ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1917, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. "INTOLERANCE," WORLD'S WOSTDEH PICTURE TO-MORROW. The making of a huge spectacle like D. W. Griffith'* "Intolerance," to be seen at Theatre to-morrow (Thursday) evening and again on Friday with a special matinee on Friday at two o'clock in the afternoon, under the direction of J. C. Williamson, Ltd.. is attended by many hazards. During the filming of the big battle scenes on the walls of Babylon and in the streets and palaces of that great city, it was necessary to have a full corps of surgeons and nurses and a large number of ambulances to look after the injuries received by those taking part in this mimic but realistic warfare. A field hospital was also erected near the scene of action. When it is remembered that much of this hand to hand fighting took place on walls 150 feet high on which scores of chariots are driven madly through the contending throngs, it is indeed remarkable than, only 67 people were injured and none of them seriously. From the tops of these walls hundreds of gallons of liquid fire were poured on the besiegers below. Hun; dreds of men were in the interiors of huge, siege towers that topped the battlement of the walls, and which afterwards were overthrown with a crash. In all of this fighting every implemenf of war known to the ancient world was brought into use. While directing these scenes Mr. Griffith himself took as many chances of injury as did the humblest soldier, for while he directed much of the action from a balloon in many other of the scenes he was in the midst of the fighting. There were also many hazard's in the building of those structures, the whole forming the largest stage settings that were ever erected. For the construction of the Babylonian buildings over 50,000 dollars worth of lumber alone was used. Probably none of the principals took more chance* of injury than did Constance Talmadge, wiio played the role of the mountain girl. I Eefore the final downfall of Babylon she drove her chariot along the banks of the Euphrates at breakneck speed that at every moment threatened dire consequences to limb and life. Other dangerous scenes were those taken during the massacre of St. Bartholomew in Paris. There the hand to hand fighting was fully as dangerous as that which took place around the walls of Babylon. It is in truth remarkable that in these realistic scenes of carnage so little real d?mage was done. A matinee will be given°on Friday at 2 p.m., with children half price. Seats can be booked at Collier's for 2s fid. There will be positively the only opportunities of seeing "Intolerance" here.

A MUTUAL FEATURE AT THE EMPIRE. "THE TWINKLER." 'The TwipWer," a five-reel Mutual star production with William Russell in the lead, which commences at the Empire to-night, is probably the best Mutual releasAhis vear. Now and then a particularly good story is discovered and this is one of the sure -winners. It was written by a convict in the big American prison, Sing Sing, and is based on actual happenings. It is a powerful human interest tafe of the underworld, with forceful situations abounding. Surprises follow one another thick and fast, and audiences are sure to be held by the strong human appeal of the story, and the final climax is particularly unique. LAST SIGHT OF "THE BUTTERFLY GIRL" AT EVERYBODY'S Margarita Fischer delighted a big audier.ee fn her characterisation of "The Butterfly fiirl" at Everybody's last evening. Tlii.- picture is made doubly interesting by reason of the setting being amidst the big Panama Exposition at San Diego. The scenes of the picture reproduce in a wonderfully vivid and realistie manner the enormous and gigantic features of this mammoth world's fair. To-night will be the final -.lk*fling. ..