ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9256, 25 January 1916, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE EMPRESS THEATRE. “The Valley of Lost Hope.,’’ a powerful dramatic “feature’ 3 photo-play adaptation of Shannon Fife's novel, constitutes the chief attraction of the new programme introduced at. the Empress Theatre continuous pictures yesterday. The plot deal* with the wild and lawless days of the early Californian mining rushes. The producers give a fine representation, of the birth of a mining town, and in some of the scenes there are hundreds of people enacting the episodes incidental to the story. The big event, however, is a head-on railway collision Which is an actual affair and free from any of the cheap faking which has typified some train “accidents” previously seen in motion-pictures locally. Bomaine Fielding, a prominent American player, impersonates the Key, Lean, who is a power for good among the rough miners. Tersely told, the story is of a "salted" mining field in a locality known as “The Valley of Lost Hope. Ewing, the arch swindler, by his ingenuity causes a great rush to the place, where in reality there is no gold. He sells claims as fast as he can sign the receipts. His son is not at first aware of..the fraud, but when he does discover bis father’s dishonesty he demands the latter to return every dollar to the miner*. The swindle is discovered, and thW miners set out to he avenged. Ewing and hi* colleagues seek xy escape, in a special train, but it collide* with an. Other train and the swipdler* are killed. Tbung Ewing finds the ill-gotten money and restores every dollar to the miners. A-love theme is entwined in the story, young Ewing and Helen Dean, the pardon’s sister, being drawn together by mutual regard. This film is the first screened in Wellington of the output of the new combination of the Vitagraph, Lubin, Selig, and T. and A. companies. The auxiliary items are “The Topical Budget,” “Hunting a Husband’ (Vita, comedy .drama), and “Green Apples (Beauty comedy). THE KING'S THEATRE. Tbs coster, the typical denisen Of the East End of London, is portrayed with all his very human traits in a way that has.never been attempted before, in the delightful Turner “feature” film, "My Old Hutch, I ’, which was submitted for the first time at the King’s Theatre last evening before a crowded, assemblage. To' Albert Chevalier, the London musichall artist and composer,', is due the honour of having first brought the coster into world-wide prominence with the tuneful ‘songs he composed and. sang about the man in the “pearlies" and bis "gal.” ' Of several of hi*' song* which wore rung and whistled everywhere, “My Old Dutch" was on® of th® jiiost notahl®. Tie photo-play ie suggested by the song, and quite a complete plot is evolved from . the verses which are the coster s expression of his esteem for hi* life partner.. Chevalier himself infuse* a life-like realism to the principal charaoter, Joe Bpudd, and hie acting through, out is. a crowning success to a career that has already won immortal fame in the history of the British *teg*. . Bre* by on® TToo Km *®®n th© oo*t®r in bu aativ® environment it it diftou.lt to imagine that Joe fipudd, as presented by. Chevalier, is anything but the actual man with the donkey and the "barrerMies Florence Turner, who. became a "star" picture-player under the aegis of the Vitagraph Company, is convincing as Bpdd’s ' J Old Dutch”—the .-costers colloquialism for the word "wife. There are many glimpses of coster domestic life, daily . avooatione, and merry-making at Appy 'Ampstead on a bank holiday. The water .character has been keenly appreciated by,the playwright, and’the whole-souled devotion of Joe for his wife and the faithfulness of his old jjsl! 'Erb are pathetic. The ' story relates how Joe and Eal first meet. .Their courting is happy and brief, and then they are wedded in the old Shoreditch. Church... They afterwards adjourn to the theatre to witness a melodrama of the blood-curdling type keenly relished, by the boaters. Chevalier and Miss Turner afford much amusement in the demonstrative manner in which they follow the course of, the play from a front seat among the "gods." This little feature of the subject is a clever bit of work by both principals. Ths young couple’s first-born . dies, but ** time passes another child appears, and their ioy ie increased by the new* that Sal ha* inherited XSOOO. Joo and Sal settle the money on. their eon, ■ so that he shall be brought up a "gentleman." The son is sent away, and'eventually is launched into the world -an educated young “blood/ 3 He dissipates hi* fortune. hut decides to commends life afresh on the goldfields in a distant land. Poverty overtakes Joe and Sal, and they, are sent to the workhouse. !>The son strikes a fortune, returns and resou.ee his parents from the workhouse. .The supporting ‘ pictures are "Paths Gazette" and “The Widow’s Breezy Suit" (Edison comedy). The orchestra under the direction of Mr A- H. Jerome rose to Vie occasion with appropriate selections. EVERYBODY'S. The weekly change of programme at Everybody's Theatre yesterday at noon ushered in a series of- films which were well up to the high standard, set by this picture, house. The feature of this week's entertainment Is the startling nineteenth part of “The" Million Dollar Mystery." The title of the picture; is “The’ Underground River.?’ By mistake a paper intended for Florence falls into the hands of the conspirators. Florence follows one of the gang into ,a ‘ cave. She recovers the paper, but is entrapped. Sooner than fall into the hands of .i tho ' “Black Hundred” the girl plunges into an underground river. Braine follows in a boat, and captures her. Norton, however, has an inkling of' what is going on, and goes to the aid of his sweetheart. There ensues a series of sensational struggles in the water. Where Norton, helped by a dog, overpowers, one after the jother, four of the gang, and escapes with Florence. Sktpporting this drama is. a screaming Lubin comedy, "Think of the Money!” Bill and Jane have a mutual share in a 'legacy, on condition of their marriage. They are both already wedded, but meet, and each undertakes the task of proposing and making the other refuse. The situation is fast becoming unbearable when word comes that the money is to be equally divided. -A heart-stir-ring Edison drama, entitled " When Conscience Sleeps,” portrays the action of a faithful wife who, when her hueband is fascinated by an actress, sets herself to save him. and succeed*. A World Film farce. "Housekeeping under Cover," shows to what limits this famous company can go, and the latest “Gauraont Graphic” contains a -vivid pioturisation of portions of the French front.