Evening star., 1923-07-01
THEATERS PROFIT
!. AS MARK SHR|NKS
Germans Lose inclination to
Save and Spend All on
AmusementS.
BY MAMMALIAN HARDEN.
Germanyss Foremost Publicist.

By Cable to The Star.
BERLIN, June 30.-In the midst
Of the general discomfort and suffer
ing throughout Germany, 1t has de-
veloped that one industry at least
the theater, is doing well. The profits
of the season just ending were not sc
bad as the country's economic situa-
tion would lead one to believe. Peo-
pie whose marks have become value
less have lost all inclination to save
and don't stop to ask the cost They
simply buy seats and see the per-
formances.
The theater throughout Germany
is not centralized as much as in
America, England or France. A
dozen or more of her cities have
theaters which are not obligated tc
cater TO Berlin's taste. beccuse the
municipalities have subsidized them.
But in the unsubsidiZed playhouses
business seldom has been better and
many new theaterS are being built
This shows how profitable the bust
ness is, although most of these new
theaters are designed for the amuse-
ment of the newly rich.
Serious soldier performances are
being given by the Peoples Thea
ters," which for decades have beer
Offering the middle and laboring
classes good drama and music with
out stars but with worthy perform
ers. The existence of these theaters
however, now is threatened because
hey still are compelled to charge
comparatively low prices and also
are menaced by the competition OF
the movies.
Movies Lacking in Distinction.
With the exception of 'Friedericus
Rex" which is military monarchic
romance of Potsdam in the great
kings time. and which attracts the
nationalists. German movies haven't
found anything which is first-class
attraction. Since managers have dis.
covered great profits are attainable
only in America, they endeavor to
cater entirely to the American
films SO that they can export their
films. But even in view of this and
the fact that the movies need not
be predicated on a high degree o.
learning among the spectators. It
would seem the managers could ge,
subjects that are not sweetly bana
or require the employment of crude
perverse methods of execution.
The film has a mission quite az
lofty as that of the theater today
and 1t merely corrupts 1t by degrad-
ing all masterpieces of literature ir
order to make money and still more
by. demoralizing and .industrializing
actors. The latter desire to live well
with autos. villas and wine cellars
and don't like TO learn new role
every month, be dependent on the
moods of stage director. or be al
the mercy of "a female star who at
tracts by semi-nudity.
So they are able to avoid this anC
still enjoy all their desires through
the movies" which don't taH
memory and merely take their time
for couple of weeks on trips where
all expenses are paid and for which
they receive salaries exceeding those
received by any operate tenor. Film
stars are paid in dollars and ever
second and third raters receive sc
much that the legitimate theatel
salaries look like aims in compari.
son -.-..
Commercinlisn Affects Actors.
The actors now impart this com.
nlercfalism to the legitimate drama
which until recently has tried to ptc.
This consciousness and it's hypo-
critical assumption have ceased De-
spite all hinderances. however, our
Legitimate theater is still worth
while. due to few strong actors
to Jealous cola boration on the part
or managers, and to the hunger OF
citizens for classic productions.
Our younger dramatists haven't
created much as yet and the French
who once furnished two-thirds OF
our lighter farces and drama, now
are barred because of the Ruhr, but
Shakespeare, Mozart, Beethoven
Schiller, Wagner, Strindberg, Ibsen
Tolstoi, Strauss, Wedekind, Wilde
Shaw. Chekoff and the like still have
the power to fill the theaters that
haven't completely abandoned art
Even Haendel's forgotten opera,
Julius Caesar" and Death of Em-
pedocles." by Hoelderlin, who was
the Walt Whitman of his day, have
been produced with deep effect.
For the rest. they are snobbish,
trifiing with expressionism and a
compromise with profitable film hits.
Copyright, 1921