Variety (Apr 1929)

Wednesday. April 17. 1929 FOR EIG N VARIETY 75 CIRCUS BUSCH aOSING; 20 YEARS IN BERLIN By Of Hooper IraBk '■ Berlin, April 8. ' Circus BuBob, for over. 20 years ana ct the leading features of local ^Usement 1K«> is closing AprU 7 for tbe eummer, and it is doubtful wbether It will open again next vlnter. No question that this form of eatertainment no longer has the drawing power it' formerly pos- ..^']^antomlmes are primitive and when they try to get dramatic they i iao't compete with pictures. Fur- ' '^ermore, the cream of the acrobatic 'turns can be viewed better in a vaude house. '.' 'Enormous building will have to ' iSnd some other use quickly, as gov- . erqmental taxes are high. Paula Suscb, the owner, is going on tour '.ilrlth a group of trained llona '. Swaffer ..-'Hannen Swofter has been here . primarily to deliver a lecture on his ^pirltuallstlo connections with Lord Jjiorthcline^ This occasioned much comment in the press, both for and ' Against, as .Germany today is not ti»ld 'on the Idea of returning spirits. . Otherwise, Bwaff held court at the ' -Botel Adlon and ate up more news- paper'space than even Amanulla or 'Edgar Wallace, both of them record breakers. . He viewed the .German theatre .extensively and found it depressing •-almost as bad as in I^ondon. ei/jaft has the advantage over all other dramatic critics-In tiot only disliking the drama, but in admit- ting It. * On Downgrade ' Berlin Volksbuehne (Peoples The- atre) is on the down grade. AU : though all seats cost only 1.60 (86 cents) the membership fell off last year from 160,000 to 102,000. And of [ these 20 per cent did not attend the i performances. The deficit this year ^.tflU be 180,000 marks ($46,000), k ' which they will try to get ^ade up ..tiy the City of Berlin, v ' In .1928, when this organization was at its height, it was without '. competition, but since then Reln- ' 'bardt hasvlnaugurated his subscrlp- ' tlon system, which now covers 11 ' theatres and numerous cut rate or- '' ganlzatlons have, sprung up. The Volksbuehne has kept too literary : tmi its staff of actors contains, out- i side of two stars, hardly a single { llrst class player. Karlhelnz Mar- I tin, the director who is taking over ■ the artistic roi^nagement next sea- son, will have a tough row to hoe to get together an ensemble that trill class with those of the other theatres. Actors' Conoress I <3erman Actors' Congress, held ; this year in Berlin, started with the I usual excitement and ended with the usual wabbly compromise. There were many important ques- I tlons to settle and after much con- I versAtlon about them they were all i left unsettled. There had been i'much criticism from radical ele- ments of the president, Karl Wal- lauer, and vice-president EMch Otto, but they were both re-elected with over four-fifths majority Also the governing board all came back Into power with the exception of Leo Peukert, whose place was taken by Herrmann Valentin. This proved that the dissatisfied ele- ments were composed almost en- tirely of a small group in Berlin and that the actors in the provinces Were well satisfied with the policy of the organization. Most, ticklish problem before the meeting was the question of the un employed actor. Otto admitted that there were at least three thousand, ; that Is to say 26 per cent in this ■ category. The government and varl > ous cities had voted 660,000 marks I for their help and this had been . used to organfze traveling com- ? panles In which many players had ] found employment. The organlza- i tlon had then proposed that the un- i employed actors undergo examina- tions to prove whether they had any qualifications to belong to the pro- fession, and this was sabotaged by radical elements. At this point Otto's speech was Interrupted by continual heckling from the gallery, which was not onleted until the radical leader. Prey, was thrown out of the hall At the root of the whole problem. Otto remarked at closing, was the ehortenlnsr of the season In manv cities. For example, at Koblenz. Wiirsiburg. Kalserslautern and Siwickau, Bonn, Nordhausen, Stral- sund and Brandenburg were even threatening to close down entirely next foil. The organization was do- ing all It could to "prevent this catastrophic. ■ —A- pureTy-formal gaJn-madcby-thfi association was the taking in of pic- ture and radio players into the or- iu gaTilzatlon. This was