ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 180, 8 January 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

ROYAL PICTURES. One of the dramas showing at the Ptoyal to-morrow, "The Hunted Animal,' shows that John I'erriton assumed the blame of a murder to save the brother , of the girl he loved. He escapes in a boat to cross Long Island Sound. He |is shot by a detective, falls over board from his skiff, and swims under I water, but is caught. Though harnl- ! culled, he escapes and breaks the handcuff chain by lying alongside the track while a train crushes it. He gets into the city in a trunk, and a bribed farmer carries him in the trunk to a dingy ) tenement house where a Chinaman received it. A screamingly funtiy come' " is "Slier lock Bonehad." Chief of polk ivorytop, and chief of Detectives, Slu : ck Bonehead, of Rottenport, fall h love with Helen, a girl from the eil;>. Ivorytop | and Bonehead receive a visit from Bert Smith, Secret Service Agent, who informs them that 1000 dollars is ofier- | ed for the capture of Captain KiddJ a smuggler. Ivorytop and Bonehead go on the trail, and work independently. See- ■ ing a suspicious-looking character sneak- ' ing up the mountain-side, Bonehead and, Ivorytop follow. Neither suspects there \ quarry is Bert in disguise. The chief and i the sleuth get into a fight, during which , Bert disappears. Accompanied by the • entire police force, the two take up the j trail again the following day. Captain J Kidd is caught, but not by the amateur j detective who get into all sorts of i trouble Seats may be reserved.

j EMPIRE THEATRE. j Judging by the lioarty laughter at I the Empire last night, it is safe to say that "Asta Neilsen up to lie: Tricks," was an exceedingly funny star | comedy. James Rollins, sn editor, thinks that as Siis millionaire friend Peter Lakin has 110 children, lie will make Robins' daughter, .Testa, his heiress .Testa is sent to school, where she engages herself to Cyril dell, and is finally expelled. Mr Rollins Ims deceived • his friend, that Jesta is twelve years of age instead of seventeen, and on hearing tiiat Lakins intends to visit them, persuades her to dress accordingly. The secret is also known to Cyril Gell, whose mother and sister are in financial difficulties. Cyril decides to introduce his sister Netta to Peter Lakin, and forces Jesta's father to bring them together, to bring about their marriage.- Peter Lakin arrives and insists that Jesta spends her holidays with him in the j country. Cyril informs his mother and sister "of tiie deception, and they decide to further their own ends. Jesta | finds out, and realising that she herself, loves Lakin, determines to frustrate I their plans. But her pranks get her into ' more scrapes, so Lakin engages a tutor . to look after her. She plays no end of j tricks on Netta, who has succeeded in getting an invitation to stay with Mr Lakin, and frustrates all Netta's designs to ensnare Lakin. Netta's mother informs her that if she does not secure a proposal from Lakin soon, she will come and help her. She arrives. A ball is arranged, and Jesta learns that "their engagement will be announced in the evening. .She becomes miserable, and writes a letter to Lakin to explain that she cannot go on living, now that she has lost the, only one thrift she ever { loved —and that now she is going to j throw herself into the river, This note j ,is discovered, and a search party or- I ganised. But Jesta has thought better of her decision, and returns to the house where she overhears Lakin bemoaning her loss and declaring his love for her. She declares her love, and he tries to 7nake her see how utterly absurd it is for him to make love, and marry a child of twelve. Finally, however," she borrows one of Netta's dresses to wear, and discovers in the pocket the letter the latter's mother had sent. Then she goes to Lakin. who is charm ed with the transformation. ( ler father then arrives and explains the deception he has practised <•:• '•'« r<".'» rdin.tr Jesta's age. The Cell family luv red to leave, and Lakin willingly forgives his friend's deception on condition that he agrees to Jesta becoming his wife. The preceding programme is very i attractive. This programme is final!,' | screened to-night. I