PERMANENT PICTURES

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14406, 17 May 1917, Page 12

PERMANENT PICTURES

A comfortably filled house at the Em[pire Iheatre last evening witnessed the first screening of an unusually attractive all-star programme, "The Stepping Stone" and -'Battle of Hearts "For excellence in acting, photography, and general .interest one would go far to lirid better: The names of Frank" Keenan and William Farnum have become hall marks of perfection in every particular of the moving picture drama The stray.- ./of "The Battle ot Hearts" revolves round. Alartin Cane, owner of a iishinofleet. He is known as a man of iron determination, and is in love with Maida Rhodes, who, however, loves Joe Sprague, a worthless son of a lighthouse keeper. Cane, driven to, desperation, goes to sea in the teeth of a gale. His vessel is wrecked, and he alone survives The hurried wedding arrangements of ; Sprague and Maida are frustrated by Cane's reappearance. Terrified. Sprague clears, and eventually joins a gang of-smugglers. Cane, a ruined man, secures a berth with Captain Rhodes, only to learn later that the vessel which he join s "belongs to Maida, who on the first trip taises command. Jane refuses to obey an order given by the girl, and takes away her revolver, .vith which she is endeavouring to enforce her commands. Meanwhile Joe his father throwing suspicion on , Oane. Maida finally drives her vessel j >n the rocks, but is saved from drownmg by Cane. The final scene shows a terrific hand-to-hand fight between Cane and Sprague. Cane proves the victor, and is promptly chosen by Maida. Richmond will be -visited to-ni^ht