ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 142, 2 November 1912, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EMPIRE PICTURE PALACE. A complete new p'ogvamme of the world's best film pn.u. .lions will be pre- | scnted for the firsi uiiie at the usual matinee this afternoon. The children will have an enjoyable afternoon, and the adults an enjoyable night at the Empire viewing this programme. Most picture patrons will remember the screaming Essanay comedy "Alkali Ike's Auto," and the same malctrs are represented on today's programme with another Western comedy shriek entiteld "Alkali Ike's Boardinghouse." The Vitagraph Company are represented with two fine dramatic subjects, "At Scrogginses' Corner" and "His Younger Brother." Other dramatic stories are "The Indiaa and the Child," by S. and A., and "A Mexican Romance," by the popular Lubin players.

"THE BETTER WAY."

A good film—good in every sense—was released at the Theatre Royal last night, in the shape of "The Better Way." It was a story which savored of the country, and was, indeed, delightfully rural. The theme was, in strange contrast to its setting, intensely dramatic, and very cleverly conceived. Most of the scenes were laid in a picturesque German village, with smiling brooks and wooded hills, and dealt largely with the quaint home life of the peasantry. It was just one of those little hamlets, "where the richest was poor, and the poorest lived in abundance," and it gave the whole picture a very restful air. Some of the fireside cottage scenes were equisite. The story opened with the arrest of a stalwart youth for poaching—he was caught red-handed —and his parting with his lover. The girl, who had the misfortune ( in her case) of being beau- • tiful—far in advance of her village contemporaries—tired of waiting for her lover to come out of prison. According-' ly she wrnded her way to the city, and lipr-rw <in artist's model. She was insultet 1 by liPt employer, and at the same tiniH ft:'ivin|iico by arother young artist. ?[>;-> returned to the Tillage, and niiiri'i»i[ tin: i'N-ponciur. There she was taunte'' i \j '.in discovery by the villager., th:'i 'hi had been an artist's model. Once more she sought sanctuary in the city, deserting her husband and taking her infant child with her. Her husband was again imprisoned on account of a village brawl. The girl was befriended in the "city by a banker's wife, who induced her to part with her child on the payment of a handsome figure. Through accident the young wife (again met her artist friend, and became infatuated with him. The husband, released from prison, suddenly appeared on the scene, upbraided his wife, and stole his child from the banker's wife. Realising "the better way" the country lass returned to tihe scenes of early youth, and became happily trecon«iled with her rustic husband. A feature of the film was the superb and sympathetic impersonation of the village priest, and tJhe clever role of the villago idiot. The picture was supported by a well-selected programme, which will be shown at the matinee this afternoon, and to-night's performance for the last time.