ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 25, 24 July 1911, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

ROYAL PICTURES. Large gatherings assembled at tha Theatre Royal on Saturday afternoon and evening to witness the new programme presented by the Royal Pictures. Among the subjects that attracted a great deal of interest were two beauti-fully-colored Biblical dram tie by Pathe Freres entitled "AthaJiah" and "Jael and Sisera." Both these fine creations are magnificently produced in every detail, and are a credit to the management's selection of subjects. Pathe's Australian Gazette pictures contain ithe topical events of the week in different paTta of Australia, including, the Grand National Steeplechase, won by Confide, and an exciting game of League football between Fitzroy and Carlton. One of the beet pictures thrown on the screen was "Mushroom Growing," dealing with this industry from beginning to end, whilst "Elephant Hunting on the banks of the Nvanza" and "Agriculture in Tunis" retained the interest throughout. "Flight of Fairies" is a pretty little fah-y story. The dramatic side of the programme includes "Faithful unto Death," a splen-didly-acted and wholesome little story, in which a wonderfully-trained dog takes a prominent part. "An Eleventh Hour Redemption" also bristles with exciting dramatic incidents. "Oscar in Desperation," "Courtship Trials," and "Faithless" are all excellent laughter-provoking picture®. The former concludes the programme and sends everybody home in the best of good humour. This programme contains no less than five colored pictures, and will be presented again this evening. A complete change of programme will be submitted on Wednesday next. Messrs'. Crust and Gjedsted announce that they have five or snx huge attractions arriving within the next two weeks, and have also arranged with Pathe Freres to sand operators to New Plymouth to take pictures of the Mt. Egmont cycle race.

SAUNDERS' PICTURES. The change of programme attracted a good crowd to Whiteley Hall on both screenings on Saturday. The programme embraces a number of star piotures, prominent amongst the number being ait adaptation of a Shakespearian tragedy, "Xing Lear." In the first scene King Lear as seen discussing the division of his kingdom with his followers. Age has fallen on him heavily, and he has decided to relinquish the cares of rulership and to give his possessions to his daughters. The elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, greet him. with extravagant protestations of love, and thereby gain goodly portions of his kingdom. The younger daughter, Cordelia, replies with- simple words, "I love you as a daughter should," which angers the old man beyond expression. He casts her off dowerless, and: her lovers immediately withdraw their offers of marriage. The king of France marries Cordelia for her worth alone, and she departs for France. Once in possession of his dominion®, Goneril and Regan treat the old king with scent ceremony, and Tefuse him their protection. The cruelty causes King Leai to lose his reason, and he wanders away helplessly and becomes a broken and doddering man. Cordelia and her husband invade England with a powerful army and give protection to the helpless old king. Then comes the end o! the tragedy. Cordelia's two sisters wag» war on her, and her forces are defeated. She and her father are made prisoners, and by her sister Goncril's orders sh« is strangled in her cell. Her dead body is brought into the open by King Lear. His reason has given way. and he ia weak and worn, and whilst babbling fond words and caressing his daughter, believing she is alive, he expires over her corpse. The programme alio includes a Western drama, "The Romance of Bur 0," a thrilling dTamatie photo play, with unusually beautiful Western scenery. "The So® of Old Glory" is an exciting oriental spectacular romance. This report would not .be complete without mention of a fine industrial film, "Standard Bread," and a unique and wonderful scientific subject, "Experiments in Liquid Air." It ia an education to pay a visit to Whiteley Hall to see this pioture and thereby gain an idea of the wonderful effects produced on all manner of life by the different proportions of nitrogen and oxygen. Every item on the list ia first-class, the scenics and comics being no exception to the rule. This series will be shown to-night and to-morrow in Whiteley Hall, and on Wednesday in St. John's Hall, Waitara.

PATHE MERES, ■ ' * Mr. Fitzgerald, the representative in New Zealand of Pathe Freres. whose name has become a household word since tihe great boom in living pictures, was in New Plymouth on Friday night, making preliminary arrangements for a staff of operators to take pictures ol our scenery, industries, and school life, for exhibition on the Continent. Mr. Fitzgerald left on Saiturday morning to tour Taranaki to locate scenic views for the cinematograph. Operators are to be sent (here to photograph the "Round the Mountain" cycle race, and arrangements are to be made to develop this film locally, so as to produce the pictures on the screen- the same evening at the Royal Pictures.