ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 180, 17 December 1912, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

SWIMMING CLUB BENEFIT. The Swimming Club benefit entertainment was held in the Theatre Royal last night. The programme, which was a diversified one, merited much better patronage. The first half was taken up with an excellent series of kincmatograph films, shown by special .arrangement with Mr. G. H. Saunders. The pictures included exhibitions by Miss Annette Kellerman, the lady champion swimmer and diver of the world. The latter part of the programme included a duet by the Misses Gilbert, an exhibition of life-saving and work on . the horizontal bar and Roman Rings by the New Plymouth High School Boys, who also executed several tableaux and pyramids. The boys were put through their paces by their instructor (Mr. W. Lints) and their work was a revelation of skill and proficiency which-gpoko much for their training. A feature of the evening was a repetition of the floral work by the Central School girls, which, designed by Mr. W. Lints, was given some weeks ago at the Carnival on the Recreation Ground. Miss Ellen Bullard, champion club-Swinger of the High School girls, gave an exhibition of the art in which she was manifestly so proficient, and, all things considered, it was a capital entertainment.

THEATRE ROYAL PICTURES. A brilliant selection of pictures will-be screened for to-night only at the Theatre Royal. The items include a very interesting picture of "Hydroplane Trials, Japanese Navy," ,f A Trip to Morocco," etc. A comprehensive idea is given of Italy's naval strength in "Italy's Sons of the Sea." The dramatic section is powerfully arranged, and includes "The Stronger Mind," yet another of Sclig'3 popular detective film-stories, in which the hypnotic detective, Professor Locksley, exercises his wonderful art of recovering jewels stolen by a similar method. "A Modern Portia" by Lubin, is a gripping story of a lost identity. Probably the most popular drama will be "A Child of the Purple Sage," in which the S. and A. Company lias certainly produced a masterpiece. The Edison drama, "Out of the Deep," is the love story of a deep-sea diver, and it is romantic in the extreme. The comedy section is well supplied with "A Problem in Reduction" (Vitagraph), "The Tempter and Dan Cupid" (Tannhouser), and "Polidor at School." Patrons are notified that there will be no pictures to-morrow or Thursday nights. EMPIRE PICTURE PALACE. There was again a good attendance at the Empire 'ast evening when Saturday's programme was again most favourably received. A very beautiful subject is "The Lake of Dreams," «ind it has lost nothing in production by the popular Selig Company. A Kakm picture, "The Organ Grinder," is another popular picture, and with the full programme will be repeated to-night for the last occasion. THE GREAT JANSEN."A Perfect Illusionist" was the heading that appeared in a Sydney paper during Mr. Jansen's recent visit to that city. The paper stated: "All that was said of him in the press pvior to his opening has been more than justified. He is a clever, gentlemanly perfermer, who uses but little 'gag,'"tru'stirig to" his tricks to interest bis audience. He is undoubtedly the prince of wonder-mak-ers, and wherever he goes in Australasia, those who revel in masterful illusions should not fail to get on his track." Mr. . Jansen will positively appear in the Theatre Royal on Thursday next, December 19. and will bring with him all. the latest conceptions of a master-magi-cian's brain, together with a new complete company of American vaudeville artists, including Miss Edna Herr ("the woman who set the world talking"), Madame Leona, the veiled prophetess, is supposed to possess eome supernatural power, which she brings into evidence when answering correctly the most difficult and perplexing of questions. Also supporting Mr. Jansen is Mr. Les. A. Bates, one of the cleverest of America's Miss Ad:» Montague, "La Petite," is a charming Continental danseuse. The box plan is at Collier's where scats may be reserved without any extra charge. Country residents may have their seats reserved by mailing four shillings to Collier's. Day sales are also available there. Miss Edna Herr undertakes to escape at trie performance, after being securely nailed inside a packing ease supplied by Collier's Music Warehouse, and now on view at their store.