ENTERTAINMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1461, 19 October 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

FULLER’S PICTURES

“THOU SHALT NOT KILL,” or “THE AVENGING CONSCIENCE/’

“Thou Shalt Not Kill” may be described as a mystery story, but not in the ordinary sense of tbe words. It is the sort of mystery conceived by the weird, imaginative genius ot Edgar Allan Poe and then transplanted to the screen by the wonderfully vivid and artistic methods of D. W. Griffith. “Thou Shalt Not Kill” had its first presentations in New York at the Strand Theatre, where it broke all records. In England, where it is now being shown, it has achieved a sensational success. Its triumphant tour of Australia continues from state to state. Its reception here transcends all previous productions. “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” or “The Avenging Conscience” is a drama of the mind, completely visualized throughout and with a thoroughly connected story. Though it deals with the penance inflicted upon a murderer by his own conscience, this penance is so personified that the result is a very graphic narrative. This is brought about by the use of some extraordinary photographic effects, which show the dead man returning to haunt the living murderer, who imagines, among other, that he can hear the heart of the dead man still beating. “Thou Shalt Not Kill” was suggested by Edgar Allan Poe’s famous story, ‘‘The Telltale Heart” (which contains the idea of tbe murderer listening to the heart beats of the man he killed) and by famous poem of “Annabel Lee.” The plot is as follows : A baby boy has been left to the care of his uncle, after his mother’s death. This uncle raises the boy with the greatest care, hoping that he will develop into a literary genius. The uncle's ambitions for the young man seem about to be realised, when the youth becomes infatuated with a young woman, who reciprocates his love to such an extent that they are completely wrapped up in each other. When the girl, “Annabel,” comes to take the young man to a garden party, the uncle insults her by saying that she is pursuing his nephew “like a common woman of the town.” As a result of the uncle’s interference, the young people finally decide to separate. Now come black and revengeful thoughts to the mind of the young man. Only that day he had been reading “The Telltale Heart” and some of Poe’s poems. He thinks ot the happiness that be and his sweetheart might have if only his uncle were out of the way. With all the skill of Poe’s character in “The Telltale Heart,” he forms his plan to slay his uncle. It is then that the saving grace of conscience demonstrates its power. How the avenging conscience in this case operates and how its influence in a mysterious manner, is used to prevent a terrible tragedy, can be best told by the picture itself. It seems as if conscience were God’s way of shielding mortals from fatal sin. TO-NIGHT ! An outstanding feature of tonight’s programme is a Nordisk production entitled, “The Abduction,” or “Dr. Gar-el-Hama’s Escape from Prison.” At the outset Dr Gar-el-Hama’s escape Irom prison is pictured, and the ingenuity which serves him so well in his subsequent proceedings is very clearly illustrated Included in the supporting items is a rattling Keystone comedy, featuring Charles Murray, “His Second Childhood.” Charles, to be near his sweetheart, dres=es as a governess. It is a shriek of shrieks.