AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1916, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

EMPIRE PICTURE PALACE,

The weekly change of bill at the Empire Picture Palace on Saturday brought forward a programme of surpassing nTerit. Absolutely the latest thing in exciting situations is presented in the eighteenth episode of the "Million Dollar Mystery/' This film, which bears the heading "Trapped by the Flames," unveils the supreme cunning of the two chief conspirators and the resourcefulness, plus good fortune, of the reporter Norton. The Princess Parlova gives! a grand masked ball. The Countess Olga forces her to invite Florence and Jim. These two are spied on while selecting their costumes. At the ball two couples appear m similar fancy dress. Florence is again duped, and eventually finds herself. bound in a chair in the midst of flickering flames. However, Norton, assisted by the butler, rescues her. Tlieinterest this series "of pictures It steadily increasing as it nears its close, there being niw but five more instalments to come. Supporting the main attraction is a fine Vitagraph drama, "Love's Way," featuring the beautiful and popular actress Edith Storey. This is the story of the idler son of a prosperous business,man. The lad has good stuff in him, but it requires a calamity to bring it out. This oeeurs when he accosts a girl in the street. She has him arrested, and he serves .a sentence in He comes back to the world an altered character, and proves his worth before all. -The eomie side of the entertainment is admirably provided by two laughter-makers, the Vitagraph "Honeymoon Pact" and the K.B. "Never Again." The "Pathe Gazette" presents some verv interesting newsgraphs and scenes of topical interest, and the Giumont Company offers a sterling series of views of the heart of Egypt." This programme will be shown iVr the last time to-night.

"BRIGADIER GERARD" AT THE EMPIRE TO-MORROW.

Lev/is Waller- and Madge Titheradge in Conan Doyle's great play "Brigadier Gerard." That announcement reads like the preliminary of a big dramatic season ,on the stage, rather than on the screen. Mr. Lewis Waller, now deceased, will always rank as one of the greatest artists of the English stage, and it is good to; know that some of his work is to live in pictures for time to come. The announcement that hie picture portrayal of "Brigadier Gerard" is to be screened at the Empire Picture Palace on Tuesday and Wednesday next should result in a big rush for seating accommodation. "Brigadier Gerard" lias been produced by the Barker Company, and to support Mr. Waller in the leading role the company secured the services of Miss Madge Titheradge a3 the Countess de Rocquelaire, and Mr. A. E. George and other talented people. Principal inter-, est naturally centres in the acting of Mr. Waller, who gave for the camera an admirable personation of the dashing, swaggering cavalry officer, who succeeded in pleasing Napoleon in spite of the failure of his particular task. Miss Titheradge adds charm and grace to the piece by her splendid work as the Countess, while the other characters are all well done. The staging of the play could scarcely have been improved upon, and the picture will more than hold its own with the many magnificent films recently shown at the same theatre. In a story that seems to be lifted bodily from real life of the days when Napoleon and his wars were the great events, Conan Doyle has infused into his "Brigadier Gerard," romance, mystery, thrill, and intrigue, as well as the warlike, spirit of the time. The story moves from event to event with a rapidity that is breathless but convincing in its reality. The season is limited to positively two nights only.

JULIUS KNIGHT IN "UNDER FIRE" TO-NIGHT. This evening at 8 o'clock the curtain will rise on the, first and only representation in New iPlymouth of the great war play, "Under Fire." Containing 40 characters, it deals with events preceding the declaration of war, and gives glimpses of the German invasion of Belgium, and the retreat from Mons, culminating in General Joffre's famous thrust, which saved Paris. The play opens in a drawing-room in the town house of Sir George WagstafT. Then with the suddenness almost of the war itself it becomes a drama of action, in which the German army of occupation plays a prominent part. Here we are shown the German and British secret service agents, both military men, being .pitted against each other in a battle of brains, in which the latter triumphs, and saves the Expeditionary Force from the master move planned by General Von Kluck. As is generally known, Mr. Julius Knight will appear as Captain Larry Redmond; with, him is associated Lizettes Parke?, who, as Ethel Willoughhy, is said to add another capital sketch to her gallery of her stage portraits. A cast of 40 characters will include important parts— Boyd Irwin as Henry Streetman, Louis Kimball (a new juvenile actor from America) a3 Charlie Brown, an American journalist; Herbert Leigh as Sir George WagstafT; Emma Temple as Mrs. Falconer, Eileen Sparks as Georgie Wagstaff, etc. Quite a number of other well-known artists will appear, besides a host of auxiliaries. The whole production >vill be under the personal supervision of Mr. Julius Knight, who has as stage manager Mr. Victor Tatnell. An augmented orchestra will be under the direction of Mr. G. J. Drew. The box plans are now on view at Collier's. The company, numbering over fiO people, arrive by the Rarawa this morning.

"THE MAN WHO STAYED AT HOME." For more than a year we have talked war, and the cables find stories fro,m the front have made our general outlook on things such as it never has done before. With those in the Old Land this has been more so, and if we could get into nearer sympathy with our kin across the water "The Man Who Staved at Home" will give us a vivid realisation of life as it is in Great Britain to-day. If the cables and stories in the British papers speak aright, then some of the incidents are grimly close to fact. More than this, the play itself is constructed with an unusual cleverness, a melodramatic veneer only serving to emphasise a danger that a nation has acknowledged but scorned to her cost. The action is filled with dramatic intensity, and the situations are so natural in the unprecedented circumstances and yet so thrilling, that handled by such a strong company they must run riot with the emotions of the audience.

On Wednesday night "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford," the famous comedy, will he staged. Miss Hilda Dorrington and Mr. Lionel Walsh will be seen in the leading roles, and they will be supported by the full strength of the popular "Within the T»aw" Company. The season is strictly limited to two nights, and no return visit will this year • be paid, as the company return to AustraU> early next month,