THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1916, Page 6

THE EMPIRE.

TO-NIGHT. ' "THE NE'ER-DO-WELL,' The Panama, Canal films, shown in New Plymouth several years ago, will give some idea of the surroundings in which Selig's company of player 3 enacted "The Ne'er-do-Well," for they were all sent to Panama in order to get the proper -atmosphere for the story. The picture is a thing as big and fine as "The Spoilers'' of two seasons ago, which at that time was the worid'i best photo-play. The film production actually improves on the story. It is in nine reels; every foot of the nine reels is interesting, and in these days of much presentation and small satisfaction anything that holds one past five reel 9 must be great. The story is the diary transcript of an irresponsible but likeable young male animal of good' nature and heavy sex-punch. He/ is nowhere powdered'up for a hero nor blackbordered as a villain. Neither are the antics of Mrs. Stephen Courtland, a pretty woman, at what Karen Michaelis termed "the dangerous age," palliated in the usual mush-manner of "moral" pictures. The husband is a nice old worn-out warhorse, and while we feel sorry for him, we feel sorrier still that he should take his wife's twilight Julieting as a suicide matter. Anthony's marriage to the Spanish girl is merely the story of a pretty and proper finale. After you have seen Mrs. Cortlandt (Kathlyn Williams) discreetly wheedle the young man for five reels, and at length melt upon his mouth in one and only one are-hot kiss which is a3 unexpected as it was inevitable, this senorita will not spend your pulse* any. "The Ne'er-do-Well" can only be screened to-night and to-morrow owing to the engagement of Mary Pickford as "Madame Butterfly" on Wednesday and Thursday. MARY PICKFORD'S BEST # ) "MADAME BUTTERFLY"- AT THE > """ EMPIRE, /-" , Ne'xt Wednesday Mary' Pickford. will be seen at the Empire, the paramount home, in "Madame Butterfly," John Luther Long's immortal Japanese romance. This is the first time the story has been adopted for the screen, and in it Famous Players have produced one of the greatest' pictures standing to their credit. The quaint settings are arranged with a minute attention to detail that adds a charm that cannot be reproduced, except by the moving picture camera. Miss Pickford, as Cho-Cho-San, has achieved the success of her career, and it. was, as a result of the wonderful performance she put up that she signed on asain with the Famous Players at £40,000 a year for a long term. No better role in romance could have been selected to give full range to Miss Pickford's unique ability as an actress than the portrayal of the pathetic, but brave, little Japanese girl. "Madame Butterfly" will also be screened at a matinee on Thursday afternoon, and for the last time on Thursday night.