AMUSEMENTS

Taihape Daily Times, 13 July 1918, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

KING'S THEATRE. There will be a treble-star programme at the King's to-night, headed by the latest of the Fairbanks series, entitled "The Habit of Happiness." Douglas Fairbanks, as the son of a man "who had so little sense of humour that he spent all his life amassing a fortune," is in a typical role as Sammy Wiggins. The story starts with a rush. Sammy has collected the strangest circle of Bowery deadbeats and whirls them down to breakfast, after stampeding them all into the unpleasant job of having a bath. Then he opens a primary class in laughing at a slum refuge, and meets with great success. He has a most ingenious system of physical exercises, and these take on. His success brings him an appointment to Jonathan Pepper, a grouchy old millionaire, who suffers from indigestion and lack of humour. Sammy pushes into the murky gloom of this old man's household and upsets the whole settled arrangements in no time. He rushes the old man off up to his bedroom and locks him in, to get an appetite. The story takes a grim surprise just here, and one of the Fairbanks rough and tumble fights takes place, ending up with Doug, entrenched on the stairhead, holding"off a small army of roughs down below. Dorothy West, a charming Triangle girl, is the heroine, and is one of the best of the long line of Fairbanks' leading gilrs. The second star is "Philippa," featuring that popular actress Anita Stewart. This production is in seven parts. The third star is 'The' Secret Kingdom," the third episode and one of the most exciting. The mangement claims this will be ; the largest programme shown in Tai- J hape. I

EVERYBODY'S.

Douglas Fairbanks adds another feather to his cap in his second Artcraft production, "Down to Earth," showing at the Town Hall, this evening. This comedy-drama if* .the result of his latest effort as an author, and judging from reports it accents more than ever the wonderful optimism which has contributed so largely to the success of "IMan Behind the Smile." "Down to Earth" tells of the typical American youth whose ideas of being close- to nature are not in accordance with those of his sweetheart, an ambitious society bud. Bridge parties, matinee dances, tea parties, and sumptuous dinners are the important items in the pretty girl's social career, and these occupy too much of her time for wanderings amidst God's country in the great outdoors. How the persistent youth takes her away from her surroundings and wins her over to his way of thinking despite hersdf is said to offer one of the amusing tonics the screen has yet displayed. Many typical Fairbanks surprises are promised, ranging in variety from doing a handstand o na mountain precipice, 8000 ft. above sea-level, to teaching a hippopotamus the famous Fairbanks' smile. Supporting "Down to Earth" is a five reel Bluebird production, "The Clock" and the latest Australian Gazette.