ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 218, 14 March 1914, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

empire pictures. "IN THE BISHOP'S CARRIAGE." It is some time since picture lovers have seen on the screen Mary Pickford in a new film. In this reiined melodrama tliey will see little Mary in a new light. "In the Bishop's Carriage," from the book ol Miriam Michclson, will please every division of society. In its delineation of the character of the Charity Girl, who falls out of the clutches of the virago in the charily house, into the hands of the thief—out of the frying pan into the fire, as it were—and then, under the influence of • man animated by honest motives, the picture is more than interesting; it is instructive. Nance's attempts to re-, form, her failures, and her final triump over wrong, will bo followed With the closest attention. Dave Wall, as Tom Dorgan, the crook, gives a splendid performance. His work is restrained at times, yet showing, when the occasion justifies it, every ounce of force necessary to carry over a situation.

ROYAL PICTURES. The principal attraction on the new programme submitted at the Theatre Royal last evening was a Vitagraph drama "The Spell," the story of whirh is as follows:—John Waltol, a young country doctor, proposes to Mary Chalmers, and is accepted by her. About this time a ••'medicine show," in which the principal feature is an exhibition of hypnotism, comes to the village, and Mary goes to see it with her chum, May, who'draws the attention of the hypnotist to the two of them. He eom:«\ down from the platform and introduces himself to the two girls, and finally arranges with them that they shail call upon him at the hotel and have their fortunes told. The doctor disapproves of the proposed visit to the hypnotist, but none the less Marygo<s to him the next day with May. While May's attention is taken up with other things, the man hypnotises Mary, and. while she is under his influence, he gives her the suggestion that she shall meet him at the train and n» away with him.

After the show that night, Mary meets the hypnotist at the train, and goes with him and the rest of the troupe. The next morning the doctor receives a letter from her telling him that he need never expect to see her again. Some weeks later the doctor meets May on the street, and inquires whether she has heard from Mary. May tells him about her leaving with the troupe, and shows him a letter from her, in which she states that she is under a spell and that although she would like to come home she cannot do so. The doctor at once packs his bag, and goes to the town where the show is now located. Mary does not recognise him, as she is kept constantly under the hypnotic influence, but the doctor does not despair. He returns to hfs room at the hotel, and' spends the night studying works on hypnotism. The next djy i he goes to tho show, and so strong is the doctor's will that before long he has the hypnotist himself hypnotised, and wrings from him the story of how he had duped the unfortunate girl. John Waltol then releases Mary from the spell, and sh'e goes happily to his arms. The hypnotist is led away by the police to receive the penalty of men of his type. This programme will be screened (again this afternoon at 2.30, and tolight at 8,