ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 212, 27 January 1913, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL PICTURES. The Royal Pictures are ecraenin» an entire change of programme\o-night embracing a wide range of the most successful picture releases. Feature films are represented with "The Sleeper" (Lubin), "The Cowboy Kid" (Melies, this company has just finished a tour of New Zealand), "Freed from Suspicion" (Kalem), and a wonder shrdlu rdlu luun (Kalem), and a powerful Lubin masterpiece '-Tricked Into Happiness." In the educational portion there are views of "Simplon Tunnel," 'The Cotton Industry," '-Name Falls," and a fine nature study of '"Silkworms." Comedy is included with a strong quartette of provokers in which we shall see "Tweedle dum's Birthday," ''The Bogus Basson Players," "Two Dogs and .a Gay Dog," and one of Lubin's funniest pictures, "The Water Waggon." The Royal or-' ohestra will play a selected programme of appropriate music. EMPIRE PICTURES. Every seat was occupied at the Empire Theatre, on Saturday night on the occasion of the bi-weekly' change of programme. Tt comprised a well-selected and diversified series of films, in which light dramatic subjects predominated. The most powerful drama screened was a stirring Vitagraph Ktory of a somewhat pathetic nature, entitled*"The Red Croiss Martyr," which was woven round the fortunes of a young military officer and his fiancee. The man went to the front, and aroused by the cabled reports of the sufferings of the wounded the girl he had left behind him volunteered aft a Red Cross nurse. It was while ministering to the wounded on the battlefield that she and several other nurses were treacherously shot by the Arabs. Griefstricken and transported by a desire for revenge, her soldier-lover set off in an aeroplane to bombard the stronghold of the enemy. While thus engaged his machine was wrecked by sharp-shooters, and he was mortally wounded. The closing scene touchingly depictedshows the twain united in death on the battlefield. The battle scenes were graphically depicted, and were almost too realistic For the tender susceptibilities of some of the ladies in the auilience. "Friends" was a delightful A.B. light drama featuring the yobleheartedness of a gay Bohemian who was hard hit in a love affair. "On the Moonlight Trail," involving an attempt to rob a depot master of valuable despatches, was responsible for some sterling child-acting, while "The Devil, the Servant and the Man" (a- Selig subject), Was a clever society drama. "The. Moi'iit.-iin Railway of Bavaria" provided some superb rugged scenery, and "Throush China" also proved most interesting. A most instructive film was shown in the shape of "A Blind Institution at Stockholm," the work in which wns little short of a revelation. The "Gaumont Graphic," and a trio of .American comedies were also very diverting.