ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 300, 12 May 1913, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"OLIVER TWIST." Pew have not read Charles Dickens' inimitable "Oliver Twist," but last Saturday night was the first occasion that local theatre-goers had of viewing a dramatisation of the work. The film" was a superb "Hepworth" production, and its great length, 4,000 feet, enabled ample justice to be done to the novel in the matter of detail Dickens painted, living pictures in the mind, but it remained for the kinematograph to tto one step further and place the imaginative creatures of his genius before the pres-ent-day public asliving men and women, lne story itself was more than sufficient to interest the majority, but addea to this was.vits distinct old world flavour, for Oliver Twist treats of times that have long since given place to a new world in thought, character, and action. The spectator, who did not know, or did not inquire, found himself drawn completely out of himself and Ins own time. It was manifestly the sume with those engaged in its pre. soiitat'on—they lived their parts. There one saw "Bill Sykes," and the shrewdlyennnmg fence" Fagan, renewed acouaintrtnceslnp with the happy-go-lucky "Art-, ' ful Dodger" (a character particularly well interpreted), rubbed, shoulders, in V fancy, with that sweetly benevolent old • gentleman, Mr. Brownlow, last but not least, the boy Oliver himself, and a host of others, all distinctly "Dickens" i» manner and bearing. The kinemattfgraph is a great stickler for detail, and to this end special pains were taken ttt the production to enact many of the scenes on the authentic spots mentioned in the story. In this connection, a. feature was the scene enacted in the old original "Eight Bells Inn." The costuming of the numerous characters also* added greatly to the desired effect. Per- * haps the scene most familiar .in the minds of most readers of Dickens was that staged m the workhouse, where uuver made his now famous request for morel ft was, indeed, a picture of pictures. It was supported by a diverslful'series of films, prominent amonc , which were "Impressions of Holland?-.'-lne Craven," or "For Her Family's ' SS? or _. (aVitagraph subject), and"! The Girl Reporter's Big Scoop," (a.. I Kalem drama). . ' THEATRE ROYAL PICTURES. A delightfully varied series of pictures will be introduced on the new programme at the Royal to-night. The dramatic pictures include subjects by Edison and Vitagraph, thi>ro is the . atest topical gazette and a good selection of comedy subjects, all shown for the first time in New Plymouth.