no real inno- Nation, as the orgwilziatlon has been Jroteotlncr their Interests Informally for several years. , .Next general meeting and elec oon will not take place for three years. Poland By EDWARD J. KURYLO Warsaw, Uaroh 36. MlynarsU, director of tbe Mu- nicipal Opera, has resigned. News- paper campaign charged him with incompetence, and. recommended that somebody else should take over his baton. Dldur, frcTm the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, was men- tioned as'his possible successor, but It is understood tbat ^ermlcz-Val- crozlata already has been engaged '849 the new director. Wagner's opera, "TLe Crepusbule des Dleux," was recently produced here and the Polish national ballet "Pan T'wardowski" (music by Ludo- mlr Rozycki) recently made - its 800th appearance at the Teatr Wlelkl. This same ballet has been accepted for the Paris and Vienna opera. ■ VIENNA Municipal dramatic theatres/are under the able direction of Cha- berskl. Teatr Narodowy did a French piece, "The Rest of the Sev- enth Day," by Paul Claudel, then ''The Importance of Being Earnest" of Oscar Wilde. . Afterward "Ler lewel," five-act drama of Wysplan- skl, and "Fantazy or New Dejaiilro," a comedy in Verse by the Polish poet SlovacM. Also a revival .of the masterpiece of the Sitanlsh author Zorllla, "Don Juan." This was on account of the 26 years of Stage work of the actor, Wengrzyn.. At the Theatre Lethl was an Kng- lish comedy of Lonsdale, entitled "The Street Woman of the—Good Society." Next "The Girl from the Dancings," by the Polish author Krzywoszewskl. Reduta theatre, now named Teatr Nowy, reopened with Ryblcki's "Arlequln'e. Costume," and after- wards changed to Szanlawski's "La^er and the Roses." At the two theatres of Schlfman there was produced "Warsaw Nig- ger," by Slonimski: "Love Without Money," by Kledrzynski; "The Breaking In," by Orzymala-Sled- leclcl; a French comedy of Bour- ddnt's, "The Last Novelty"; "Two Gentlemen B," by Hemar. Teatr Ateneum has divided its time with "Quadrature of the Cir- cle," by the Russian Katajew; French comedy, "Broken Ladder," by Borre and Gavault; an Italian comedy, "Mirandbla," by (Soldoh:, and "Cloches of Comeville," oper- etta, by Planquette. Taking things all together, ther atrlcal season is not bad consider- ing the cold, snow and flu. Town had a little fun choosing Miss Po- lonia to represent Poland In Paris. Musical Comedy At last there Is musical comedy again in Warsaw, At the Teatr Znlcz season started with the oper- etta of Knopprs, 'Oilghthaired Gypsy." It has a good cast and some people are thinking of stort- ing a musical at the other theatre, but this is apt to prove too much. Revival of the old operetta, "Oiysis- trata" of well known composer Paul Llncke, is to be done here. Revue Theatres ■^orskle Oko" bills the tltie "A Thousand Most Beautiful Women," quite without connection with the show. It has started on a down- ward path by Inserting advertise- ments of some Arms on the stage. Rival theatre Qui Pro Quo had quite a success with a program en-r titled "M. S. W., Don't Forget Me." Rather piquant and up to the min- ute. Now they play "The Jubilee of Q. P. Q." Red Ace gives at this time "March, Cats and the Wooing." Two Jewish theatres here. The Kamlnskt theatre' plays musicals, and the other, Ellseum, has the drama company from Vilna. Circus, until recently, was doing a tremendous business due to the Greco-Roman wrestling bouts, with many fighters from different coufi tries. Other Clttes Some musical centers In other towns too. In Poznan, with 280,000 Inhabitants, there is a fine opera company which produced a new Po llsh opera, "Knights of the Cross," by Dolzyckl. Cracow, which before the war had one of the finest dramatic com panles, has produced 'Unexpected," a tragedy in four acts by Roztwor' owskl. Tells the story, which really happened some time ago, of a Polish immigrant from the U. S. who comes unrecoernlzed to his village and Is murdered by his mother for his money. Pictures Quite a rain of new fllm8,;thls sea- son. There Is ready "Mr. Thad- deiis," a story from tlie book of the poet' Mlcklewlcz; "Before the Spring," from the book of Zeromskl, Polish writer; "In Polish Woods," from the story of Joseph Opatoszu; "Above the Snow," from the drama of ~ZeF5m8klT""The-Mystery-of-the Post Box," from the Story of Relld zynski, and "The Man With a Blue Soul." Shortly due