KING EDWARD THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16600, 25 January 1916, Page 7

KING EDWARD THEATRE.

The new programme of pictures screened last evening at the King Edward Theatre - contains much that will commend it to thefavourable notice of the public. Tile admixture of dramatic, comic, and scenic subjects is an entirely judicious one, and the whole scries imrita popularity. Tho leading film is a dramatisation by tho London Film Coin-' P'ln.v of Aiiti? and Claude novel "The Shularoite," a book which owes its origin to certain incidents that find a place ' m "The* Song- of Solomon." The picture 9Pens amidst scenes of Eastern romance and in the palaco of a king the fair Shulamito awakens love in the breast of the aged monarch. The flight of centuries is thea indicated by a rapid change of seeds, and a : more modern Shulamito is shown, causing the fires of love to kindle in the heart of a - wealthy but aged Boer farmer, who also revives tho old spirit of cruelty in order to bring the woman into subjection. At this point an Englishman named Waring is introduced. and he feels a deep pity for the girl of the veldt, and takes her part against ™e cruelties of her Boer husband. Til® love of theae two is disooverrd by the Boer, . and an attempt to kill his wife is frustrated' by Waring in the nick of time, a flash of lightning cutting short tho days of tho ; fanner. A further diversion is caused at this point by tho appearance of Wiring's wife, and the' scene which follows is r<* : markable for the fine acting of tho prinoi* pals, all three of whom are placed in an' exceedingly difficult position. Exhausted by her journey, Mrs Waring fainta at the door, and is tenderly carried inside by her husband, in wbotje arms she expires almost at once from fatigue. A new Gaumoat Graphic. "The Arrival of the Maheno at Auckland/' and some other good pictures complete the series GRAND THEATRE. The leading picture in the now programme, which was shown to large audiences at tho Grand Theatre yesterday, is a sensational racing drama, produced by tho Famous Players, and entitled " His Last Dollar." Tho principal characters are Joe Braxton, a self-.made millionaire, from a ' Western ranch; Viola Grayson, a New York . society girl; Tom Linson, who treacherously poses as a friend of Braxton's; and Eleanor Downs, the daughter of Colonel Downs, of Kentucky, and owner of the valuable racehorse Mongrel. Braxton is entrapped into an engagement with Viola, > who really prefers Lmson; and when Linson almost ruins Braxton by schemings with' : shares she throws Braxton over completely. Eleanor, who has reason to hate Linson, is Braxton's friend, however, and - eets herself to foil Linson. In the closing -soene Braxton puts " his last dollar" on Mongrel* and, evading one plot after another to spoil the horse's chances, he himself rides it to victory, winning both Eleanor and a small fortune _ for them to enjoy. The picture, which is lavishly and beautifully staged, . and admirably acted, depicts some of the ugly features of American society life, and is remarkahlo for its realistic scenes of excitement on the Wall Street Exchange, and detailed pictures of an important horse race and all the intricate and 'ingenious devices - that form part of tho eqnipment of^a. great 1 course. Among the supporting pictures aro' "His Grand-daughter," a painful story, with an abrupt • ending, of a clergyman, who is pursued and ruined by the story of the wrongdoing of his daughter. " The • Onion Patch" is the semi-humorous story of a young farm hand, who jilts the housekeeper on the farm in favour of tho local schoolmistress, but a turn of fortune makea him glad to aocept work on the old farm: from the woman he had deceived, for in thai meantime she had become mistress of the - farm. " OnceTJpon a Time" is an amusing comedy, in which a doctor is outwitted ; by a dishonest but ingenious butler. Thin programme will bo shown again during tho' usual hours this afternoon and evening.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The management of Everybody's evidently knows how to make its show attractive in- • front of the houso as well as inside it. With this purpose in view the vestibule this week is turned into a jungle, with lions, tigers, bears, and other carnivora looking-, as true to nature as paint and pasteboard- ' will permit. These, like a circus streetposter, indicate what may be seen after' visitprs have paid toll to the ticket taker.-;' One of Salisbury's Wild Life scenes makes ■■■ the leading attraction on this week's pro-> gramme, and is specially valuable from an - educational' aspect. By means of these pictures wild beasts can be seen in their, native habitat. A lion hunt shows how' one of the King of Beasts was treed and:defined capture until the limb on which it J had taken refuge was out off. Bough and beast tumbled into a rushing stream, where' the lion was captured and carried from.thp. hunting camp en route to tho Zoo. Tha ; cougar, whicn is said to have such a. taste for venison that it will kill 100 deer in a season, was shown roaming at lArge, hunted by dogs, and captured. These nature studies give a truer notion of wild life than . any travelling menagerie possibly ooukL "The Purple Deep" is a five-act picture : drama, feill of stirring incidents, unfolding tho -practice of a gang of crooks o£ a kind - that Oliver Onions has depicted wiih., a> much success. Heir frauds vary from selling church organs that have no existence !to robbing a western engineer who has struck it ,rich on a newly-discovered goldfield. In the course of their villainythey use the innooent clergyman's daughter, who, it is said, to use the current Americanism, "as a decoy she is it." There is plenty of fun in . an old-fashioned story relating the troubles of King Fuzze the Great. The story and tho staging are quite medieval, ana the s courtiers are as frolicsome. Tho same at- - tractions will be presented at the varioua , sessions to-day. , r - : BURNS ANNIVERSARY. All arrangements' are complete r for the •. . Scottish patriotic festival in celebration of Robert Burns's anniversary. _ Those who! attend the Garrison Hall to-night will feel • ! that the traditions of the Burns dub hwebeen unheld. The several items on the; programme aro good, and tho artists will ill- u: elude some of tho best of Dunedin's entertainers. All that is nccessary for complete ■' success is an enthusiastic audience. \ -