ROYAL PICTURES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 34, 3 August 1911, Page 8

ROYAL PICTURES

THE CORONATION FILM.

The Coronation film showed at the Theatre Royal last night was again enthusiastically received, the audience rising as the fine orchestra played the opening bars of the National Anthem. The orchestra plays no unimportant part in the success of the Royal Pictures entertainments, the bright and sparkling music by seven first-Tate instrumentalists being a very fine feature and an excellent setting for the pictures, whether patriotic, scenic, tragic, or comic. Last night was the "change night," and the new programme was well up to the standard. A scenio film that could not fail to charm was "Three Rapids of the Rivor Magdapis," a beautifully colored series by Pathe Frercs. Native canoes are shown traversing a beautiful river, fringed by primeval bush and walled by precipices on all sides. Paddling on placid waters gives way to the hauling of the frail craft up through the rapids, and then an exciting natural "shooting the rlnte," as the canoes, manned now ""(I ;;:iided by the paddles, shoot with rapidity of an arrow down through the broken water and between the rocks projecting in all directions. "Tarquin the Proud," a drama of ancient times, was a powerfully depicted story, and Little Angels of Luck" showed the finer instincts of the man who was unscrupulous witli regard to his commercial rivals. The scenics were splendid, and, as already stated, the Coronation film was exceedingly popular. THE LYONS MAIL.

By special arrangement Messrs. Crust and Gjedstcd are enable to present to patrons to-night the fine tragic film, Ihe Lyons Mail," in addition to the best of last night's programme. The story of this powerful drama, as so splendidly projected on the screen by the Royal Pictures, is of a robbery and a miscarriage of justice, by which an innocent man is condemned to death. Some or the episodes are reminiscent of primitive melodrama, and it is evident that certain well-worn tricks of plot in modem plays date back to this production, which has occupied the English sta C e for many decades. The last scene of all ia the mpst effective in the whole play. i)iibosc is found in a garret overlooking the place of execution and fiendishly anticipating the sensation of seeing another man hanged in his place. He describes with ghoulish pleasure the execution of his accomplice, but his pleasure turns to horror when he witnesses the reprieve of Losurques, and realises that his own doom is sealed. Lesurques' frenzied agony as he clutches at a heap of straw for the want of something better to defend himself against the mob is a magnificent piece of acting. The climax is unexpectedly sudden and immensely effective. The part of Lesurques is presented by M. Ravet, the most celebrated French tragedian of the day.

~r ^r : Crust returned last night from Wellington, where he arranged for some ! big pictorial attractions, and he also purchased a machine of the latest Pathe erea model, with all the latest improvements and attachments to suit the alternating current of the New Plymouth electrical system. The firm is evidently intent on keeping right up to date.