AMUSEMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, 18 September 1916, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS

-PERMANENT PICTURES. There was a full house at the Empire Theatre on Saturdav. when the Mary Pickford picture. "Mistress Nell." was screened. It is a charming comedydrama, full of bricht ar.d humorous incidents. Pretty Nell Own. as played by Mtss Pick ford,"is a splendid characterisation of that impulsive and piquant fa- , vourite of the public and the monarch of England in the daring days of King Charles 11. The production is by the Famous Plavers Company, which means the best of "photogranhy ar.d a powerful cast. It will be finally shown to-night. To-morrow nisrht the show will be under the auspices of the Lady Liverpool Committee, the proceeds to go to the soldiers' Christmas presents fund. A complete change of programme will be given, in -which will be found two star pictures. "The Third Commandment," a Kalem drama, 3200 ft long, and "Helen's Babies." a Thanhouser comedy, taken, from the well-known book of the same name. In addition several very interesting: war pictures will be screened, the whole forming a fine evening's entertainment. The cause beinsr a worthy one, it is anticipated there will be a large attendance. Seats may be booked at the Empire Theatre, and the prices will be as usual. PEOPLE'S PICTURES. "Hop—The Devil's Brew," which so fascinated the huge audience at the Theatre Royal on Saturday night, will fee repeated" to-night for the last time. It is a- Blue Bird exclusive, 5000 feet hi length, and features Lois Weber and Philips Sma'.l-yy. The story i? as follows: —Lydia Jansen is a faithful and loving wife, ttaough unknown to her husband, a Customs inspector, she has become addicted to smoking opium. In the parlance of the underworld this devil's <brew is called "Hop." Her own father, a politician of the city in -which they live- is the head of an opium importing gang, which is the principal medium -wherebjy- the addicts obtained their supply qf opium. India's craving for the drug is so great, and her desire to concfeal t/he haibit from her husband so strong, that she is embroiled' in a series of 'blackmailing attempts by her maid, who is affianced to the stevedore through ■whom most of the opium is landed from the vessels "by which it is smuggled. Her attempts to satisfy her craving for hop. at a time when the government is closing in upon the smugglers, excites her husband's suspicion, and of course he thinks another man has entered her life, and it is <xi\y through, an almost superhuman exercise of will power that she finds the strength to conquer her appetite and confess to her husband the terrible haibit which, she has formed, and thus relieving the terrible suspicion which has grown like a Ihuntinsr nightmare into his very life. The shocki of finding that he himself had contributed to his own daughter's downfall' causes the father's o-aicide, and the capture of the, entire opium smuggling gang. In addition to this 5000 ft. exclusive" the fourth instalment of the fighting serial "The Broken Coin." The latest War Gazette.(official), Topical Budget, comedy clean and clever, complete a very superior programme. This series will be shown at Riwaka on Tuesday. There will te a complete change "at the Theatre Royal night, when a Metro, wonder play, 5000 feet in length, entitled "My Madonna," featuring beautiful Olga Petrova, ..will bethe leading attraction. The plan is.now open at Jackson's, and patrons are advised to book their seats. Full.. particulars as to plot, etc., in to-morrow's pa-