AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 57, 23 February 1918, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

■ "DOWN TO EARTH." [ Based on a story that is original In its I . theme and interesting in its execution, tue : - comedy-romance -'Down to Earth" is a ! Douglas Fairbanks picture, aud is the first iv which this popular athletic funmaker has appeared under the Paramount series. . "Down to Earth" is being presented at the Tivoll Theatre, along with the other pictures which constitute its new bill this afternoon, and again this evening it will be shown. It has a plot mat is entirely novel in this respect that it films a crowd ot neurotic and dyspeptic individuals, makes them play pranks on an Isolated islet, and finishes off, after a glorious little , ro-munce, with the tact tliat all wealthy, society folk a re not nearly so far from tne infiueucts of civilisation as they ) may believe. The story itself was suggested t •by Douglas Fairbanks, tne great comedian, , himself, and will certainly go a very long ] wuy towarus allaying the imaginary ah- I meuts that so many city loik possess. ( There is many a luugh in the tale told, too, for those to whom nearty luug.hter comes naturally, and, altogether, It may be said that this theme "Down to Earth" provides luu for all. The plot of the story, very briefly told, runs somewhat iv this vein. There are several sKlll'ully drawn characters, each one representative of those wealthy rolk who tuiuk nicy are y-itfesring from different ailments. There is also a medical individual, who ihas found ihat it pays him best to pander to the iaeas of these folk, and a wealthy, healthy young raucher (Douglas), who conceives the idea of giving all these persons a fresJi-alr cure. Accordingly he purchases the conventional sanatorium where they are indulging their ideas, aud conies along one day and transports them oil to a place ot his own choosing —an island wuere scarcely anything ls to be found. Here he mates them lnuuige in all manner of the exercises dear to i'he heart of the child, In return for a meagre portion of nourishment, and when the;- deßist In disgust, and ostracise him, so "Jj speak, they starve. Eventually all these lolk, diseased more In mind aud in spirit than in body, come to like their exercise,. :iuu mc ue.ro conies to many tne wife of Ills choice, who happens to be among them. The whole story is told iv so interesting a manner as to leave but | little room tor cavil, and withal it has j miuij an episode that abounds in leal, I uutural humour, with a strong undercurrent of satire running through the eutiie play. "Down to Earth" ls good to see, aud so are Its supports. I THE PRINCESS. Miss Emily Stevens, star of "The I Wager," among many other of those ex--1 citing dramas which Metro has produced, ' I features foremost in yet uiiothcr dim pre- | seated to the people by this famous com- | '. pany, and run to-aay, to-night, and ! thiouzhout the following week by the | Princess Theatre. The name of this new | drama ls "Outwitted," and It tells of a j woman who sacrlnces much of her good ' name to save her 'brother, -becomes married, | lis blackmailed and 'betrayed, and then out- , ■ wits la clever fashion tne man -irho has I dragged her through the deeps of despair. I The liim ends witn a conventional episode ;of complete happiness for two people, but jlt Is right to say that this ls tne only | expected development about It. "Out- ! wilted" furnishes illss Stevens with an I opportunity to display the personal merit I together with tne anility for eniouuual , I acting and the keen wit m which she ex- i cela. It ia a good story, handled by a I good cast. The plot Is Interesting, and as much of it as need be told nere is apparent liv what follows:—in "Outwitted.' Nan I Kennedy ls trying to influence Her brother. | who has made oue mistake, to lead an | ' honest life. To save him from a "job" he , i has been forced to undertake, she does it i 1 herself, and is caught by tne rich man ■ • whose safe she has just opened. She ex- j l.pects to be sent to prison. Instead, he de- , I mands that she spend a year iv his house | ns his niece. lie aids her to marry the man she loves—and then tells her young ! husband in the presence of the weddingguests tliat sue is a common crook. -\an ,' finally wins back happiness, after a dee- I perate struggle. All the supporting pic- ; tures, which include topical nlms and a rarely-funny comedy, are backed by rather fine musical selections. QUEEN'S THEATRE. Events move at a lively pace all through "Cioideu Rule Kate," a five-part Triaiigu. photo-play, starring, Louise ulauin. Tue story is told ou tlie screen at