ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1917, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

BESSIE BAERISCALE AT THE EMPIRE. | "THE LAST ACT." A play within a play is contained in "The Last Act," now screening at the Empire, where tihe actress who is contemplating eloping with a married man is playing the star part in a play of the eternal triangle called "Retribution." She sees what happens to the pair who transgress in the make-believe world, and this helps to change her own fate. As an actress out of work and out of money, Miss Barriscale is seen in the earlier moments of the play, considering her hopeless situation while seated on a park bench. A big-hearted woman passing notices her and stops to ask if she can be of any assistance. The girl is too proud to accept help, !but th e woman nevertheless slips a bill into her purse unobserved. Then fate does its share. The gift starts the young actress on an upward career, at the height of which the husband of her benefactor falls in love with her. He begs the girl to elope with him and marry him after he has arranged a divorce. She asks time to decide. In the years between she 'has persistently sought to learn the identity of the woman who befriended her. The wife'of his admirer comes to plead with her to give him up—and it is the woman she has been seeking. The actress breaks her own 'heart, by writing a note of farewell to the man, rather than eoinmit the double-grievous sin which confront? her. The programme also includes an hilariously happy Keystone comedy, "Maggie's First 'False Step," wttich be comes an absolute riot of laughter.

A BLUE-BIRD EXTRAORDINARY AT EVERYBODY'S. "THE EAGLE'S WINGS." A picture drama of exceptional interest entitled "The Eagle's Wings" is the chief attraction on the new programme screening at Everybody's to-night and to-morrow. The picture is a Blue-bird extraordinary feature and deals in a trenchant manner with the question of organisation and preparedness in America. It is called 'a patriotic appeal for industrial preparedness," and the claim Is made for it that shows the first authentic pictures of munition factories in operation. It's preparedness appeal is made with force and clearness, and it '.trongly emphasises tlie fact that it takes the labor of Ave industrial workers to keep one soldier in the field. The in. terior views of the different" government factories showing the manufacture of cannon, shells and cartridges, are full of Interest. Although the main purpose of "J he Eagle's Wing**" is to arouse the feelings of patriotism and the story it tells is only a means to an end, there is a successful attempt to carrv a love interest through it and to follow the lines »f a well-balanced screen drama. The V ilia raid on Columbus, N.M.. is made a part of the action and tlie exciting scenes 'of that,now famous night attack are vividly reproduced. Congress also is the scene of a number of the leading incidents in the picture. There are a number of first class _ supporting subjects, the nrhole completing a most interesting selection.