Variety (May 1929)

Wednesday, May 1, 1929 FOREIGN VARIETY 67 Chatter in Berlin PLAY SOCIAL HIT Chatter in London iBci-liil, April lu.. In honor of tUo lately deceaaed niayer, Albert Stelnrueck, a mld- nlBht performance was given at the State playhouse. Wedcklnd's "Mar- aula of Keith" was performed with a cast that positively glittered. Tlie leading roles were taken by Hein- rlch George, Tllla Diirleiix and Car- ola Neher, Ijut It was In the mtnoi- parts from which the strongest &0W emanated. As maids: Ellzn- heth Bergner, Kaetho Dorsch, Frltzl >fassary. In the tiniest bits: Max Pallenberg, Com-adt "Veldt, Hans Albei-s, Fritz Kortner, I'aul Wegner. And in the ballroom scene of the third oct practically every well known perfonwer suped. Needless to remark, It was a rotten porforni- ance. The receipts wore over 50,- 000 marks. Molnar has written a satirical comedy called "One, Two, Three." It has only three short acts and, us tlie author demands that tlicse be played' wltliout Intermission, the . play will rot fill out an evening. He has, therefore, worked over an old ono-acter, "The Evening Meal," and . ti'ia will complete the program. The leuding role, that of a modern llnancler, will be played by Max Pallenberg at the Deutschea Kuen- • stier theatre. Samuel Rapliaelson's i)lay "The Jazz Singer" will be produced next ' season with Kurt ISola In the lead- ing role—an Ideal cliolce for this aijolsonean part. Maurice Bi'owne, the author oC "Wings Over Europe,' 'now lessee of the Savoy theatre In London, has engaged the Weimar National the- atre to give a few performances of "Hamlet" in Gei-man at his London theatre. This sounds pretty grand but the Weimar stage Is in reality a provincial organization of the third rank and cannot possibly achieve a success In Ix>ndon Browne is evidently attempting the experiment merely because his friend, Gordon Craig, designed tlie scenic Investiture. In return a few guest perform- ances of Browne's English Company of "Journey's End" is planned at Weimar. This play, however, is al ready accepted for production at one of the Rolnhardt stages next season and this management is turning in an objection to the Wei- mar production appeiaring before hand. The play brokers controlling the German rights have protested and, if they are adamant, can un- doubtedly stop the production. Max Relnhardt has engaged Alex Gronowsky, the director of the Mos- cow Jewish Art Theatre, to suge various productions on his Berlin stages next winter. This Is surpris ing as Granowsky's first German production mode this season was a resounding flop. Premieres State Schiller Theater: "Plctro Aretino," by Hans J. Kehflsch. This dramatist has turned out several well put-together modern pieces which have run excellently In Ber lln and the provinces. But the pres ent effort is ouUide his range. He attempts to recreate the historical Renaissance figure of the title but never gets him alive. He remains merely a stuffed costume with dla logue. Hoffmann-Hamisch directed conventionally, and Paul Wegner could get nothing out of the leading flgure. Theater in der Stadt: "The En- thusiasts" ("The Schwaermcr"), comedy by Robert Musil. For years this piece lay about and critics were in the habit of asking sardonically why the managers were neglecting such a masterpiece. Now at last it has come out, about live years too late. The mists of expressionism cling heavily to It. The whole cast sits around and discusses the one member who happens to be absent from the stage; whom he or she slept with last week—whom he or she will sleep with next week—and why! It was as stirring ns an argu- ment in Greenwich Village. Joe Lhcrman directed it and It was a terrible error. Palmenhaus: "The Blue Bird." This Russian cabaret revue which flopped in America has long been a big favorite In Germany. As it was the first to appear here. It always went far better than Ballet's "Chauve Sourls," Now Jushny, Its director and confcrencier, has evi- dently gotten all he can out of the provinces and decided to settle down in Berlin for a bit. He has had this intimate theatre chnrrhingly remod- eled and his first bill was as good ns those of former days. Scenlcally also Ernst.Stern did wonders on the \ little stage. But the days of this ..i.