ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 144909, 10 February 1916, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

PEOPLE’S PICTURES. Saturday at z p.m. New Plymouth’! very best theatre will open its dooH to the public. For the openiug a very special film has been secured—it is n sample of photo-play that will alwayl bo shown in this theatre. It is entitled ‘'Hearts in Exile.” A very high dramatic and pictorial standard is attained in this absorbingly interesting firereel adaptation of John Oxenham’s novel. It is a story of tho grim days when Nihilism wa* rife in Russia, when the innocent often suffered with ths guilty. A villainous Russian officer, uecoming enamoured of Hope, tho wife of Sergo Palma, contrives mat the latter should be arrested as a Nlbilisl, and ut tho same time Paul Petroff, tho intimate friend ot -Serge and hifi wife is also arrested on the same charge. They arc* herded with a gang of miserable' wretches charged with all the crimes in tho calendar, but Paul knows that his sentence is likely to be lighter than given his friend, and for Hope’s sake bogs him to answer the roll call to his (Paul’s) name. Paul goes to Kura, in Siberia, for nine years as Sergo Palma, whilst Sergo only gets live years in the provinces. In the meantime Hope has gone to the official to beg news of her husband, and whilst there is gathered unwillingly in his arms, as his own wife enters. Tb* result of the encounter is that the wife, to be rid of a rival, steals Serge’s dossier, and tells Hope where her husband is imprisoned. Hope at one journeys to Kara, and there meets Paul, who is still masquerading as Sergo. To give the deception away would mean death to Serge, so there she has to remain as Paul’s wife in name. The two learn to love one another, hut both smother their feelings. At length a broken escapes is brought to the prison hospital, who tells how he Tiad attempted to escape in company with Serge, and the latter had. been shot dead. Hope and Paul wed, and are very happy until Serge turns up in the guise of an Inspector of Mines. He is shocked at the position, but is reasonable, and together all three plan an escape. . The governor of the prison hears the plot, and breaks in, but he is mastered, bound, and gagged, while tho others make their escape—a wild exciting sleigh rush over snow-fields and icecourses, with the Tsar’s soldiers in hot pursuit. In the final stand . Serge is shot dead, but Paul and Hope manage to evade capture. Particularly fine are the snow scenes depicting the shuddersomo rigour of the sub-Arctic winter. The acting is uniformly excellent. This magnificent film will be screened on two occasions only. A complete new programme will be shown Monday. The Lyric Orchestra will accompany the pictures as they are being screened