The Washington times., 1938-05-02

of Picking or
the native
qua rter of ~
Shang ghai
would feel -
very much at
home. "" macy
The Chinese have had thou
sands Of years to advance their
art from virile. literal drama to
the heights of delightfully."- de-
cadent symbolism; the wrestlers
of the United States have been
working at their art of symbol
cal theater for not more than a
scant 25 years and yet have
skipped whole centuries in their
progress toward a convention
allied pattern of drama.
When Herman Dutch Schultz
stalks into the ring, which is the
same size and shape as a Chi
neSe stage, wrapped in his pur-
pie cloak, with an evil CLINT in
his eye and his muStachioS Waxed
to a menacing point, it is as sure
q sign that he is to be the Viii
lain of the piece as when the old
meany of a Chinese play appears
through the back curtains in a
puff of smoke with his face
painted black and blue. Black
indicates to the audience that
the actor is fierce and coarse
fellow and blue means that he is
as cruel as they make them.
Actions Stylized
The actions of the Villain in
the ring have become stylized,
too; just as in a Chinese drama.
When that great Oriental actor,
Mel Lan-Fang. made his tour of
this country several years ago,
the China Institute in America
issued a pamphlet in an at
tempt to clarity the more ESQ
teric meanings of Chinese the
ater. I quote: In anger, the
foot is stamped, the breast
pounded. In meditation, the
breast is stroked with circular
motion of the hand, the finger
being pointed to the temples ..
To express worry, the character
moves his hand about and con-
tracts the forehead. To show
fear, the body is turned aside
and one hides"
Similarly, to express anger,
Dutch Schultz waggles a men,
acing finger at the hero and
threatens him with the closed
fist; to express meditation, he
Shrugs his shoulders and eX-
tends his hands palms forward
to show the referee he had no
intention of hitting Hero Drop
kick Murphy with his clenched
fists; to show worry, he shakes
his head and opens his mouth
wide as if in pain; and, finally
to convey fear, he turns aside
and steps through the ropes
and hides for the count OF four
Greatest evil character actor
Of the local lot is Man Noun
tain Jacobs. Always the Villain,
he needs no theatrical trap
pings to acquaint his hate-filled
audience with the fact that he
is going to be just about the
meanest white man alive. From
the moment he steps onto the
stage, quivering like nauseous
jelly with willy vindictiveness
and looking like a bloateC
Charles Laughton in the highly
unsympathetic role of the EN-
peror Nero, the attendant po
lice are on their toes to restrain
spectators anxious to tussle with
the big bully.
The Repertoire
Man Mountain keeps up g
steady stream of jibbering Misses
throughout his m c h as he
stalks his prey with ponderou!
pachyderm steps and a sly, "just
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." lool
In his eye. His repertoire in
cludes dirty work. Getting thu
Hero in a deadlock, he drag!
him about the ring with his bacl
to the referee and proceeds tt
go through all the motions O.
gouging out the Hero's eyes, tax
ing care that the spectators il
Section A have a good, unoh
structed view of his nefariou
eye-poking. He is very fond. too
of pretending to kick his oppo
nent below the midriff. Thi
maneuver generally starts 1
minor riot.
I think that Chief Sanook,
is sort of a combination of Hero
Comedian. He doesn't have :
small white butterfly painted
on his nose as do the Chimes
comedians; or else would know
But he has the essential Stolidit,
and wistful expression on hi
face.
Martin Levy, of Boston. hi
625-lb. opponent on Thursday
defieS all classification il
Chinese drama. That he cal
actually wrestle carrying al
that excess flesh is beyond be
lief. Perhaps he will turn ou
to be the most apt Student o
the Pear Garden" in the U. S
since that is the name by whicl
Chinese actors are called in ele
CANT literary style.
WINS DOUBLE BILL
Capital Heights was victorio
IN both of its SUNDAY games. {