The Elbert County tribune., 1913-09-05
FILMS HIT OPERA
Germany Shocked at DeterIora-
tion of Public Taste.
People Are Tlrlna Of the Diet Of Ideal
Ism Portrayed on Stage and In
Music-Prefer the Movles-
Americans Blamed.

Berlin.-Tastes change. The NOV
les" have grand opera, classic and
heavy drama on the run In Germany.
the home OF grand opera and the intel-
lectual stage. Privy councillors. high
brow" professors with long boards
and much learning. great musicians.
famed composers and playwrights
thunder" In vain in the daily press
against the deterioration OF taste OF
the opera and theater going public"
Learned psychological dissertations
are being written. seeking to explain
the "inexplicable preference OF the Ger
mans for movies 'operettas' and
trashy light stuff' to grand operas and
classic dramas"
Figures talk. They tell the story
OF new bent and change In the Ger
man character. More than dozen
theaters have failed. no less than
eight OF them In Berlin. since spring.
Their places have been taken by elab-
crate movies" From many German
cities comes the wall that the NOV
les" are crowding the legitimate drama
and grand opera to the wall.
ne 1tIludnbt Ut itdbL Nndt Potlioh
which comes under the '.peepul." want
to be amused. And a goodly portion
of those who consider themselves
above the ''peepul" also seem to be tir-
ing of the diet OF intellectualism. ideal
ism and musicism. portrayed and
sung on the stage for years.
The German is getting less seri-
Gus. In the gayety Of Berlin. Munich
and other cities which are imitat-
ing these he has discovered that In
letting go" OF himself he has lot
of fun new to him. He is acquiring
taste for what the bespectacled pro-
fessors characterize as 'evanescent
trash" He wants to be amused He
is tired OF being edited. And he
doesn't give rap about the psychol-
ogy OF what is causing the change in
his mind and character. He wants
amusement. not knowledge. and he
goes where he gets 1t. That place
seems to be the movies"
intellectual Germany affects to be
more or less shocked at this tendency
to be less serious-minded. 1t is ar
gued that this deterioration does not
argue well for the future of the ma
ton. "Deplorable AmericanizatIon Of
the German stage" is what some writ
ers characterize it.
/. The theatrical managers have do
clared war on the "movies" At con-
ference attended by representatives
of practically all the important the
aters and operas in the empire It was
decided that hereafter no actor. act
ress or singer may act for the NOV
ies." under penalty of immediate dis
missal. But that has not increased
the box office receipts of the theaters.
An American invasion" of the mo-
ton picture theater field itself is TAX
ing place. Two New York men. A. H.
Wood and r. ]. Goldsoll. have opened
eight in Berlin in the last three
months. and expect to have more than
a score in operation throughout Ger
many by fall. Several OF the bankrupt
theaters we're bought and turned into
movies" They also built a new one
adjoining the American church--a
beautiful unique structure entirely
windowless. which had tremendous
run since 1t was opened. despite the
high admission. ranging from rs cents
to $100 That circuit is strengthen
ing its drawing power by adding va
riety artists to the movies" which
is an innovation In Germany.
The several variety shows in Ber-
lin are high priced. and the ordinary