AMUSEMENTS

Taihape Daily Times, 31 December 1917, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

KING'S THEATRE.

Theatre-goers will remember the sensation that the talented actress Nance O'Neil caused when she presented Suderman's famous play "The Fires of St John," or, as its original title is "The Flames of Johannis." The great Danish author, Suderman, presented a remarkable play of huhan passion set amid simple surroundings, but with a plot of powerful drama and tragedy, and Nance O'Neil was truly wonderful as the "child of

calamity." In the screen version, the play has been strengthened to a remarkable degree, and it was found possible for Miss O'Neil to portray the two great parts of mother and

daughter—the drunken gipsy and the tragic girl—probably the finest character acting yet seen on the screen.

It is difficult to believe that the hideous unkemp outcast and the sad-

faced girl is played by the one woman but the genius of Nance O'Neil enables her to evince magnetic force end personality.

( To-morrow night that splendid Metro, "Pidgin Island," of which tne following is a "Brief synopsis:—A pretty girl who is in the United States Secret Service trails a band of smugglers which is headed by her father. In performing this work she meets a fascinating young man;"Nvho is also a Government agent pursuing the smugglers. She suspects him of being a criminal; he believes she is in league with the band. Nevertheless they fall

desperately in love. One stormyevening the girl learns she can trap the smugglers. In a frail boat she sets out for their island retreat The young man- follows and saves Her from death. The smugglers and their gems are seized, and then the girl learning the real identity of the youth confesses that she is the daughter c r the chief smuggler. It is a gripping climax—one that tests true love.

EVERYBODY'S The time we have been looking for is here at last, the time when we arc ready to .offer Fox Film comedies to the picture-goers of Taihape. The first Fox Film, comedy. called : "The Social Pirates," . will be shown ■ to-inarrow (Tuesday) .at Everybody's. It possesses qualities never seen in-aebmedy before. , In*future Fox comedies l wil{- ; be shown one each week, and be remembered these arc not ordina-ry "fill in" comedies but real feature attractions that cost more to r -. .-make than half the five-reel features released on other programmes supporting the Fox comedy is a "Bluebird,,'.' release "A Jewel in Pawn," featuring Ella Hall. The story tells of. a girl who is put into pawn, by ,her mother, who married against,, her. father's wishes. The girl wraps, herself around the heart of. the pawnbroker, and his heartstrings, are broken when the grandfather of" the girl brings her to his pretentious home. School makes a finished debutante of the girl, but when her grandfather objects to her pals from the shady side of the city she leaves him for the pawnshop. Here she-marries the youth of her choice, and everything .cuds happily.