tue (Juceu's Tneulre this « j.uoou, and will De iv seasou aU througu mc week, togctuer with other interesting themes. The character played by Louise Olaum has earued the name of "Golden Rule Kate" from the siiunre way in which she conducts he. business, the lady being the proprietor oi : a saloon and dance hull called "The Red Light." Her object Iv collecting tue loose change of the community at the centre of : the town's social life is to support her j younger sister, who ls not permitted to I mix with the elder woman's customers. Kate has everything her pwn way in Para-1 dlse until the arrival of a minister, who opens a church across the street from the saloon nnd proceeds to denounce "The Red Light" and its works in good set terms. I This arouses Kate to violent anger, and when she mokes the mistake of thinking that the Rev. Gavin McGregor has ruined I her sister, she goes after him, gun in hand. There Is n good ending to tils drama, which ls supported by a chapter of "The -Neglected Wife." THE OPERA HOUSE. This afternoon the matinee presentation of the Opera House programme brought laughter to a large audience. To-night this series of numbers, all by skilful and experienced artists, will be presented to the people for the last time, and a new bill, specially selected, is to make its appearance on Monday. THE STRAND. Following iipdu "Indiscreet Corlnne," the Strand headllner to-dny ls "My Official Wife," a drama of Russia, one that em-! bodies a few very strange situations. , The story deals with Marie, a beautiful, capricious woman, who is the qneen of one of the Russian extremist societies, and the, hero of the business finds himself in n i difficult position, nnd obliged to pose as' the temporary wife of this gifted lady, i The result very nearly approaches disaster on quite a few occasions. There are other films, almost equally interesting, on tho bill. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. "The Dormant Power" is the keynote of the programme at Everybody's Theatre today. This is a drama that has to do. in the main, with the powers of love. The principal actress ls Miss Ethel Clayton, the famous World star, who has made her successful appearance in so many previous Alms. The supporting subjects of "Tho Dorman Power" are good. THE GRAND. "The Woman Who Dared" Is to be the prime feature at th» Grand this night. "The Woman Who Dared" is. naturally, rather interestlnir. It Is supported by a Chaplin comic, "Woman." THE GLOBE. At tbe Globe Theatre. "The River of Romance." n Metro Him, features Harold Lockwood. THE ARCADIA. r To-night again George Wnls'u is the principal character In "The Book Agent," an interesting theme that is well supported by varied films. VICTORIA THEATRE. To-night "The Whip." a sensational sporting picture, is being fentured at the Victoria Theatre nt Devonport. BRITANNIA THEATRE. Following upon the last presentation of "The Bad Boy." which occurs at the Britannia Theatre this evening, the first subject at this Ponsonby theatre on Monday evening will be the Metro drama "To The Death." Mme. Olga Petrova is the leading actress. PROFESSOR TRUEBLOOD, ELOCUTIONIST. Professor Thomas C. Trueblood. who holds the ehnlr of oratory In the University of Michigan, is due to deliver a series of three addresses in the Town Hall Concert Chamber next week. The first of these lectures will be delivered on Monday evening, when the famous . elocutionist will speak cm Mark Twain, and the next of tho series, to be spoken the following evening (Tuesday), will bnve for its subject "Hamlet." Successive to this the professor will speak of "Igomar" on Thursday evening in the same hall. Professor Trueblood has devoted a very considerable amount of time to the study of oratory and elocution, and both his matter and the method of itR presentation are the results of a comprehensive knowledge. Profesosr Trueblood ls Introduced to the people of New Zealand by many leading public men in America, nnd his discourses In the Southern centres of the country have induced ranch ndmlration. The cost of admission to each of these three addresses Is purely nominal, nnd to students of the art of public speech tbe admission fees will be reduced by one half. The speeches of the famous professor of oratory are to ho delivered under the auspices of the Auckland Young Men's Christian Association.

THE LYRIC. Clara KimtTall Young is the leading actress in "My Official Wife," rather a tense, high-J strung drama, of Russian extremist doings,' * a play that Is being presented to the J patrons of the Lyric Theatre to-day. There j' is being shown also another instalment of "The Neglected Wife," and a rippling . comedy.