-86rt-.of-entei'talnnient~are-Bono-liy.- sliico the novelty has worn off. Ocrmana now utfiJfcr native and American perfownetfl. only to Clui|tliiv. .1)1 siiilo of this he remains a kooU inTformer wlvo knows his Stun. And personality jdus. As Grock la getting a very high figure the rest of the bill wuh mild. The American, Hurt tor, delivered competent eccentric sketcli called The Drunken Guest." Palermo's Seals performed with niorc than aual elan. Joseph Guloman has something exceptional in his trained foxes. The Baranot troupe are con- entloral acrobats and tumblers. Frank has developed the amualng stunt of smoking a cigar during bis trapeze gyrations. The Marte West- ern dancing troupe w;is one of the wor.st of the season—there was even some hissing as their act dragged out Interminably, 'fhe Eltzoft Chi- nese ballet closed. Wintergarten; The Dodge Sisters are headlining and much liked by the audience, even though not a rave. As usual, too much acrobats: the Two Atlienas, Herta Romano and her IE gladiators, the Mogadors, Juggling company; the trapeze per- former Enriquez, the acrobatic sketch of the Jungglas company. The dancing end of the bill is han- dled effectively by Bernard and Rich and the Japanese TakelMxyashi. Willy Mai-gwils revives the old stunt of conducting the orchestra made up like famous cbmposei's. Plaza: This enormous popular priced house has taken HaiTy Reso to its heart. He never went better in the exclusive haunts of the Ber- lin west. The rest of the bill Is good money's worth. It includes the magician Rolf Hanson, the tight rope walkers Manning and Class, the bicycle riding Paul Paetzold company, Fanny Romanes with her trained paiTot, and the nine Mid Air GIrla. Trnak. LiOndon, April iO. The Kit-Cat, where Abe Lyman Budapest,' April 20. I Is playing a return engagement Of El.g event of the season, more elglit weeks, la becoming very cos- aoolal.thau theatrical, waa the lirst mopplitan. Ohe can. hear several pertorniance of a play by tho wife languages during an evenln.g. One NEW YORK CHAHER Hungary's First Lady Writes Drama, Dull But Classy Chatter in Nice By Frank Scully Nice. April 18. What is the opijoslio oC, plagiar- ism? Whatever It is they're'giving Maurice Maeterlinck credit for a lierioriimute oi u umy uy iiio «»i<; languages aunng uu cvc......s. „,eee i,e never wrote and even bill of the Hungarian Prime Minister, evening recently Prince Ascl of '"ece he never wiote ana even o.ii Countess Marglt Bethlen. "The Denmark spoke in Danish, while a ing him as <.!reclor. Maeterlinck. wh( Grey Dioss" was first performed in member of the Swedl.sh Diplomatic has come back frbm I'aris to •VIM: ItiUlan, in Mllano, but this proved Service diatted In his Own tongue. Abellles" ("Villa Bees "), seems like more an . act of political courtesy Furtlier one could observe the a plug for one of his best known than anything else. Marqulao do Casa Maury speaking books), was out for a stroll and no- First night at the Budapest in French. Several English noble-_kjj,gj j„ fro„t of the Modern Cine Vlgszliihaz brought out all the men .were speaking English, w'>llc jj^j^^ ^. ^gj^j. ..j^g y^^gabonds" aristocracy of- Hungary, but tiio in one part of the room was heard ' stage offered little of interest, a coUplo pf American butter and Play is about a. woman who cares eggers in their own tongue, for anotlicr inan, whereas her hue- | "Tlddlsli always prevalent, band cai-es for her. She always puts on the dress that best suits | ip^g Aldwyeh production, her mood, and when jilted by her jj^^ ^.i-jyerg'jifjii s„er.cs8lve lover wears the grey frock instead pj„y^ y,,|n ^e "A Cup of Kindness," of the red one which husband, pre- k^-ijidj ^ym replace "Plunder" May fers. She commits eulcldo behind U cast will be