Is "Mr. Tdglejew, Police Master," from the story of Mme. Zapolsko. . Polish films, though they are bet ter than /formerly, still have too many mystery titles and .funny eX' Vienna, April 1, Viennese operetta has been de- clared obsolete time aitd again, yet one of the big successes of the year is Pall's "Roses of Florida." It is in the most approved'style of pre-wor Viennese' musicals—the style creat- ed by Lehar, Kalman and Fall—^but the music Is so chaiinlng—score was completed by the operatic com- poser, Erich Korngold—that It is certain to have an international career. Not so Lehar's "Frlderike," light opera with book based on an epi- sode of Goethe's life. No future for this one in any but German-speak- ing countries, People dare not say It )i9 dull, because it would be dts- resDectful to Lehar and the greater subject of the play, Goethe. Never- theless'it Is slow, old fanshloned and, uneventful. "Beggar's Opera," radically adapted frCm John Gay's ancient original by two exceedingly modem young German authors (book by Bert Brecht, score by WellO^ is a smash at the Ralmundtheater, as it was also In Berlin. Audience Is In- trigued by the odd setting, delighted by the humor and tickled by the cheek with which the Impudent young authors have made a skit on present conditions. Harold Paulsen a4 Mackie is a great personal suo- cess. Chatter in Paris Paris, AprU 6. Mohlmartre Is moklng a violent effort to do a comeback. New places , ore opening all over, the hill while the old standbys ore refur- bishing with fresh paint and new decorations. Proprietors believe that this year Is their lost chance to regain post-war popularity. However, the Latin Quarter will give . the boys on "the highest mountain" a fierce run for their money this summer. ' Langer^'s Newest Frantlsek Langer, Czech play- 'wrlght who achieved fame In Eu- rope through "Peripherie," play that Reinhardt produced last year, brought out his new work in the Czech tongue here. Title Is "The Conversion of Ferdinand .Plstora." Plot is again laid among thieves and crooks of Prague suburbs, with a Salvation Army maiden who pre- tends she has committed all kinds of crimes, thinking this will have more effect in her branch than if it got about that she is Just a decent, hard-working little maid. Ferdi- nand finds her out. Relieved tlTat he need not be converted by her atrocious past, as he was in danger of being, he Joyfully perverts her to his own loose life. Witty comedy that would, however, hardly have an appeal In America. Criminal Vogue Criminals ore a general vogrue. "Fahrt nacht der Sudsee" ("Pas- Eage to the South Sea"), by Bap- hard Blume, Is not up to much. Plot 1» about a shipment of criminals being deported. There is a mutiny, prisoners kill everybody and' take charge of the vessel, but quarrel, and the play ends in a wreck, both of the ship and of the plaji, "Moglo Love,'' French play by Lenormand,' at the Carl theater, dabbles in occultism.' Wldowea husband Is tortured by the question whether his wife mmmltted suicide or fell off the cliffs Into the ocean by accident. Secretary, with whom widower is in love, falls into trance, but it is not quite clear whether the author believes that it is really the spirit of the dead woman speaking through" tbe medium of the secre- tary ot whether she Is an uncon- scious swindler. Excellently acted, but a limited success. r'Clay in the Potter's Hand," Dreiser tragedy, at tiie Renalssance- buhne. Is another proof of the crim- inal craze. Play is successful, per- formance of Director Jamo In tho part of tbe bid father being espe- cially appreciated. Much Talked About Most talked about play of the spring, however, was one that was not produced. Hasendever's com- edy, "Mfirrlages Are Made In Heaven," was .a scandal hit in Ber- lin,' but various German communi- ties would not permit the perform- ance because one of the chief char- acters in it Is God tbe Father, who appears in the guise of an old gen- tleman wearing knee breeches and very, human withal. Relnhardt was about to produce the play in Vienna, where there Is no censor, but public resentment in advance Induced Castlgllonl, well- known banker, who is the owner of the Josefstadter . theater, which Relnhardt leases, to forbid the per- formance. It was taken - off after the dress rehearsal'and after much expense. A .complicated case has ensued, as the director of tho theatre has sued Relnhardt and Castlgllonl for damages. The verdict is yet uncer- tain. Irwin Sisters have offered to drop their case against Edmonde Guy if the French star will agree to no further court proceedings. Despite the slap on the Jaw from the hand of Edmonde, BllUe Irwin says her stay In France has been so cordial that she is wllllng.