ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1917, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE MOST REALISTIC WAR FILM YET RELEASED. COMMENCES AT THE EMPIRE MONDAY. "WAR AS IT REALLY IS." A remarkably interesting war film entitled "War as it Really Is" will commence a local season of two nights at the Empire on Monday next. Captain Donald C. Thompson,*the daring war photographer for "Leslie's Weekly," and official einematographer to the French aiimies, filmed many of the scenes screened in this great picture from a distance of less than 40 feet from the German trenches in front of Verdun. The result was that he himself was one of the imany casualties of that terrific combat, losing his left eye and part of his skull. He lay In hospital for some months, but is now out again, with a silver plate in his head and a nicelymatched glass eye to serve as mementoes of the occasion. The pictures of the Verdun fighting, photographed under fire, show hundreds of big guns, armored cars, and thousands of prisoners; the wonderful barrages put up by the famous "seventy-fives": the scene of battle as viewed frtun an aeroplane, together with an air duel between two other planes, as the result of which the German flyer is worsted and crashes to earth; shellbursts close to the camera; a parachute descent from a French observation balloon; the landing of spies from n. German aeroplane; and grim scenes from "No Man's Land" and the captured German trenches. The supporting films include an admirable "Patlie Gazette" and a very laughable burlesque detective story. "The Mystery of the Leaping Fish," starring Mr. Douglas Fairbanks. This programme will be screened Monday and Tuesday night and at a special matinee Tuesday afternoon. ALICE BRADY AT EVERYBODY'S MATINEE TO-DAY.

"THE DANCER'S PERIL," All the splendour of the Russian ballet season in Paris adorns the power, fill world film drama "The Dancer's ■Peril," commencing this afternoon at Everybody's. Alice Brady is seen here, in her very best role to date. She has a beautifully moulded form and superb arms, and her dancing is a thing to be wondered at, especially in the fine scene with Alexis ICosloff, the great Russian dancer from the Russian Imperial Ballet. The heroine is the daughter of a Russian Grand Duke, who, afraid to recognise her, has had her brought up as a dancer. She meets the greedy eye 3 of Pavloff, a profligate aristocratic scoundrel who finally inveigles her into his apartments. Her mother, a dancer also, mananes to seek the girl out, and in a terrific scene shoots <Pa\io(T down. The photography of the play is wonderful, and it is crowded with rich settings. The stage scenes of the great Russian ballet are particularly fine. The programme also includes a clever and screamingly funny comedy by the Keystone Company entitled "The Nick of Time Baby."

NANCE O'NEIL IN "THE IRON, ■ ' WOMAN."

A METRO WONDERPLAY AT THE EMPIRE. The world famed stage and screen star Nance O'Xeil, appeared in her first big Metro feature "The Iron Woman" before a good house at the Empire last night. The picture is adapted from the well-known noval by Margaret Deland and closely follows the story. Miss O'Neil appears as Sarah Maitland, a simple unpretentious woman, who manages skilfully the iron mills left her by her husband. By her methods she win 9 the almost unwilling admiration or everyone. She tries to bring up her children, Blair and Nannie, with the same lack of sentimentality with which she conducts her business affairs and puts down insurrections among hei workmen. Nannie is a sweet, lovable,, girl, but Blair, her idol, is a head-strong youth, inattentive to his lessons. The rigid simplicity of his mother's house galls him, and "when he is sent to college he indulges in wild extravagance and luxurious surroundings. The mother's method of dealing with her son is stern and severe but under the iron coating there heats a heart full of mother love and affection. It is a good picture and should draw record crowds at both sessions to-day. SPECIAL CONCESSION DAY. Every child attending the matinee today will receive a free pass to see the Jiig war picture "War as It Really Is" at a special matinee next Tuesday. Every adult patron to-night will receive a free pass to Everybody's for next Tuesday i night, when the attraction will he a Metro star "Satan Sanderson."