events which mark the perils of lumbering. Good supporting items. —Tuesday Evening— " Maciste " —People who saw the big picture, " Cabiria," will remember the giant negro, Maciste, who used his great strength to such good purpose in doing all manner of prodigious feats on behalf of the prosecuted heroine of that production. Maciste appears to have made a popular hit as a picture player, for the producers have given him five-reel film all to himself, in which he improves on the physical culture stunts, and he is a great actor as well as the most powerful j athlete in the world. The new picture is called " Maciste," and is the story of a persecuted girl, who, in escaping from a gang of ruffians, takes refuge in a cinema theatre just in time to see the mighty man of " Cabiria" peforming some of his wonderful feats. His strength is a revelation to her, and obeying a wild impulse to seek his aid she writes to him. He answers her letter, and later she meets him, enlisting his sympathy. Then follows a wonderful series of feats, in which the desperadoes come in for an unhappy time. Good supports.