^to AverloAc the Indiscretion of a "Jealous player." Alfred Savoir is writing a comedy based on the life of Catherine the Great. Jose-Maria Sert, tbe Spanish mural painter, will design the set- tings. The play will be produced at tbe Capucines theatre in the fall. Cotton Club, which opened about two weeks ago under the direction of Jack Landorf, folded up last Fri- day. Jack says he should have waited nntil a few more American suckers arrived before swinging wide the doors. After a story appearing in one of the local papers to tbe effect that Alexandre Zubkoff, erstwhile husband of the Kaiser's sister, would be booted off the stage, the former dancer became very indig- nant. He says he Isn't a gigolo and that the lYench have no right to call him one. He added that hd trod the boards in Sweden and was acclaimed Bs a real tragedian. ' planatory captions. There were too many so-called cinema artists, the product of innumerable cinema schools, where very ofteii the riff- raff of the world congregate. Gov- ernment has stopped much of this, and there are now only a f^w schools, which are dying. Tbe Govr emment Is also opening a new de- partment for the supervision of the cinema. Polish themes are being used by some of the producers In Germany, •where-..tWi)-stQrIfifl.,.by._.Mme.,Zapol- ska are going to be filmed. OnbTs "Warsaw Fort" and the other "Sto- ries of the Sin"; also Tetmojer's "On the Rocky Podhale." . American films are shown here to a disadvantage; that Is, they are ruthlessly cut to make the program Shorter. Channlng Pollock provoked beau- coup de comment and publicity here when interviewed by the locals. He said; "'The. tyranny which domi- nates bureaucratio America has never been equaled by Russia, even In its stormiest .epoch." He says the way the dry and vice snooperp peer into one's private afCairs In the States is outrageous. The street singers which former- ly.covered the town like a tent were kept from complete annihilation by no other thon the stem prefect of police. Tbe yodellers were abou.t to get their demise when M. Chlappe stepped In and ordered that porks and public squares not encumbered by too much traffic might permit tbe vocal activities of the singers. Employees of the Parl-Mutuel system, the organization which runs the racetracks about Paris, avoided a deal of trouble here when they announced that they would not strike. Racing Is the vllle's most prominent daytime pastime. If the betting booths had closed down the "leisure society." could have stayed In the hay until nightfall. Former private in the U. 8. army, Mario Chamlee, tenor, is" about to make bis debut at tbe opera here, Mario is popular. Meyer Davis says.it is all wrong to call modem American music Jazz. He says our latest orchestras are eympbonlo bands that synco- pate. Although she only rated third place in the contest here. Miss Koopman, as Miss Holland, has been invited to Galveston to compete for the title of Miss Universe in the international beauty bunk. Paris got a new thrill when the 24 Paramount Tiller girls performed on the roof of the theatre in their practice clothes. Gals Jammed traf- fic and so disconcerted the pedes- trians the gendarmes asked tbe management to halt the stunt. Australia By Erio Goiriok Sydney, March 13. Walking along Sydney's Times Square you meet the same familiar faces night after night. There's the little dwarf of uncertain age who sells peanuts near Fuller's; the candy butchers and fruit merchants next the Tivoli; the rather girlish young boy who waits every night to talk to chorus girls near the St. James; the two old bums who chase cigar butts near the Royal; the old woman who peddles drgarets out- side Her Majesty's, and the mind- your-car guys stationed at the Cri- terion. Daddy of the lot died some little tlm* ago. Known as "Brummy"— he was an old Irish clog dancer whose mania was assaulting the police. "Brummy" had the most perfect "raspberry" ever heard along the theatrical row; and be gave it to everybody when be had a few shots of booze aboard. Favlowa will begin her