ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 162, 26 November 1912, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"THE GEISHA." . The New Plymouth Operate tu ciety is very fortunate in hS, 1 ,** number of gwd Vth3?3L # We don't remember hearing such a „„^ MissOliv/BuSan asTe j U a i rly g°°d"o Mimosa San," MIL gir1 ' as the English tfrl dT" the French girf J«H e tts/ M& " ' Clarke as Lady Constate Wvnnp * • very much at J.omc in Br #fi"' ffi ' English ladies, the Misses Roberts bliSr Kennett and Putt, and the fZ'eS Mrs. Downs, Misses Ainsworthi niS 1 and Gilbert, all act the J wr'ta o 2* fection. Added to these C lam, Somerville, Downs and ISwSt a -of whom fin their roles well Tit will be the last performance, a „d advise our readers not to miss the on porturuty on Friday evening „ ext „f °£ ing how good local talent tan really b ' f you have ~ot already seen it, you w& be agreeably surprised at the performanoc, and like those that saw the Z nous performances, you will no doubt The company journey to Stratford tomorrow by special train. The box p] ai r is now open at Collier's Music \\V e house. Day sales are also open.

"SHANGHAIED" AT THE THEARTE ROYAL.

Shanghaied," the latest Nordisk star film, was screened in the Theatre Royal last night, and it took the audience *bi storm It was a stupendous production for the kinematograph, and was a con* siderable advance on any picture of k like nature yet shown locally. Everv inch of its 2500 feet was brimful of in'terest and adventure, and some of the scenic effects were exquisite. Incidentally, the film was of more than ordinary interest in an educative sense, on account of its 'exposition of the once-prevalent practice" of unscrupulous sea captains in pressing men into their service by "shanghai-ing" them. The story had to'do with the fortunes of a young officer of the mercantile marine, who was enticed to a low-down cafe by a rival in his affections for the hand of a ship-owner's daughter, and there drugged, and dumped on board a sailing vessel which was short of hands. The audience became really excited in the description of the search by the young lover and friends for the place of his concealment. Time and again the pauy were baffled by clever intrigue, and the search served 'to illustrate the numerous and desperate devices employed by those engaged in "shanghaing" sailors. As a stirring finale the picture showed a race at sea between the barque in which the kidnapped officer was concealed, and the steamer, which had picked up the scent and was in hot pursuit. There was no fake about the race, and it was a grand sight to watch the sailer straining every inch of her canvas to beat her steam-propel-led pursuer. Just when it seemed as if the former vessel would elude pursuit, the kidnapped officer sprang into the rigging, ran up to the top of one of the masts, and took a sensational dive into the ocean. Shots were fired at him from the sailer, but he escaped scatheless and, the steamer coming up, he was finally ■ rescued. Part of the picture was photographed on land in the grounds of a magnificent country mansion, and the remainder on the bosom of the boundless ocean, and for clearness and wealth of detail the phoi. graphy was unrivalled. "Shanghaied" was supported bv a diversified series of films, dramatic, scenic, and comic. On Thursday the management will release an Edison masterpiece ("The Prisoner of War") showing Napoleon in exile.

EMPIRE PICTURE PALACE. The present programme will be shown at the Empire for the last occasion this evening. To-morrow there will be a complete ohange.including the magnificent war picture by Edison, '"The Relief of l.m-know." The gallant defence of Lucknow during the great mutiny of the Sepoys is one that age cannot wither or kale in its glory, and it loses nothing in being transferred to n film. Its splendour will remain forever undimmed. The management invite all the Taranaki War Veterans to attend the Theatre during the screening of this programme.