practically the I bonds, the scenes, and husband who Is hot game as, the previous one, including bill Maeterlinck outside the theatre, sure, only suspects, crushes the kij^,.y ijrbugli, Winifred shb'tter, I His name la a big draw over here, grey dress in his helplesb despair. U^d^^i Tom Walls, Ralph That's all. Nothing happens on the Lynn, Kenneth Koye, Philip Carl- atage, nothing is aald straight out, j Robertson Hare, only three people talking for hours ho ilia ("The Tramps"), supposedly au- thored and produced by himself In Germany. "Tienst" he said, showing what he thinks of German. Investigation brought out that some slick cutters hold taken titles he had written for a production called "Interlour" and used them to brace "Les Vaga- glvlng them the excuse to In terms . of o"b3cure symbolism Plot and. handling'are absolutely undramatic, and some poetic and well-worded lines belong into a book and not on the stage. Countess Bethlen, a remarkably charming and clever woman, looked beautiful in black and gold: there He boiled plenty, and then wrote a letter saying the whole thing was too fast for hiih and asked his friends If they aaw the mess not to think he had. gone gaga, nor to ex- CiTll Maudo. popular old-time pect to seo him being puahed around ' in a wheel chair, that the whole thing was a gyp. actor-manager, who has been In re- tirement for some years. Is lying dangerously ill In a London nursing home. Another American tourist Is wls«r. sir Hall Calne, 111 for some time, Is strong enough to travel, and has sailed for London from Monte Carlo with his wife, daughter and Dr. Mllano It was taken ort aCter two gala pertormancee. Berlin Vaude Seala: Grock is back again and packing them In as usual. Although bis act remains practically un- changed they still yeU their hcada oft at him and the newspaper boys ' still sling that deep stufC about him being the b-agic clown comparable (Continued from page 52) was part of 'Collier's hour. The weekly is printed in an open shop. Walter Meyers, the Morris coast rep, stepped onto the familiar con Crete of the squai'e the same - doy Charlie King did. No coincident. Meyers booked King for a week back at B. & K.'s Chicago in the loop, just to toss off the overhead of the trip. Central Park Is an orgy of gaiety these sunny afternoons. Whole classes of equestrienne riding two abreaat using the bridle paths. As many as 40 horaes in each band. Kids are sailing toy beats in lagoon and soma of the bushes are radiant with flowery greetings of summer. One of the dancing domes of the Rendezvous waa writing a letter home. She couldn't spell Rendezvous and wanted to tell her mammy where she was working. She tasked eight other girls in the show. None knew how. Jimmy Durante hap pened along and he told her it ■was a. cinch. "It's R-O-N-D-A-Y-V-O- U-Z," he said. Lew Clayton and Ed die Jackson bowed their heads. It's In again. That dance mara- thon at the Garden, Going to start It May 11, to exhaustion. Instead of a rest pei-lod of 10 minutes after every hour, It will 20 minutes rest every two hours, also rest from five to 7:46 in the morning. With the cabarets shutting down at three, the Garden will again be a roosting place for tho night owls. Crandall of Pittsburgh is again the perpetrator. Two little chorines are making their rent money supplying towels, soap, candy and accessories to other girls In tlieh: musical show. Have a separate dressing room laid out for selling tlieir wares. Emily Bur ton and Flo Allen are the gals. Several millionaires' daughters have gone in strong for tap dancing, Priscilla Gurney, whose father is chairman of the board of directors of the Gurney Elevator Corp., drives to and from clasEes in a limousine with chauffeur. Another in same class is May Rosaine, whose father owns the Rosaine Hosiery Mills. The latter is taking lessons to be able to entertain, the folks , and friends who will make a cruise around the world in father's yacht. Sinus trouble seems to be the popular ailment along the main stem these days. Sufferers discuss their various symptoms, w'th glee. Anyone mentioning appendicitis i- looked upon as old fashioned. David .Schneider, treasurer of the -earroll-lheatrcr-wJll-.