AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 170572, 4 August 1921, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

THE GRAND. A well varied budget' of films was screened before a very good house at. ' the Grand last night. The feature in this new set is a powerful melodrama, in which Thomas Santsdii has the star part of a young fireman who saves liif} sweethoart from death in a burning building in most thrilling circumstances. This live scene is one of the big things done in soreendom. No fewer than seven fire brigades were employed, in it, and a big factory and a mansion were burned for the film. There is a long play of numerous characters before the great scene conies on. A, rascally drag store clerk committed murder in order to steal money, which he wastes and then returns to work further msi chief, including the fire. The title of the play is “The Still Alarm, because the telephone wires had been cut by the villain, and the alarm liad to be given by messenger. Very interesting scenes in the brigade station and the rush out of a brigade are witnessed. The characters are all well taken, and there arc incidental scenes of much merit, including the loss of a child. The manner fin which a lapse ot time is pourtrnyed is remarkably clear. In the upper part of a big hour glriss are seen a father comforting a little girl on the loss of the child. A llttie mistiness, and the pair are seen in the lower half of the glass, the girl now grown up. The supports are good, including a Topical Budget, an “Excess Baggage” comedy, and an Australian scenic “Scenes Around Marysville. .

FULLERS’ PROGRAMME.

Th!e Theatre Royal auditorium last I night wore an aspect proper to tlio evening of a holiday, being well hllen, and those present were given a holiuay programme. After a good Pathe Gazette an N.Z. 'business Kinogram was shown, this being a run through a Glaxo (dried-milk) factory. Then followed a Harry Lloyd comedy. Harry Lloyd is not a Charlie Chaplin, but ho is of at least equal rank', in a wide- . apart kind of comedy. As “An Eastern Westerner” lie plays the fool excellently by himself, and. then by numberless rushing acrobatic stunts fools a lot of westerners thirsting for his ! gore. Corimie Griffith is t-lie star of a ! beautiful drrfma “The Broadway Bub- ; ble,” in which she plays a dual role as ' twin sisters. The “miracle of the | screen” is used several times, both sisters appearing together in tlio. same ! scenes. In one role she is a wife, a ■ selfish’ creature, craving for excitement, and seeking it in a musical comedy career, with its airy costumes. In the j other role she is a gentle, sweet-tem-j pered spinster. The motive of tlie play is an exchange of places between the two women. The wife, unknown to her husband, taxes an engagement, and has to make a short tour with the company before appearing in the city. As she is practically estranged from her husband, but does not want him to know, she persuades her sister to take her place, and wear her clothes, and as the wife is practically estranged from her husband it seems a plain-sailing device. It does not work so easily, however. The substitute is accepted by the husband and the servants, but finds it. hard to keep up the scowl of the wife,, and the husband notices a softening in his “wife,” that leads to advances wheili she cannot dislike, but restore tli Gi scowl. The climax is a tragedy and comes when the husband! takes the substitute to the theatre, and there sees his wife on the stage. The finale can be imagined.