ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 161, 7 January 1914, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EUPKU-: PICTURE PALACE. A complete change of programme >vi!l be presented at the Empire X'icture Palate to-night, the chief item bomg . it powerful dramatic hiiecesa, cutitled ■(. //.-niowika." This story deals with tlie treacheiy of a governess, a powerful, i ii.-crnpiilous woman, whose craving for gild dominates her conduct. The theme never lacks interest, and the photography is superb. The supporting ■ items include LubinY beautiful drama. •Over the Crib," ai'd a .-.idc-splittiug Keystone comedy, \At Twelve o'clock." THEATRE ROYAL PICTURES. The Royal Pictures management will introduce to-night a unique moving picture of the life and adventures of Rob- -. iuson Crusoe.". The following is a brief. ! , resume of the story;— Robinson Crusoe cannot overcome his desire to eras* the seas in search of adventure. One day ' he runs away to scu, and the ship he> ' boards reaches the South Soa* and in wrecked in a terrific storm. Robinson it ' the only man who reaches shore, and in mortal fear of wild beasts he sleeps in a tree. The next morning he swims to' the wreck and secures supplies, n cat ami a dog. One day, on the island, he come across footsteps, and hurrie* to the shore, which he reaches- in time to kill several cannibals who are pursuing one who has escaped. This i« 'Kin man Friday, who now takes an impor-' tant part in the story. The remainder of this well-known ~tory is faithfully depicted and the ninnv exciting episodes faithfully reproduced.' Intondin? .patrons arc notified that owing to other book.-.* mgs this film can onlr be shown to-'.'" night.

"THE COUNT OF LUXEMBOURG."

The plot of Franz Leliar?* remarkably successful comic opera, ,''Thc Count of Luxembourg." which is to be presented for the fust time here.by the J. C. Williamson Xew Comic Opera Company U3O " artists) at the Tlicnlre Royal on lionday night next, makes the 'drand Dak* Rutzinov (Robert Whylo, junr.) keen to marry the ravishing prima donna, Aa> gele Didicr (Mis« Florence Young), but since he is convinced that the Can- willfrown on any marriage except with a, lady of title, he causes her to fti-st go .' through a form of marriage with the handsome but penniless Count of Luxwn. bourg (Frank Greonc). Bride and bridegroom do not see each other, for in ft, wedding scene full of comedy « screea. • i." kept between them. The grand-ducrt ■. arrangement is that it will be merely a "marriage a l'amhvble," with a subsequent divorce, but on the day before tie divorce the two young peoplo aooiilent- ' ally meet. They fall in love, so the - plot becomes complicated, and it is a*id ' that it is really interesting right up to the fall of the 'curtain. Those who look for the melodious (lights of Fnni Uhar will, it is said, find them, parti- ' cularly in the brilliant march with which ■ the first act closes, in the opening cltonm ' ' m the second act, and in the sensuous love duet between Hiss Young and Frank Greene, during which Che audience will witness the waltz up the stairs of which we have heard -quite « lot and which created a big sensation in London and Australia. • A fcatur*. oJ . the opera is an introduced dance entitled "Dansc Pompenette," present' " od by Mr. Charles AFbett and VlaOa •" Xovotnii, the Russian dancer, which, it is said, fairly electrified audiences in Melbourne recently. The plan will i» opened at Collier's on Friday morning at 8 o'clock. A queue will be formed, from 7 a.m.

THE SMART SKT. , .„ l'lint tlie public of New Plymouth appreciate u good entertainment wa.- ovf-. ' denced by the excellent home that as. ' sembled at the Theatre Royal last night, when the clever and versatile Smart Set appeared again. The bill of fare submitted comprised hardlv a number that was rendered on the spelling night, an! ' the one or two duplications were by specii.l request, From the introductory melange until the grand finale, there wb'» not one dull moment, the performance Romg with vim and sparkle that wadt the two-and-a-half hours* «eetu all too- ' short. Hiss (iwenyth Kvana' full rick contralto voice was heard to tine advan- •- take in "My Dear Soul" and "The Rosary- At the conclusion of the latter song, s he was bunded two liitndsQnis boii. . quots. Miss Monn Thomas wag delight-" ' fully sweet in "Somewhere a Voice ia '' Calling,'' and bev encore number was equally captivating. Krnest IViW -•'. breezy baritonp was admirably adaptedto such difficult miuihera as""n lP Sc» Uond," and "The I'agan." Mb* fieor|rf« ' ; '. Martins co„,, songs proved very canliv- '' atniK, and she had to respond to' ft double encore, and even then the public ' "'"U"!* l'^! I ''' 1 - In 'V Imrlesnu* due* on 1 otted Plays." with Walter Ce 0 r«., she was exeoptionally gooil. Majnar« ' km, ( he inimitable humor produce* d tie bouse a most in convulsion,,, „„* ' lad dilhc ly m tearing himself away \ if er recall alter recall. Mr . Mwi ft '. (••limits veiilnlo,,uial act with, Su«Mime .lamas was smart and merry. Hi* . liTml •• on? ; 'V uu ' b - r T - in '* " n<l »* I'.v Hit, introducing local hits, was ; < «K""i a masterpiece. The- coi(•'•rted numbers, too, wee of « hiri order, as was also the pianoforte phiviij: of Mis. Edgar HnllamV. "