-bje..tcniICi:£!l.A. dinner Saturday by tlie entertain- ment committee of the. No. 1 Elks Schneider is chairman of the com mittee. , j Kathcrlne Buike, most glorified of Zlegfeld beauties in point of ser- vice, on the mend from her recent appendix operation, is expected to return to the cast of "Whoopee" shortly'. '■ . „„ applause and flowers, but the Entering a^clty bank, accompanied Maraholl, DIM- can't have any real success. At by a friend, he presented a letter piay can i nave any rem | ^^j.^^u ^yew *4,000 In single Mr. and Mrs. Brand Whltlock, woi- $500 banknotes. His comiMinlon I minister to Belgium and a novelist suggested it was unwise to curry 1 before and after that, have arrived the money loose .^nd obtained an from Cleveland by way of Genoa liZJ^^^ »hn nnshior He Have taken their usual suite at the envelope from tno casnier. ■^e . , f,_„„-_ tiickcd the packet In the other "o*"' Angl ala. Ca nnes, man's Inner pocket. - Five minutes later the bank re- Fits and Mencken celved a second visit from their p scotch Fitzgerald, socking the client, minus his notes, hla letter of I mviera plenty, has left here for a ^ _ ... ..... 1 credit—and his friend, whom. It de- etay in Paris to finish a novel. Says, **''.r\l*,?=™"."„V,™n^^^^^^^^ was but a boardshlp ac- the French Riviera Is "the most fas. ?een"a«Va"c'iS| laTgnJurerii?^^ I anialgamatlon of wealth. Alhambra theatre at Alexandria] Egypt By EDWARD A8SWAD I luxul'y and general uaelessness In the world." The rest of hla 16 drew a particularly fiUl house on Gilbert Miller has bought the Ly„,^a ,,^.3 ,„ ^ novel which , the evening when for the first time i^g^jj^ r,g,,tg t<> ..gy candle about this same depraved aea'/ In this city Strauss' opera Rosen-| ^^^^ successful comedy current at coast. Fitz alao urged all Americans abi'oad "who don't pay any atten- tion to H. L. Mencken's crltlclams to read Sinclair Lewie' "Dodaworth." If they did. they wouldn't; for Men- cken aald it was lousy for Lewis. Louis Bromfleld. Leonard H. Na- kavaller" waa peiformed and greet- ■. „- wnipn' theatre The *^Xd«u^";^om%Cw?ih lU^r^^^^^^ exquisite melodies and inspiring September, with Gertrude lawrence music, which has been described as I playing Yvonne Arnaud's role. the greatest comic opera since "Fl- | garo," ga;ve excellent opportunltjhM daughtVsr of Fred 'c°o'mp^a^y^'''l^U?aor^ro'i ^V^^ulLf'^^^^ "" r " Paris Opera House, Maria ZambonH aa a playwright In Requital, at gon and other errant acrlvencra have from the "Scala" at Milan, lolandajthe Everyman, and also acting as.U]] returned to Paris. So have the Boccl from the "Communale Boloe-1 producer. Cast Includes Moyna e. Berry Walls, glasses of fashions na" at Genoa. I MacGIll, Peggy Ashcroft. MlUy | and moulds of form of the gay nine "Perroquet," the best cabaret In gj^g Austin Trevor. Algci-non tlea. Egypt, has a new hit In Mtoa Betty .„ p^j^pt English. Marvyn, an American who slnga, ac- I Maxine Elliott after a month at companled on the banjo. ... ... . ,1. Cannea has left, but she will be back Rametes theatre — Yusaef Bey "Coo-ee" Is the title for the now August, having talten Frederick Wahby's company has performed revue thitherto known as "Charl- L«wIsohn'8 villa, an extarodinary play entitled "Le yarla," which follows "The Patsy" Balser Mortel," translated Into Ara-1 . ^ Vaudeville. The company I _ _ — < n _ ■ 1 Med^^o^^oWeTo^rny"' c.na^U ^^S^'S' C^.^Bon ^Wy/ LuSSg*laS.