AMUSEMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 11 October 1913, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

TOWN HALL PICTURES*

"QUO VADISP"

Another huge audience, filled the Town Hull last evening., wJion "Quo Vadis" was seen for the second time. The great film produced quite a furore amongst those present. The picture bristles with sensational episodes, but none carries, greater effect than the final .scenes depicting the burning of Rome. Nero, the Emperor, satiated with pleasures, seeks somo more stirring sensation. Tigellimis suggests the firing of the city, and Nero eagerly accepts the suggestion, with tho result that Rome is soon in fhrnes. The" news is brought to the Court at Auturin by an omis.vary, who cries "A sea of fire floats over the city, smoke suffocates the citizens, the people faint or throw themselves madly into the fire, Rome Ls perishing!" Nero callously replies: "Ye gods! ]j shall see a burning city and finish by Troyad." ' He then speeds to Rome, whore he watches the conflagration, and in his madness .sings while the beautiful city is being destroyed. The people become incensed oyer the destruction of the city, and in fear of their violence, and to appease them, Nero denounces the Christians as bcin*,responsible for the awful act of incendiarism, and by his orders they are arrested and r cast into prison. Then a great festival is ordered at Nero's amphitheatre, and the Christian martyrs are thrown to the lions and sacrificed to make a Roman holiday. The picture will be shown again to-night.

THOMPBGN-PAYME PJCTURES.

"BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS."

Tonight tho usual week-end change will take place at the ThompsonPayne Pictures, where an excellent series is advertised. The leading dramatic item is a story of the stage by the Clarendon Co., of London. A Western play is being rehearsed, but the leading lady cannot rise to requisite heights. Fred Farrol, an actor,- proposes that his sweetheart, Flo, shall take up the chief role. This is agreed to, and from that time onward the play proceeds without a hitch, i. But the girl excites the admiration of the manager, who persuades her, in spite of Farrol's abjections, to go to supper with him. They are followed by the actor, who, confronting the girl, passionately denounces her. The next day Farrol's thoughts turn to suicide and at length he loads his revolver anH presses it against his head., Just then the door opens, and the stage manager bustles in ; and drags him off to the theatre. Another performance is to be held, and Fred, answering tho .summons of the call-boy, hurries down to the wjngs to await his cue. In this scene he has to fire at a rival, who is saved by a .girl, who jumps in between them and herself receives the shot. Hitching up his belt, Fred notices that his revolvei' is .missing, and the call-boy is despatched to fetch it and see that it is loaded with blanks. The boy, in his hurry picks up a handful of ball . cartridges and crams them into the chamber. The inevitable happens. Flo, who takes the part of the girl concerned in this incident, is wound.ed, and the blame is laid to the-door of . Farrol, who is arrested, but all coimes right. The Selig Co. will present two items in "Belle Boyd, the Confederate Spy" (a Civil War romance', and "Drifting," a pathetic drama. "The New Chauffeur" is a fascinating comedy drama by the Rex -Company, which will' prove popular. Miss Ormie Hawley, the talented Lubih actress, will appear in one of her ofwn plays entitled "Dolore's Decision." The Comet Co. will have a good item shown in "A Seminary Competition," which shows a rather amusing state of affairs at a girl's college. The interest section, of tho series; will include the'Xatest Eclair Journal and "Opossum Hunting." A splendid array of comedies will add to the splendour of the change. They | include "Angel Cake and Axle I Grease" (Lubin), "Kri-Kri's Shoes" I (Cihes), "Oh! That Lemonade" (Crys- ] tal), and and the Beauty ' Shdw." On account of the anniversary of the film's advent in Masterton, a special matinee free to children will be given at 2.30 this afternoon.

"THE QUAKER GIRL."

This morning at 8 o'clock the box plans will be, opened at the Dresden for .the initial and only representation here of "The Quaker GirV' in which J. O, Williamson's famous Royal Comic Opera Company will make its appearance on Tuesday night next. "The Quaker Girl" holds the proud distinction of having beaten the records established in Sydney by ,'Our , Miss Gibbs," whilst in Melbourne its ' popularity quite overshadowed that j enjoyed by "The Merry Widow." ' "The Quaker Girl"' is the joint work j of Lionel Monckton and Adrian Boss, musically, with libretto by James Tanner. Unlike other light opera, "The 1 j Qnaker. Girl" starts off with a defined idea, and the beginning of a story, and it carries the idea and story through to the finish. The writers have succeeded in giving to it a cer-

Win - ; s>a*hetic effect in leavening th-:- iur:<- '■ toi confection. Prudence (lM;»r:"hn i Browne), the Quakeress, chau- >i x'oi- i the rigid rules of Quaker liiV-; l !'•: desires to share the freed"m oi : l.e butterfly, and the said drnus* i lls.i'smuch td appreciate in pi- >.s ng habit of existence when Tor.v Cbuo(Leslie Holland), of the American .Knbassy in Paris, arrives in th" vi'i :e. Tony instructs the Quaker I'.irl in iLe simple science of making lov.- Ti.o object of Tony's visit to i', l to assist in the runaway marriatf-i of I his friend Captain Charteris (Eduutud Sherras) .and Mathilde (Olive Goc>¥.i;i). j an exiled Buonapartist. , Frmii-ihy I is persuaded to go to Paris, wh«--ro ■;!}•:-. under the chaperqnage of MatLvae Blum (Grace Palotta), a fanv.uis ;<hul iste, • quickly, becomes tho roiling beauty. Apart from the heroine .and her happy-go-lucky lolver, a good deal of the fun of the piece ihinges on the efforts of the French officials to invalidate the marriage of Captain I Charteris, who is a King's messenger, I and-the Princess. The fun is fast and furious in the second act, in which Jeremiah (Jack Cannot) and Phoebe (Jessie Lonnen) take an active part. In this act also Mr Edmund Sherras' fine baritone voico is heard to ad- , vantage in tho waltz song" "Won't I Yon Come to the Ball ?" A full operatic orchestra and chdrus will be un»', der the baton of Victor Champion.