THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1916, Page 6

THE EMPIRE.

>— — —. CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN A OOOOFT COMEDY. " T.ILLIE'S PUNCTURED 'ROMANCE." A VERITABLE SCREAM. The first production of tins (1000 ft. Keystone will take place at the Empire Theatre to-night. Marie Dressier, the highest salaried comedienne on the American stage, was specially engaged to play the leading role, aiid Charles Chaplin's comedy work, in conjunction \iith the amazing Marie and "Tillie," is said to eclipse anything he has ever done before or since. The story is in three episodes—''The Elopement"—"The Marriage"—and "The Bust Up." Part one shows how Charlie meets jolly Tillie, the farmer's daughter, and induces her to elope with him, and incidentally persuades her to bring her father's' bank rr;ll. In the. city Charlie introduces Tillie to her first drink at a cabaret, and during the evening dexterously relieves her of her money, and decamps with his city girl, Mabel. Tillie, after imbibing too freely, is put out into the street, and finally locked up. Her gaolers, discovering her name to be Tillie Banks, mistake her for the missing niece of a millionaire in the city. The millionaire has never seen his niece, and Tillie at first passes for her, but is disowned because of her over-exuberant manner, due to the cabaret wine. Tillie secures a position as waitress in a cafe. The uncle, shocked at his niece's behaviour, goes mountain climbing. Ht falls over a cliff, and Tillie becomes the heiress. The astute Charles rushes to the cafe where Tillie is working, and by main strength and strategy hurries her off and marries her before she is aware of her good fortune. The couple take over the grand mansion, and set out to teach "society" how things should be done. They give a grand ball, which ends in a frightful fracas, and in the midst of the melee the supposedly dead, uncle returns. The millionaire has the house party thrown into the street, and many further highly ludicrous situations lead to the finale, which is a veritable cyclone of laughter.