ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1921, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

“BRAN PIE.” SATURDAY NIGHT’S PERFORMANCE. The revue, “Bran Pie,” which was i again presented at New Plymouth on Saturday night, was witnessed by a ; crowded house, all accommodation at the Empire Theatre being taken up. i Brightly staged and containing a fund < of clean humor “Bran Pie” provided a ; very acceptable entertainment, and the demand for re-calls which characteris- ; ed every item was a practical instance of the audiences appreciation. Solo work and choruses, with a number of character sketbhes, were delightfully • given, and there ivas not a dull moment in the programme of two and a half hours’ duration. THE PEOPLE’S. LAST NIGHT OF EUGENE O’BRIEN. Eugene U’Brien lives the extremes of . live in “Broadway and Home,” screen- ! ing finally to-night, from the simplicity of a quiet fishing village to tho hectic sophistication of the Great White Way, in “Broadway and Home.” The role of Michael Strange gives O’Brien op* portunity to portray the development of the simple country youth into the polished liabitue of Broadway. A talented and highly trained actor, the impersonation is always in good taste. A ‘ cast which contains the names of ac- > tors noted for their fine work contributes to the general enjoyment. Gazete, comedy and “The Moonriders” are also on tho bill. A big Fox programme will be presented to-morrow and Wednesday. EVERYBODY’S. CONNY TALMADGE, “DANGEROUS BUSINESS.” “Dangerous Business,” at Everybody’s to-night, brings that queen of comediennes, Constance Talmadge, in a story that is brimming over with ludicrous, not to say snappy, situations into which the utmost comedy has been injected, and which are calculated to make an ordinary audience gasp with surprise. Daringly conceived and as delicately handled are the situations which follow on the heroine's statement that she is already married, when at the altaf with another man. The supposed husband has been a milksop, but the W’ar made a cave-man of him, so that no .one got a bigger surprise than his supposed bride when he suddenly arrives to take charge of the situation, it is too good to spoil by any further details, but suffice it to say that Constance Talmadge has never had a better story, or handled it more delightfully than this one. Kenneth Harlan is a charming leading man, who runs away with quite a lot of laurels in his adept manner of dealing with “Dangerous - Business.” The bill includes “Silent Avenger,” a big Harold Lockwood comedy, and gazettes. EMPIRE THEATRE. “DARBY AND JOAN” TO-NIGHT. Film productions come and go, but it is not every day that the creation of some master mind is flashed on the screen, to leave behind it a feeling of satisfaction and an impression that something out of the ordinary has been achieved. “Darby and Joan,” screening.at the Empire Theatre to-night and to-morrow, is an adaptation of Sir Hall Caine’s famous story, and it can truthfully be claimed that it is a masterpiece, a gripping story of human life with no impossibilities. The noble example of the two young people of the story, clinging together through starvation and defying their parents in their soulless efforts to part them, is one that might be < opied in these days of much separation and divorce, and the tragedy which follows, just as the first stage of thefr happiness is reached, is an incident which would maxe the strongest falter. Through this and even greater trials the couple go bravely on, and in a manner in which the producer enlists the sympathy of the audience as tho wonderful life story is unfolded, can only be recognised as a stroke of a genius. It is gratifying to be able to claim that picture-goers are indebted to a British producer for this extraordinary high-class entertainment. “Darby and Joan” is everywhere proving just as jp'eat a success as that previous British production ‘My Old Dutch.” It appeals to just the same sentiments and is human in every part of the film story. The box plans are at Collier’s.