THEATRE ROYAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13937, 24 June 1909, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

SHE RWOOL)'S PICTURES. Even with a gap of only one evening, tne excellent living picture entertainments given at the '.theatre Royal by. J/roiessor toiler wood uie gi-Luuj n.isseti, antl last night, when it opened Witu a, piugruuuiic oi aovel ties, a good audience assembled to witness, the'films. The iirst picture shown was a highly interesting and educative one which depicted the whole process of coffee cultivation as carried out in Costa Rica. First was shown the clearing of the virgin soil from its natural growth of weeds, then the gathering of the ripe coffee berries lroni the busheSj and their cartage to the drying grounds and the subsequent packing and shipping. The last phase of. all was shown by the jncture of a srtiall party at dinner, drinking, with evident relish, a brew of the fragrant and stimulating berry. The second him was entitled a "Dream of Wealth," this was of a highly dramatic nature and the death from thirst of the seeker after gold, with his wife and child, in the arid desert, was well acted. The " Lighthouse-keepers' Daughter," was another dramatic picture of an attempted robbery and incidentally, a very grapliic representation of the launching of a big life-boat with its crew is shown. Probably the best picture of the lot was the one showing a series of winter sports in Saxony, in which the pastimes of skating, ski-running, lugeing, and bobsleighing were splendidly shown; this film was exceptionally bright and clear and earned a very hearty round of applause. The picture entitled "A duel in the time of Cardinal Richelien", was of an historical nature and showed the punishment meted out to a pair of cavaliers who disregarded the edict against duelling within the city of Paris. The scene in which the six duellists, \the principals and their seconds), fight was a triumph of stage craft. The novel series of pictures which showed the action of one of the latest scientific marvels, the "gyrascope," was of absorbing interest. Interspersed among the more serious pictures was an excellent lot of comics of which "The Bashful Son" was perhaps the best, with "Weary Willie at the Carnival" a good second. During the evening, the number for the lueky seat competition was drawn and placed in ail envelope and sealed, and the competition will be decided to-night. Whoever is fortunate enousrh to sit in the seat whose number coincides with that in the envelope will be presented with half-a-guinea.