ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1915, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EMPIRE PICTURES. At the head of an attractive new programme is Vitagraph'a comedy-drama, "The Butterfly," with Helen Gardner, of "Cleopatra" fame, in the title role. Vivacious and pretty, Nancy North, the butterfly daughter of Elias North, a financial magnate, is courted by Lord Cheuxchenx, Baron Frankfurter, Count Vitcheyitch, Marquis E'Estingue and Ned Bangs, her oldest friend. Each of the suitors happens to propose on the same day, and she tells each one to call the following day to receive his answer. Ned is suddenly called away, and leaves in Nancy's care a pearl necklace, belonging to the Duchess Gogetti, who had asked him to sell them ior her. Finding the Duke trying to make love to Nancy, the Duchess threatens him with divorce and notifies Ned that she has changed her mind about selling the pearls. He returns and asks Nancy for them. She is horrified to find they have disappeared. Finding Mr. North's glasses in Nancy's room, Ned accuses him pointblank of the theft. He finally confesses: "I used them to secure a loan, and if the market does not turn, I'm ruined!" The various noblemen call to secure their answers, and being in love with the North fortune principally, and the girl only incidentally, get a bad scare when the family lawyer whispers that Mr. North is about to fail. That gentleman himself appears, however, and reassures all that the money is safe. Nancy arranges that the one whose card the Duchess draws from a hat she will marry. By a little strategy, Nancy arranges things to suit herself, and the Duchess draws—Ned's card! The nobles are greatly crestfallen and disgustedly take their leave, while Ned takes Nancy in his arms. Mr. North, with a tender look in his eyes, asks the Duchess to remember iiim when she gets her divorce, while Nancy and Ned laughingly cry, "Bless you, my children!" Other films are: "Added Fuel" (Reliance two-part drama), TopBudget, "The Great War" (No. 3 of an interesting series), "Curses," some special cartoons, and Keystone's very latest comedy, "The Beauty Bunglers."

ROYAL PICTURES. In addition to "The Wirelesß Rescue" (Vitagraph star drama) and other films on Saturday's programme of Royal Pictures, there is a very powerful drama by the Reliance Company, entitled "Payment in Full." Willard McCourtney buys a. farm in the west from Moreland Ellington, and finds he has been buncoed. The property is worthless. Returning east for redress, lie discovers that Ellington has closed his place of business and tied. McCourtney is forced, by his poverty, to take a job as waiter in a disreputable cafe. Some time later he recognises Julia, the daughter of Ellington, whom he had met at his office, entering the restaurant with a white slaver. He watches their actions, and is convinced that the girl is about to be drugged and kidnapped! He is filled with the joy of revenge, and when Ellington rushes in, he tells him that his daughter had been there, but had just left. At this moment a note is handed to MeCourtner. He reads that his wife is the mother of a baby girl. Suddenly his own daughter, in years to come, seems to have changed places with Julia Ellington. Horror-stricken, lie rushes into the alcove where she is, and knocks from her hand the cup of drugged wine just as she is raising it to her lips. Ellington, still unconvinced, returns, and is just in time to rescue his daughter. The slaver escapes. The father, not recognising McCourtney, attempts to press upon him a bill. The waiter refuses the money. However, pulling out his handkerchief, the swindlerbroker drops his wallet. On returning to enquire, for it, he finds the roll considerably depleted, and accuses McCourtney of robbing him. In reply, the waiter hands him a paper on which is written. "Received of Moreland Ellington S2OOO, repayment in full for the 201) acres of worthless land be sold me. (Signed) Willard McCourtney." Seats may be reserved at Hoffmann's.