Australian se^on at Townsvllle with a north- ern tour. A special train will bring the coinpany east to appear over tbe W. T. chain of theatres. Fav- lowa is Just finishing a tour of the east. Suburban exhibits are waiting to cash in on tbe sound as quickly (us possible. Western Electric is anx- ious to get its equipment in tbe best neighborhood bouses and will not yet disclose who will be first to present tbe talkers out of town be- cause complications might arise with opposition shows owned by tbe big time managements in tbe suburbs. John C. Jones will take charge of Australasian Films, Ltd., froiQ March 18. Australasian Films were a unit of Union Theatres, Ltd., and handled the distribution end of films here. W. A. Gibson, a director ot Union Theatres, will now band over the control of company to Jones who was previously In charge of First National here. First batch <it Paramount talkers reached here last week. Shorts ln> dude, "Just One Word," "That Party In Person," and Ruth BttJng. An all-talker drama 'wltb "The Doctor's Secret," goes into either the Regent or Prince Edward for a run. Jan Rublnl has been booked by Leon Phillips to conduct the or- chestra at the Capitol. Melbo\ima Rublnl arrives this montb. Newfilm company formed in westem Australia wltb capital of $60,000. Company will begin work on "Modem Chariots," taken from story dealing wltb trotting races. Walter Lardenorff will re1>lae« Baron Oronica as bead of tbe Ufa and Cinema Art Films In Australia. Gronlca has been transferred t« Vienna. "In bid Arizona," Fox, has ar- rived hero and awaits release in dty theatre. Under the Union de Professeurs de Danse de France this country Is going to pick its champion hoofer from April 16 to 20. Prizes totaling 30,000 francs will be distributed from all parts of the country. All kinds of stepping. Four American observers attend- ing the' European radio conference .at Prague passed through Paris. They are Hugh Pope L« Clair, as- sistant military attache at the American Embassy here; W. D. Ter- rell chief of the radio division of the Department of Commerce, Wash- ington; Laurence B, 'Whlttemoer and Gerald C. Cross. Wave lengths is the main subject, and this is probably why the American govern- ment decided to be' represented, but unofficially. Broadcasting on high frequencies in Europe is being dis.cussed and may affect the U. S. adversely, as the Washjngton conference came to ia'cTecIsroh onmWiTieHlICB. ' A email theatre is being built on the Rue Fontaine, next to the cab- aret which bore the name of Jose- phine Baker. Tiny playhouses, seating from four to five hundred have become the mode over here. "Dawa" will have its ptamiere in ' Perth, westem Australia, in March under the Hoyt management Melbourn* State theatre, Melbourne, had a smash opening last week. Tre- mendous crowds flocked to tbe bouse. Theatre is atmospherlo and the last word in lavishness. Owned and controlled by Union Theatres it is tbe greatest theatre In this country at present Two features used to open were "The Camera- man," ond "The Fleets In." Leon Rosebrcok and orchestra in pit and Frank Lanterman and Rene Lees at the consoles. Rosebrook had them applauding with some hot numbers, with the house, ballet cleaning up on neppy work, Deno and Rochelle ' did sonte splendid dancing. Finale had band, ballet and feature singers on stage. Melboume has never seen a the- atre like the State, and never be- fore witnessed tbe American idea of film entertainment. Melboume has not taken too kindly to the talkers and business pulled by tbe two wired houses has been rather disappolntlHg. '"Th» Red Dance" only clicked a four weeks run to average business, with the "Jazz Singer" pulling up splen- didly nights but weak daytimes. Business is nothing to that of Syd- ney where "Jazz Singer" Is still tre- mendous. Sydney business bos dropped off considerably at the Regent with "Mother Knows Best," and also at Prince Edward with "Street Angel." A funny angle to"Jazz Singer" is that the house where it Is being shown la owned by the Methodist (Jhurch, and as the churchmen are going Intj conforence, the house will bo dosed for two weeks and will then reopen •wlth-"Jazz-^lnger!i_still^centlnulnf_. on indef. With the except'on of the JolSpn picture, the Capitol with its. weekly r.h&nfxe polfcy of sllents. Is still do- ing the best business In town and has done so for the paist 47 weeks.