ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1918, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE EMPIRE. ETHEL BARRYMORE IN "LIFE'S WHIRLPOOL." One of the best "Metro' pictures seen .for many weeks, was the general opinion of a big audience at the Empire last night, when "Life's Whirlpool'' was the leading attraction. In "Life's Whirlpool" Lionel Barrymore directs his sister—the celebrated Metro star, Ethel Barrymore—in the wonderplay he has written for her. He has given her a role which calls into play all the emotional powers she has so often demonstrated on stage and screen. In "Life's Whirlpool" Miss Barrymore plays the part of Esther Carey, the innocent victim of circumstances. Left alone at the death of her father, she marries a man unworthy of her, who is forced to pay the penalty ofthis misdeeds. Esther is suspected) of the crime that is committed, and is driven from shelter with her infant son. At the climax of the story she is about to be punished for a crime of which she is wholly innocent. How she is vindicated, and how she emerges triumphantly from the vortex of the whirlpool, is dramatically told in this powerful drama of the screen. The supporting pictures include the ninth episode of the popular "Peg o' the Ring." The full rogramme will be repeated again to-night and tomorrow. EVERYBODY'S. MILDRED MANNING IN <: THE SECRET HUSBAND-" The Pox feature, "A Small Town Girl," was delayed in transit, and failed to reach New Plymouth in time for screening last night. However, a capital programme was screened with the Greater Vitagraph feature, "The Secret Husband," as the principal attraction. There was also included on the programme the third series of the popular "Bairnfather's Cartoons" and an interesting Gammont Graphic. Screening dates for "A Small Town Girl' will bo announced 1 as sooa as the film comes to hand.

I TOMORROW. j FRANK KEBNAN IN "THE THOR- ' GUGHBRED." Commencing at the matinee to-mor-row, a thrilling racing drama, "The Thoroughbred," will be the chief attraction. This. brilliant tale of the turf features Frank Keenan in the part of an old colonel who loves sport for sportfe sake "The Thoroughbred" is on the same lines as "The Whip" of pleasant memory, but as a picture it is aven better. WAXTARA. THE BANG BOXS. Those who patronise the Theatre I Royal to-night will n ot be disappointed They will see a truthful representation of soldier life as it is lived by our boys every day in the trenches and dugouts in France. The revue is cleverly written and, in parts, is severely satirical. When a young officer, "Johnny," entirely inexperienced and fresh from college, finds himself placed in command of New Zealand or Australian soldiers, he finds he has taken on a rather steep proposition, and that the discipline of the overseas' soldier U somewhat different to that of the British Tommy. What happens under such conditions will be clearly shown to-night at the Theatre Royal in a particularly interesting and realistic manner. Those who have seen Bairnsfather's sketches in "Fragments from France" will be irresistibly reminded of those mirthprovoking" cartoons when they see the Bang Boys to-night. The scene in the estaminet is uproariously funny. There our boys meet some French girls, but have not ft sufficient knowledge of the French language to explain what they wish to purchase. The girls, who know more of the English language than they will admit, pretend that they understand only French, and the wild efforts of the soldiere to make themselves understood completely brings down tha house.. In addition to these two scenes, there will be a firing-lino concert conducted toy Lady Doolittle and her party, who have come across from England to cheeer the boys up while they are resting. Tonight's entertainment is a soldier's show right through, and those who wish to be brought realistically dow *«> the life of our boys in France should iiot miss this opportunity. The