ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 267, 21 April 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE PLIMMER-HALL COMPANY. To-morrow night at the Theatre Royal the iPlimmer-Tlall Dramatic Company will make their welcome appearance. As previously announced, the. company is touring the Dominion for the relief of the distressed Belgians, and it is to he hoped that to-morrow night the theatre will lie filled to overflowing. Apart from the worthy object, the company should meet with success. It is an exceptionally strong one and comes to us with a high reputation. Miss Beatrice Day, the leading lady, is well-known to New Plymouth, and the critics speak of her work recently as being very fine. The part of T.-ady Lumley in "The 'Mummy and the Humming Bird," which will he produced to-morrow night, stands as one of the best things Miss Day lias accomplished. The other members of the company are artists who have earned great reputations in their art, and include Messrs Harry Plimmer, Winter Hall, W. 11. Varna, Vivian Edwards, Harry Ilalley, H. Hare, ,S. Latham, Misses Nellie Calvin, Ena ShanaTian, Muriel Dale, Alice llolroyd and Marjorie Soper. The, productions are said to be magnificent, the mounting and dressing being of a high standard.

UMPIRE (PICTURES. The change programme at the Empire Theatre last night was notable for the inclusion of a film that was prohibited in the United States owing to the racial feeling that it created. This was entitled "The Ordeal," and dealing as it did with the grim realities of war, it was of an intensely interesting nature. The play featured the emotional actress, Miss Anna Langhlin, and the other central figures were also capable film ar.tists. "The Ordeal"- dealt with the call to arms made by a small State, oppressed by a stronger Power. All the men of one village volunteered, with the exception of Jean Renyea, who was •prevailed on by his sweetheart to stay. This troubled him, and during sleep he fell into a dream. In this lie saw himself at the war, and his side suffering defeat. He leads a small body of men to safety, and is himself caught, and .tortured, to make him disclose the hid-ing-place of his men. His old father jind mother, then his sister and sweetheart are shot, but still he remains silent. His torturers are surprised and driven out of the town, and lie escapes into a burning village. At this point lie awakens from the dream, and realises that his loved ones are safe. As driving home the trouble that comes to the innocent sull'erors from war, the picture is a strong object lesson, and the scenes of fighting are wonderfully realistic. The supporting films include two excellent comedies, one "Maid from Sweden," telling of a number of matrimonial mixups, which are very laughable, and the other, "(letting to the Big Ball (lame," showing how the passion for America's national game, baseball, affects some men, to the exclusion of everything else. Oaumont's War fiazette added to the I va'ue of the programme.