THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1916, Page 6

THE EMPIRE.

A GRIPPI _$ DRAMA OF XEW YORK SLUMS'. '•THE WAIF." The story of a waif forms the chief attraction of the new programme at the Empire Theatre to-day. The story is the strange, eventful history of a Xew York child, the son of a theatrical manager, who is torn from his home and parents by a dismissed servant out of revenge. He is brought up in sordid surroundings, but being a boy of spirit and intelligence, improves his environment and starts business as a shoe-black, sleeping in a barrel by night. He comes i.-.to touch with an actor of "the old school, Henry Irvington, who befriends him, although almost destitute himself. The lad helps to keep the humble home together, but hard times fall upon the oid man, and the boy, who has been tiuglit the dramatic art by the old actor, a splendid eharact'er. How the boy turns lii« dramatic education to account at a ciitical period of the history of the curiously assorted two battlers makes a li.'ghly interesting story, and leads to the revelation of the lad's identity, after a triumph on the boards, which delights the heart of the old actor, who sees th» result of his work hear good fruit. The story is one with a strong human ap peal, with touch of comedy running through its pathos, and gives scope to the undoubted ability of the clever boy actor, Matty Roubcrt. The part of the old actor is splendidly portrayed, and tho interest is maintained throughout. The picture is far above tho average sentimental drama made in America, the sentiment being genuine human feeling, and net the pnmped-np emotion of the music hall. An cxeecdiigly diverting Chaplin cartoon shows the humors of electrocution, which leads to a tour round the world in record time. Some good war pictures are included in the programme, which will run for the next three nights. . 3