AMUSEMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, 2 August 1916, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS

PERMANENT PICTURES. The Empire Theatre was well attended last evening, when the star feature of a good programme was. the Reliance drama. . "Up From the Depths." Toright there will be a complete change \ ot%ill, including ?. Yitagrnph. dramatic j uroduction entitled --Hilda of the Slums." This is tho story of a g:rl who. living in a home destitute of love, in the poor quarters of a city, still retains her fineness of nature and long s for a haopv domestic life. But she has little hope of gaining her heart's desire, for she is entangled with a."ga)<j of swindlers, of whom her father is on. and her employer another. Joe M»um i a young ranchman, comes to the town. and the -gang coerce Hilda into nidi'-;-! them to rob him. Joe sees Hilda, ana after her "turn" on the dancing statin vites her to his table, and gently tell* her. "This is no place for you. litf.t grrl." His sincerity and kindness impresses Hilda, who. when the gang .it t-.cks Joe cleverly outwits them an. saves him. so finding the love she hi sought. A splendid Gaumont scenic < : Salonika, a Pathe Gazette contain:!!the world's news, and other films w:'."_ also be shown. Motueka will be visiter to-morrow. rEDCATBE ROYAL. PEOPLE'S PICTURES.

There- was a. igood at ten Jn nee of J c lighted picture patrons at the Thcr.tr' Roval i=u_t nizhfc. when the ever "Metro" film, "Ths Vampire/' w" shown for the first time. To the l:.-t i most- successful artists must now i added that of Olga- Pre-trova, the eh am ing voung Polish actres. who is a» pearls Exclusively in Metro pictim and who'takes the ieadin* ro'.e in "I' Vampire.'' "The Vampire" is a wot; with a past. Ruined' and abandoned • vouth bv a man in wboro she.'had tr" : ' ed. she"seeks to avenge herself by It • ing young- fellows or. to their ruin. >• ordinary actress could undertake such part and retain -the sympathies of i: audience, but Olsa Petrova achieves V impossible. Naturally, the story he - her to seme extent. "We know t.; Jeanne Lefarge had a good reason f• htT bitterness and apparent- lack . humar, feelincr. Tins, 'however, worcount for little without the acress's ss in portravinc- emotions, her wonder, knack of showing 115. even while she carrying out- some scheme for a mop ■betraval. the real woman's heart- beh; the mask. Not less unique is her rt dering of the wiles of an evil _womr " There* "have been many stories of _fema vampires; we have been told- of the fatal fascination, but we have had take the authors word for it in eve"case. Here we si-e fcr ourselves hr ttie thing- is done. Okra Petrova shirl ■nothizte,*'and. frcm the moment of Ik Introduction to the verting .man whom si is about to rw'n. al! her arts of coquetare exercised 1 in full view of the earner: It is a severe test of an actress's cr - - roatic power. Did she fcr a moment fa to fascinate the onlooker, his belief 1 her ability to fascinats the man 111 tr picture would be aor.e. But Oiga l£rova never fails. Therein l : es the srere of her success. As is -usual with Metrproductions. t-hs photography an<l seen:effects reach a lush Cevel of achievemeni while the settings and stage mann-emer itfcrouo-hr>ut leave nothing, to b- desired Some'of the scene- are wonderful. e.= peciatlv one ir. particular, on board where 'there is averv beautiful effect' on the Atlantic. The support m; 61ms are excellent.