"THE WHIP."

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1917, Page 4

"THE WHIP."

A FIXE PICTURE. As a drama "The Whip" had a great run in the colonies a few years ago. It could be staged only in the largest theatres, and for that reason was not shown in Taranaki. Now the drama lias been filmed, and the film is infinitely better than the original. The whole story is given—and a moving, interesting, and, at times, exciting story it is. The' New Plymouth season was opened at Everybody's Theatre last night, r.nd those who saw it were unanimous in the opinion that nothing finer had been seen locally It deals with the outdoor life—with hunting and racing; with dogs and racehorses. One sees the huntsmen setting out from the country mansion with the pack, and the quarry dart away, with the hounds soon in close pursuit, and then the horsemen and horsewomen tearing through fields and over fences and ditches, eventually. arriving in time for the kill. Finer horsemanship or mero picturesque surroundings it would be hard to find. The life of the country horse-breeder is shown in all its attractiveness, and it is in this setting that the drama is laid. "The Whip" is the name, of the racehorse that is being prepared for the classic race, and to knowhow the hero and heroine thwart the repeated and cunning attempts of an unscrupulous pair of adventurers one really has to go and see the picture. There is plenty of excitement. The villain disengages the brake bands of the hero's car, which is seen out of control on a precipitous road, going at terrific speed, eventually being smashed to atoms. Later the hero, who recovers from the accident, learns of a plot to side-track the railway truck in which is "The Whip," and races a train coming from the opposite direction. He is just in time to rescue the horse and the jockey, and then the oncoming train smashes into the truck and is itself derailed and smashed. This is a thrilling incident, as is the climax on the racecourse, with its concourse of people, when, defeated in their other schemes, the villains succeed in placing the jockey under arrest on a fictitious charge after he has left the saddling paddock; but the heroine comes to light and, amidst the greatest excitement, pulls off the race, It is altogether a splendid production, too good, indeed, for anyone who likes a clean, healthy, and vivid drama, to miss. It is, ol course, in a class by itself, and, after seeing it, one quite understands the [enormous success it has proved wherever shown. It will be screened again to-night and to-morrow nizht.