THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1917, Page 7

THE EMPIRE.

\ ; ,/. MATINEE TO-DAY. w The five-part Lasky drama', "To Have ' ~ and to Hold," was shown for the first 3 _ time at the Empire theatre to a good " Tj audience last night. Mae Murray and ° I' Wallace Reid are associated as stars T U_ in this notable film, which deals with *' the troubles of one Lady Jocelyn Leigh, * . 6 a ward of King' James lof England, or- £ dered by His Majesty to marry his dis-. f soluto favorite, Lord Carnal. The ar- * rival of a gentleman adventurer, Captain Percy, saves Jocelyn, and as it * ) turns out these two come to love one a s another and are left to live happily ever E g after. Tho picture is adapted from the * i- famous novel, "By Order of the Com- r s pany," is bright and holds the interest * right to the last foot of film. The r full programme will he repeated at the E matinee and again for tho last time to- "> night. Pirize certificates will ibe pre- ,. sented to tho winner in the British .' ~ Empire Rhyming Traps' Alphabet at e the matinee performanje. H . "THE DIVINITY OP MOTHERHOOD." * ~ Everybody admits'that there are pic- c r, tures and pictures, and it iß* a matter of e personal predileojlonj as to. which one \ 8 approves of most, but a film of special '■ Y interest is to be Bhown at the Empire ® 5 Theatre next Monday, Tuesday and " i Wednesday, a picture which has won P B world wide approval wherever it has v ' a been shown. Frankly it is an exploita- tt 6 tion of the sex problem but it is couched c ' , in such a happy form that it cannot t] . offend the susceptibilities of anyone. It *1 3 is a picture that; can too seen "by any P 1 k man, woman, or child, every bride, every hi b prospective bride, every mother and they W 1 'can carry away with them only tho t happiest recollections of a notable pro- « i duction. The "Miracle of Life," or the & i "Divinity of Motherhood/" as the sub- P 1 j title runs, is a picture which, it has *] j been stated hy tho American and Aus- b< . tralian press, is a lesson In sociology. al r It details in pretty form the story of w b the "unwelcome child" and the mother's ft i later grief that it was unwelcome. It tl t is the story of the woman who preferred Bf . a barren life and a fruitless old age, in n< > order that the might be a society but- to i terfly and singe her wings at the of , "Flame of Adulation," only to find in lo . her declining years that she was robbed ti: E of tho joys of maternity that were the sii i happiness of her contemporaries. The hi 1 picture is rich in human philosophy, and in r it is embellished with many pathetic di r and beautiful child studies, quite apart th from its strong dramatic interest. There vi have been novels that dealt with this ta particular phase of life with more or gc less strength, but in pictuje form the in l inevitable story of "poor humanity" that jr< " seeks curcease in selfishness is infinitely more appealing. "She was too late," of and that is the daily story of life that of 3 this picture represents with almost too lo ] great a faithfulness. Seats may he re- " served at Collier'B. _