New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-28
The Best Show Town
In the World ----Berlin

By Hayden Talbot
Immediately o.. the signing Of the
armistice, and after he bod obtained
his discharge from the Navy, Hayden
Talbot arranged to 90 to continental
Europe and cover oil tho important
amusement centres exclusively for
"Variety."
Following Is the first Of q series
Of articles dealing ,cith theatrical
conditions IN Germany at tho
moment.
LONDON, Sept. 14.--As they say in
che pictures, Berlin screens like 2
million dollars"-Ineening that there is
st least this much money waiting to be
poured into the laps of the first Ameri-
can dramatists, artists and producers
doubtedly the best show town In the
world to-day.
Berlin's fifty theatres are crying
aloud for new talent and are looking
to America for 1t. Incidentally, salary
is now no object In Berlin, as the thea
tres are playing to capacity all the
time, even with such WORKOUT vehicles
as "Charley's Aunt"
Although Germany is beaten and the
mark deprecated until it is worth only
the proverbial nickel, the people are
reacting as they always do under SINH
lar conditions and are spending money
they can i'll afford in the search of
forgetfulness. Never in the history Of
Berlin has the theatrical business been
as tremendously successful as it is to-
day.
On the other hand, for five years the
Serman stage has been as isolated from
ahe rest Of the world, as everything else
in Germany. Having had TO depend on
native talent, the dearth Of new ma
terial and new players is felt keenly,
To overcome this, old English, French
and American plays are being dug out
and put on. Even the old THE Count
Of Luxembourg" is playing to capacity
business in Berlin now.
Censorship Abolished
The principal result of the revolution
Of last November was the abolition Of
theatrical censorship, and both the
stage and the screen have taken ad-
vantage Of this state Of affairs until
to-day filth is the inspiration Of almost
every play and picture. Most OF these
new productions are without any merit
whatever. stupid and illogical. They
are frankly dependent for their draw
ing power on the extent of the smut
they dare TO besmirch them with.
An exception to this is the case of
the late Frank Wedekind, whose play
"The Box Of Pandora" is tho biggest
nit in Berlin at the moment. Wede-
kind wrote this play in 1915, hut it
was never allowed to be produced in
Germany until after the revolution, al
though London got an cXpurgated YER
sion OF it. In spite Of the cxpurga-
tions and its undeniably fine literary
quality. 1t was too strong meat for
London audiences ard was quickly
withdrawn. AS played in Berlin to-day
It is an exposition OF the most dis
gusting forms Of degenerate sex prac-
sices imaginable.
Under present conditions Germany s
Jack of native actors is glaringly ap-
parent. To-day 70 per cent Of the
players in Berlin are Austriana. AS 6
matter Of fact, Germany's theatrical
nestor, Max Reinhardt whose infiu-
ence dominates the Berlin theatre, was
horn in Austria and entered upon his
theatrical career at Sa!zburg in 1892
Reinhardt is properly the first figure
In the theatrical world Of Germany to
day and has come to occupy an ever
moro important position since the
revolution than before it. A disciple
Of the late Dircktor Brahm OF til,