ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 17003, 29 March 1912, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

PULLERS’ PICTURES. The programme screened at the Jieaiandia Hall by the Fuller management last evening showed that it had been carefully selected, as it contained almost every variety ■of film which the manufacturers are now releasing. Toe chief attraction was a fine Russian drama, "The Chains of an Oath.” It is a story wound round the old Russian custom that a girl must marry whomsoever her father chooses. There comes a time when' Donia, the heroine, sees that there is more in the world tiian what her small village contains, and she falls in love with a young villager who has spent some years in America, and who has grown rich. Her oath to her father, however, must he obeyed, but the crisis comes when Gregory, hpr father's choice of a husband, sacrifices her to Ivan, the young Russian from America. The picture is heautifully mounted. and the acting in it is very good. Other good dramatic pictures are "A Tale of the Wilderness,” an outlaw story, and “The Bootlegger,” an outWest film of a high order. The lighter side of the programme supplies some good entertainment, and the best of the comedy films are "Crossing the Channel” and “Yarn of a Baby’s Shirt.” The situations in the former are very funny, and the picture is realistically taken bri board a Channel packet.. “Borneo Pottery,” showing the natives at work at one of their principal industries, ig an instructive picture which dem.onstiatesihe deftness of the native hand for. this class of work. The programme will be repeated this evening. ~ TECH LYCEUM. There was a good attendance at the Lyceum last night when a new, programme was presented. The series is a capital one, and tlie.re'could be, no mistaking the approval with which it was received. is a coloiued scenic film of merit, and “The Sale of the Manor” provides a dramatic story, which rivets attention from begining to end. The plot is not exactly a new one; hut it stands repitition, as it is told particularly well. “The Persistent Poet” is a comic picture which is genuinely funny, the troubles of an editor being very laughable. "Beautiful Waterfalls” is perhaps the finest picture of its kind that has been shown here, waterfalls in Britain, Norway, and North and South America being thrown on the screen, and the film was most enthusiastically

received. “Percy the Cowboy" is a, comedy with a moral in it, and “The Maiden of the Pie-faced Indians” is a laughable burlesque. "Tontolini” appeared in a new part, and, as usual, succeeded in creating great merriment. Another fine comedy piece is “Contrail is Fond of Animals.” “The Sins of the Fathers,” 'described as an exclusive drama, is the star film, and it is a most realistic and powerfully acted story. It tells of a father who becomes a hopeless drunkard, lapsing in the end into embeciJity. The son, who has worked himself into a prominent position and who has married the daughter of his employer, latterly develops homicidal tendencies, has illusions, and finally shoots his wife. At the trial his lawyer seeks to prove that his actions were due to heredity, the father having transmitted degenerate tendencies to his offspring. The son Is accordingly acquitted, but collapses in Court and dies. The various scenes are of the heart-rending variety, and as a lesson on the evils of intoxicating drink the picture is a very notable one. The winner of the usual half-guinea lucky seat was Miss E. Hardie, Tay street. The programme will be repeated tonight.