AT THE EMPIRE

Evening Star, Issue 17226, 16 December 1919, Page 10

AT THE EMPIRE

Large attendances of the public continue to testify to the popularity of the Empire Theatre, where daily and nightly pleasant and profitable entertainment is provided. To-day patrons were presented with a programme that well maintained the usual standard of excellence. The chief item was ' Good Gracious, Annabelle,' a picture version of a vivacious play familiar to many local theatregoers. The dainty comedienne, Billy Burke, is entrusted with the chief part, and her acting in this plav gives her wide scope to display her ability as a laughter-maker. The story shows how Annabelle Lee, a 16-year-old girl, is kidnapped by John Raw-son, a hermit miner. Next morning she told him he had compromised her, so he married her. When she started to cry, however, he decided that he didn't want a wife. He sent her to the city, and thereafter regularly sent money to her. The peculiar thing was that she didn't even know her husband's name! Imagine Billie Burke in the role of the sweet Annabelle, and imagine her contriving to extricate herself from the amazing complications that inevitably follow, and which keep moving at white-hot pace to the end. The supporting films are ' Her Tender Es>et' and an American Gazette. T}i» game programme will be shown to-night and tomorrow.