Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-03-22
"QUo vADIS"

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edition of the greatest Of photo
dramas, "Quo Vadis," " will be
shown at the Peoples Theatre on
Monday, March 25, 1918.
This photo Interpretation Of
Henry Sienkiewicz's novel of
Rome in the days of the dissolute
Nero when the empire was
crumbling and the Christian era
was dawning, is not only a mag
nifcent spectacle but it is excel
lent propaganda presented at a
critical time in our nations his
tory.
"Quo Vadis" shows more
vividly than tongue can relate or
pen can portray the result of au-
tocratic government and military
rule. 1t is an unanswerable ap-
peal for world democracy.
The story follows very closely
the plot of Sienkiewicz's novel,
opening in the private bath of
Petronius, a Roman patrician
who, even in those prof1igate
days, retained his fastidiousness
and philosophy. There enters
Petronius' nephew, Vinitius, just
returned from war in Asia Mi
nor. He tells his uncle of his love
for Lygia, the daughter Of a bar
barian king who is held hostage
in Rome and who has been con-
verted to Christianity.
Taking up the thread of young
Vinitius' love story, we are led
by it through the all-night orgies
of the royal banquets in Nero's
palace, to the arena where the
contests between the gladiators
are held, to the secret meeting
place of the small band Of
Christians, whose leader is the
Apostle Peter, and back again to
the home of Nero, his senators
and noblemen, where we have
an intimate view of the lives and
customs of those days.
Nothing more realistic has
been produced in this great art
which has been born and reach
ed maturity in our own genera
ton than the scene in the arena
where the Christians are fed to
the lions and that great scene in
which Rome is burned. One feels
the terror and the panic of the
fleeing populace, as, bearing
their household goods, their
children and their aged relatives,
they flee before the all devouring
| flames.
One contrasts, too, this scene
with the scenes of to-day,
when the inhabitants of many
villages in Belgium and Northern
France have likewise fled from
their homes but before the in.
vading hordes, not to make 6
Roman Emperor's holiday.
In the scene in the arena
where the band of Christian
martyrs await the most horrible
of deaths, one is reminded als'
of the martyrs of our own da!
who face privation and death fo
the sake of an ideal dearer Il
them than life.
After the games are over
when the Roman populace ha
imposed its will upon the selfsl
and degenerate Nero, Vinitiu
escapes withLygia, and Petroniu
at the order of his ruler take
his own life.
The banquet scene in whicl
he and his beloved slave, Eunice
die together is also one of thu
most impressive things ever seel
on screen or board.
In the scene where the Apostle
Peter, fleeing from the confusion
and dangers of the Eternal City
meets his master on the Appial
way and asks him the question
from which the name of the boo
is derived, we have portraye'
again the strength of the grea
ideal.
Due to there being eight reel
!, of this production it will be in
possible to give two shows q
usual. Only one show will b
given, and this will start
eight o'clock.
variety Of good things to ca
The attack upon the ministt