AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1916, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

LAST NIGHT OF "THE MILLIONAIRE BABY." The current programme at the Empire Picture Palace, which will be screened for the last time to-night, has as its star feature the fascinating staging by the Selig Red Seal Company of an adaptation of Katherine Green's famous novel, ''The Millionaire Baby." Briefly, the story tells of a young couple—the wife a vaudeville "star," the husband a struggling author. The wife is dissatisfied with her humble position, and there is anything but peace in the household. After much anxiety and urihappiness for all concerned, the story ends happily. Throughout the entire Ave reels of Ihe production the interest is never for a moment allowed to flag. The situations are tense and hold a strong fascination. The supporting series include a long laughter-producer, "The Dimple Ring," by the Vitagraph Company, the latest series of the "Topical Gazette," showing animated pictures of all the latest topical events, and a most interesting Lubin drama entitled "Jealousy." Commencing at the matinee tomorrow (Saturday), a special double number of the popular serial drama "The Million Dollar Mystery" will head the new programme. Instalments 20 v and 21, entitled "The Secret Warning"" and "Documents of the Treasure Boy r " respectively, bring the end of the mystery well in sight. THEATRE ROYAL. A thrilling tale of romance and adventure in northern Canada is unfolded in Lubin's six-reel feature "The Wolf," which drew a crowded bouse at the Theatre Royal last night. Stories of the wilds are always popular and this production, apart from a very dramatic story, easily ranks among the best of this class of photoplay yet sepn in New Plymouth. A brief synopsis of the story is as follows:—When Jules Beanbieu died his son found himself the owner of an immense fortune, and a request that he should seek out a daughter of his father who had been left with a Canadian backwoods family some twenty years ago. Her name was Annette. Arriving at the district Jules soon located the family with whom the child had been left, but was told a harrowing tale of the circumstances of her death. She had been led astray by a promise of marriage, and then basely deserted by her betrayer. One night in her delirium she had taken the child in her arms and wandered into the forest. Next day she was discovered, eaten by wolves. Jules Beanbieu and Baptiste, who had loved the girl, thereupon took a most solemn oatli that they would seek out her betrayer and wreak vengeance upon him. For two years the search was prosecuted, and Jules had fallen in love with Hilda McTavish, the pretty daughter of an irascible old Scotch boarding-house keeper. Hilda was being courted by a railway surveyor named McDonald. This man was boasting of his successes with women, and narrated to Jules a story which coincided with the circumstances of Annette's downfall, as related by Baptiste. Jules immediately set out for Baptiste in order that the identification would bo complete. In the meantime, McDonald had prevailed upon McTavish to allow his daughter to accompany him to his alleged mother, who would care for and educate the girl. Jules and Baptiste set out after the party and succeeded in reaching them at the road leading to the Canadian Montreal Railway. Here a desperate duel was fought between Jules and McDonald in which McDonald was killed. The body was buried and the party return, where Jules' happiness i? made complete with the.girl he loves. Several good supporting films sire also included, notably "Dead Reckoning," the fourth two-reel'instalment of the. serial drama "The Trey 0' Hearts." The same programme will be repeated to-night and at both performances to-morrow (Saturday).

"THE JUGGEfiNAUT." On Monday night next, "The Juggernaut," a powerful railroad drama by the Vitagraph Company (stated to be their greatest production), with Anita Stewart and Earle t Williams in the leading roles, will be screened for the first time at the Theatre Koyal. The title of the picture refers not to the great hideous sacrificial car of the Hindus, under which the bodies of its victims were crushed, but to its modern counterpart, the great railway trust of America, which for the sake of big dividends crushed the lives and souls of men. As a picture "The Juggernaut" is said to be a wonderful example of the technique of modern motion pictures. A powerful and realistic, story steadily and logically develops into a sensational climax when a speeding express train crashes down through a faulty trestle bridge into the water below. For realism and sensation such a scene has not hitherto been seen on the screen, and it,is stated that it cost 50,000 dollars in hard cash to produce it. Another prominent item of the programme will be a 3-reel Keytone comedy, entitled "Caught in a Cabaret," in which the inimitable Charles Chaplin is seen at his very best. The programme will be shown on Monday and Tuesday only.