«LWr/c\^; rfited tho wSt of theTcSw^^ Richmond. Dorothy Dickson, Claude gubjecta. Has written a lot of books S^rfict ?omp?rfienaloS? F^^ Holloway, Billy on life there. Jeanne de Casalls, Nachaty played the role of the pa- Bennett, Charles Collins (Amerl- | London actress. Is his daughter, tient with a natural Instinct. Miss | con). Amina Rlzk has been greatly appre- ciated In her role of fiancee. M^^^^^ ^ ^een on the sick Sn^U'^S^ned'^J^e'ilJ'yYn'g'o? list with an operation for tonsils "d wit^''"*'" Sweepstakesl^T^opular In Eng^ Kursaal theatre-TJmberto Bono- land just now with U.e approach of ml Company of Italian operetta has Derby day. This year Sir Gerald aDDeored on the Kursaal stage, du Maurler, Alfred Denyl le and drawlne very large houses every Horace Collins are organizing one nfKht -The rejirtory Including on the lines of the famous Calcutin IJ{^asnul«2"%f'^anz'^Lahar, Ma- and Stock Exchange sweeps It ■Frasqulta' dame de Thebes' "Miss Italia." Chatter in Paris will benefit theatrical charities, as 25 per cent, of sUch subscrlptlonh must go to charity. It Is hoped to make this an annual affair. Muratore's Estate Luclen Muratore, Chicago Opera tenor, has bought Les Clauaonnes, beautiful rustic estate between here and Cannes. Muratore re-marrled last summer. Llna Cavallerl, a for- mer wife, runs a beauty ahop In Monte Carlo. He'a keen on painting, having been Introduced to the brush racket by Harry Lachman before that, at present, film director soured on his art. "Kitchener" Play A remarkable play' by Richard Tunney Gene Tunney dcnlea ho la a cam- The Clarldge, a new theatre, f4c" no"lls rhari^een sul m .,en the end of^une. The first pi^- ?;V5>}";;ductlon -iyti-Stage S^oclet^^ ?reVrVyt^° V^^^^^ alTd entatlon will be a revue by ^» I enUtled^"Lord Kltch^^^^^^ an authentic record of the ereat sol- ^annea. This protrkcted hoSey- dlcr's life, from his early subaltern »- „.„^,^ .hou. open I entatL Lellevre and Femand Rouvray. w I m^,iioViI.» »« hi= TOoto^^^^ has made him cranky about A report that two Englishmen aay« «n PalesU^ Intrusions Into what he fondly bought the Moulin Rouge Is denied ?" *h„V wa" It Is doubtful if the imagines is his privacy. If he didn't by the management ' ^.^r^^^l^ ^^^^^^^ »man^«''r t..I'.T'iri^n.^ Mario Chamlee made a hit here P^,**]-^^^"^^^^^^^^^^ -"frovers?a1 -y n^^^^^ a^ue ;^eX. "i^e rTeat M^thnn^ ^^i'^^, I ^l^^ V^^^^i^' whose deaths have been so recent. the performance. „ , I. « I Margaret Bannerman Is homeward Dick Gan-lcfc, former actor, Is re- u^^^^^ j^,^^ Australia and intends ported recovering from a nervous revive "Our Betters," her niost breakdown In the Naval Hospital, succcsstul play. Brooklyn, N. Y, Dick Intends to re- turn to Paris when able. Americans Abroad Paris, April 21. In Paris: Vera Stcadman, Francis MSr"Ma'aauxrea11cTon-3e?l16-^ thor), Victor VarconI, Channing Pollock, George Enesco, Lawrence Schwab, N. Connolly, producer; Russell Jariney (composer). Slg- mund Romberg (composer). John Brsklnc. Mrs. Jesse La.sky, George Gershwin, Alice Evcrsnian (so- prano), George Qulgley, Herbert 1 Bayard Swope. they wouldn't all be riding 1 'Wherever Tunney has gone he has got In a jam and probably will con- tinue to do so until he realizes all newlyweds, till they grow up, are anti-social. PaderewakI, who continues to Ig- Jean Barry of the dancing team nore talker offers, has completed hU of Holland and Barry, who estab- tour for French war orphans and,.^, llshed a reputation in Europe and widows, polish patriot has turned' split recently with Jack Holland, In 3,000,000 francs to the fund. They becoming the partner of Nitsia Ver- still think a piano Is a musical In- nlllo and Barry joining up, with] strument In France at any rate. Dave FUzglbbon, was aecrctly mar;- HeS to I-'IlzglbBon'^'iail-'Ocraierri ^„^g .j,^^ ,,^.^3 ^^ Palais Los Dave Fllzgibbon was formerly with . ■ , .«.),en'ln Nice. Data is be- "Lido Lady" at the Gaiety, and then {^"^''^(Sraerover irbrrTeud In J?*""^* '^'^w ''^^^^').. ?"'=i'?'J?;" Vienna. She's In Paris dt present show. ■"That's a Good Girl," at ihc ^ ^ French picture. London lllpppdromc. Gladys Frazln, who appeared over . . T.„,wi„,.,it-»r« here In "Tlie Trial of Mary Dugan." Georges de la Fouchardlere was married April 10 to Richard Krcnelr HoywoodHroun, ho-s been at Lahne, New York bii.sinea.s man at St. Paul for three months, and J 3L jMidon loglstcr olllca. 1 leaves for Paiia this week.