AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1916, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

EMPIRE PICTURE PALACE. Excellent business was accorded on Saturday at the Empire. The main attraction was ''At tlie Bottom of the Sea," the fifth episode of the lengthy aerial drama ''The Million Dollar Mystery." In. this section the conspirators are again led a lively time. Angered by the way Florence has slipped through their fingers, just when they believed her in their power, the conspirators form another plan to trap her. This, however, is frustrated by Jones, Hargreave's butler. One of the conspirators enters the mansion and discovers Jone3 about to hide the treasure box elsewhere. Jones has engaged a fast motor launch, but he is pursued by the conspirators, also in a speedy boat. There is a desperate race, but finally the eonspiiators' boat is disabled and catches fire. The conspirators plunge one by one into the sea. Jones escapes, and the mystery is still unsolved. A further instalment of this serial will appear next Saturday. The first half of the current programme is unusually good. The Fa the Gazette gives an interesting set of Old World scenes, while travel pictures effectively reproduce scenes in Norway and views of Teheran (the capital of Persia), that are particularly interesting at the present time. Sandwiched between these arc two clever comedies, also a drama of the railroad, which supplies many thrills, which among which is a daredevil leap from the top of a stationary carriage on the roof of a fast express, a feat which the heroine accomplishes in a startling manner. This is playing with death with a vengeance, and is the most daring exploit yet filmed in New Plymouth. The programme will be repeated to-night for the last time.

MARY PICKFORD.--TO-NIGHT. At the Theatre Royal to-night the management will present the popular picture actress, Mary Pickford, in a five-act Famous Players' master-play, entitled, ''Fanehon the Cricket. Taken from the beautiful, story of George Sands', it is difficult to imagine anyone else in the role Mary Pickford plays. It is another picture certain to add to her established fame. This offering might tend to disprove the assertion of a recent well-known writer that mood and veal character penetration are denied the screen. Here is a playful young girl living with her grandmother, who is regarded as a witch, very desirous of something besides rags to wear, very lonely for company, and just crazy to have someone to love her, the old lady being but an indifferent creature in all these parts. In this condition she meets in the woods a frolleing May party. She succeeds in scaring them all, in meeting the young man (who is engaged), and in arriving home in a dappled mood, first joyful and then sorrowful. The woodland jollities continue, bringing her into contact with the young man, seeing her more often ridiculed by the other girls because of her costume, and finally coming out in the clothes her dead mother wore. Then again she has trouble with the girl to whom the man is engaged. She also saves her idiot brother from mistreatment; she dives from a rock and rescues her male friend from drowning; in short, she does a good many things in an ideal way. This film will be shown for three nights.

ANXETTIi KELLERMAN. "Neptune's Daughter," with Annette Kellerman, the famous Australian girl, in the title vole, is coming to New Plymouth next week, when playgoers will have an opportunity of witnessing what is said to be the most novel photoplay ever produced, and which has broken ail records for length of run everywhere it has been produced. Annette Kcllerman, known the world over as the ''Perfect Woman,' 1 has great opportunities in this play to demonstrate the aptness of this title. The seemingly illimitable scope of Miss Kellerman's accomplishments keeps her spectators in a constant state of expectancy as to what daring venture she will undertake next. This film portrays her not only as an expert diver and swimmer, but as a fine actress, a fascinating . dancer, and jin adroit swordswoman. The theme of the play is an attractive out, and deals with the love of a mermaid, played by Miss Kcllerman, who becomes mortal, and through her love for a mortal prince is restrained from resuming her original form. The first production will be given next Monday night, 7th February, at I the Theatre Royal. Box plan for reserved seats opens at Collier's on Thursday morning.