THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1916, Page 7

THE EMPIRE.

MATINEE TO DAY "THE HAIDERS."

A REMARKABLE PICTURE DRAMA

An outline of the plot of "The Raiders"—the five-act picture drama put on at the Empire last night gives . little idea of the remarkable effect of one of .the best series of films which have been seen in New Plymouth. It wouid had one to suppose that it is the presentation of an ordinary stock exchange fifrht between "bears" and "bulls"—or, rather, an explanation of how the plot of a dishonest clique to run down the value of n railway stock in the enforced absence of the president of the company was foiled by the intervention of a stockbroker's clerk. That is certainly the main feature of the story, but it is on account of the wonderfully interesting surrounding features that are drav/.i in and the skilful manner in which ./the various characters are depicted that a definite charm is given to this melodramatic composition, lifting it above fellows of its class. The tale hangs well together. There is certainly a slice of improbability in regard to certain events, but no more than is to be found in novels which have reached the standard of classics. It is very hard to definitely pronounce what iB possible in this world, and the axiom always stands that after all truth is stranger than fiction. H. D. Warner, who plays the role of the enterprising broker's c>l<?rk (Scott Wells), after a broken career in high society is ceitainly a "juvenile star" of the first magnitude. His facial expression alone presents a study of surpassing interest The daughter of Davir Haleman —the president of the Big Five Railway Company, whose dishonest broken concocts the scheme of villainy—is represented by pretty Dorothy Dalton—a dream of natural sweetness. There is a good vein of comedy running through the piece, provoked principally by a particularly precocious office-boy, who renders invaluable aid in the exciting scenes at the finish. The full programme will be screened at the matinee this afternoon and again to-night for the last occasion.