AMUSEMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 30 July 1924, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS

EMPIRE TO-NIGHT

ANNETTE KELLERMAN IN “VENUS OF THE SOUTH SEAS’

In the Southern Seas, far; away from the turmoil of civilisation, lies the little island of Manea, the Beautiful. Here the owner of the island. John Royal and his daughter, Shona, lived. They were the only white folks on the island—the rest were natives who spent their days diving for 1 pearls and'trading in copra. The most skilful diver in the South Seas, as swift and sure as any creature in the Waters was Shona. One day she and her father were out in their yacht, watching the native divers gather the pearl oysters'. Below the surface they swam closely together for fear of sharks. One of them, however, had a ‘ find,’ and trying to smuggle the pearl, threw the shell overboard, while another native dived for it, to hide it in the secret “cache.” “Daddy, Beni is stealing pearls again, I will go after him,” and Shona dived into the water. Deep down she followed the native were her knife, and after a fierce struggle, she mastered 'him and secured the pearl. There would have been no pearl stealing among the natives had it not been for Captain Drake, of the supply ship, who called at the island every three months, and traded with the natives for the stolen pearls. And some day I will own that island, for I’m going to marry Shona,” remarked the captain to his mate. John Royal favoured his suit, but Slionn hesitated, although wit;h the soft tropical nights vyhen the stars were reflected in the moonlit sea, came a yearning for comradeship and love. One night, as though in answer to her heart’s call, a pleasure yacht anchored in the" misty moonlight of Manea. Among the party was Robert Quane, juii., a dashing young Enghshman, who had known many love affairs, but had never fallen in love, and Ins father, whoso son was his only problem. That evening Shona was walking along the beach and saw the strange vessel at anchor. Without a moment’s thought she dived into the sea and swam towards it. with quick, strong strokes. On to the deck she climbed, and crept tiptoe, wide-eyed with curiosity, wondering what strange things she would see. Suddenly she stopped'. Who was that in a black suit and. a big white front smoking a fragrant, cigar? ITer heart almost stopped beating with wonder, and so this pretty fairy story goes on to a happy finis’.:.

THEATRE ROYAL, FRIDAY 1 'MERRY-GO-ROUND”

What is love without handicaps.? Every philosopher and poet who ever amounted to anything has declared that without obstacles in the path of its glorious advance love would bo unattractive, it would be colourless. Most people who read much have noticed that in all powerful love l stories the thing that makes them interesting and thrilling is the.final victory over apparently insurmountable handicaps. 'Merry-Go-Round the Universal Super-Jewel spectacle feature which was in the making for many months and comes at last to the Theatre Royal next Friday telhf of the love between a peasant girl of the Prater, the famous Coney island district of Vienna, Austria, and a young count of the Emperor’s highest staff, in real life a successful consummation of that love in happy marriage would be absolutely impossible, and “Merry-Go-Round is not a fairy tale. It does not try to picture the impossible. But the recent / world war knocked the foundation out from under Austria’s proud aristocracy and left a ponderous , emptiness where before there had been splendour and pompous idleness. To-day members -of noble families work, no better than the peasants they once despised. “Merry-Go-Round,” a multiple reel film story, tells this in dramatic form and pictures the social changes that fate made with a drastic hand in the once proud nation. A cast of unusual calibre, including Norman Kerry, George Ilackathorne, tlit» new surprise “discovery” girl, _Mary Philbin, Cesare Gravina, Dale Fuller, Maude George, George Seigmann, A 1 Edmundson, Anton Vaverka, Spottiswoode Aitken and Sidney Bracy, Dorothy Wallace, Edith Yorke, Lillian Sylvester. Strong supports. Please note m, uai prices.