The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 16, 1926, Page 8

The Theater Season in Moscow By RUTH EPPERSON KENNEL rTYHE Mali (Little), on the wagnifi- 7 cent theater square just across from fhe Bolshoi Opera House, is the old’ dramatic theater in Moscow, where some of the actors have been playing for many years. It therefore smells strongly of, the past, is fondest of old. melodramas, especially foreign, and is popular with the older genera- tion. But a new play “Zagmuk,” by a Russian dramatist, the story of & hert | uprising in ancient times, is creating general interest because of Its beau- tiful staging and sensational plot. \Lunacharsky’s wife plays a leading role. Here we find some of the magni MASTFOR THEATER ficent scanic, effects of the Bolshei;| Aglitational Opera—Bouffe Scene gray stone walls flung up against & deep blue sky are altered to form the ‘different gets, a courtyard, a market place, the corridors of a palace, the walls of a city. The most beautital scene is a rich interior fn warm red and gold whose balcony looks out on the walls and parapets of a fortified city standing afar off against the stars. _. ‘The heroine ts sold by ‘her father, in payment of a fine imposed by the overlord, and put up for auction, naked, in the market place. Her lover buys her, but the king sees and takes her for himself. One of the princes, a defender of the oppressed, befriends her and is eonsequently thrown into prison. There he plots an uprising to take place on “Zagmuk,” the holiday of the serfs, the one day in the year when the people can do what they like. On this day, the king and his consort in magnificent robes mount their golden thrones raised _on the stone steps outside the palace, and with impressive ceremonies Ifberate the prince, who is acclatmed ruler by the serfs. His first act is to demand the king’s wife; and upon receiving her, he puts her up for auction, fore 22) es A. V. LUNACHARSKY Peoples’ Commissar of Education. img her to disrobe. This is a signal for a general uprising of the serfs; the king escapes to his castle outside the city and long months of siege * follow, during which the people feel that even their former life was pre- ferable. Finally the king, by promis- ing the lover’ the restoration of his bride, perkuadés him to open the side gate of the city. The hordes of sol- diers swarm in and overpower the serfs. The girl, discovering too late the plot in which her lover has sac- rificed his honor and his life, kills the king. .-2) s TILL another play of revolution and rebellion marks the close of the theatrical seaso We find a sug- gestion of “The Hairy Ape,” in the new play by DBill-Belotserkovsky, “Port Helm!” or as the Russian has it, “Helm the Left!” presented at a branch of the Mali Theater, an at- tractive studio some distance from the center. The time of the play precedes “Storm,” being in the period before the revolution and at the beginning of civil war. Tho first act of the drama, which is in nineteen episodes, takes place on a foreign steamship Just at the outbreak of the world war. is a worthy finale to a brilliant scasem. “MEN OF PURPOSE.” GENERAL is at the head of the committee promoting this picture. A post of the American Legion pre- | sents it, The advertising of the pic- |ture urges: “Every American Citizen | Should See It.” So I did (at the Ran- ‘dolph). For all .these reasons and because it is said to be the “Official Allied Production depicting the com- Plete history of the world war’—‘‘Most lremarkable spectacle ever shown on |the silver screen.” Weil, it isn’t, Tell it to the ma- ‘lrines, It is neither “a complete his- tory of the world war” nor the “most remarkable” blah! blali! blah! It cost me all of four-bits to see it and As in “Roar, China!” and “The Hairy |I.can assure you it isn’t, . But it is a Ape,” we have a realistic picture ot | spectacle. A spectacle of outrageous life among the workers. In the erew | war propaganda staged, as the picture of the steamer the author has created | assures you, “to show our government strong, lovable heroes with whom we | that we are ready to serve it in what- feel a comradely ‘sympathy. So real-| ever need may arise,” or words to that istic ls the atmosphere of tropical heat | effect. tm which the screw labors at the open Ing of the play, while the British cap tain and rich American passengers sit in steamerchairs under canopies, that we ourselves almost drip with perspir ation. And so vivid is the storm in mid-ocean that -we fee] the motion of the ship and the wind against our faces; it seems that we too are swept along the dark decks in the hurricane and finallly lie panting with the sail- ors in their bunks. The five episodes of the first act take place on deck, in the captain’s cabin and in the sailors’ bunks, the walls of which, sliding back, throw open the cabins onto the deck. The fifth episode shows the arrival at the port of New York and the appearance on shipboard of vari- ous quacks and crooks, including the Salvation Army singing, “In the Sweet Bye and Bye.” The steamer set, with the aid of certain di ms, becomes a New York cabab@etrehe peesed eat where an exaggef#ted “and false ‘picture of the New York underworld is present- ed; a3 In-the “Hairy Ape,” the Amer ican millionaires are characterized as degenerate gentlemen in top hats and dress suits, who come to survey in coldblooded curiosity the antics of the prostitutes and pimps, and the sailors who have gathered here for recreation after their long voyage. This scene, devoid of originality, unreal and ugly (as a critic in “Pravda” has observed) is unworthy of the rest of the play. Tt could only justify its existence as an episode, instead of a long act, since it hag no direct bearing on the ‘plot. In the third act, the immigrants are sitting about on the dock and our sailors who drift in, discuss the recent Russian revolution with a Russian immigrant, who later joins the crew. The appearance of a motion picture company and the commandeering of the immigrants to take part in the thrilling film of a Russian princess j trying to escape from the howling nob (represepted by three or four rctors in Russian blonses and huge beards, and the immigrants at the dock who are tmstructed to pull out their shirts) makes a very funny cli- max to the act. > In the last act, back on the liner again, we find military discipline pre- vailing, as the steamer is carrying arms to the Russian White Guards and he crew preparing to mutiny. The play ends with the overpowering of the captain and officers who watch helplessly as the crew greets a Bol- shevik cutter, and as the cheery com- mand, “Left Helm!” is given, the steamer turns back without deliver- ing the arms. Adhering to the conventional forms of the Mali Theater, the production, while more realistic In some ways than “Roar, China-” lack originality. The playwright, on unfamiliar ground in depicting foreign scenes and char- acters (altho as a seaman he knows the life of a steamer), is less powerful than in “Storm.” But the play on the whole has that wholesome simplicity and sincerity characteristic of the playwright and, in production borrow- ing somewhat from its predecessors, Just enough actual war is shown to serve the purposs of the legion-type patriots. You know the stuff; The kaiser was the scoundrel to blame for everything. We entered the war to save civilization, etc. etc. TH® war is pictured as a nice war. There are a few cooties, some mud and some dead bodies. But not too much. Not enough to discourage any young man from joining the marines, Should this picture have stirred you to patriotic action there is 4 marine recruiting ser- geant stationed at the door. That’s the kind of a business this is. THE PASSAIC STRIKE—To be shown in Chicago, at the Ashland Blvd. Auditorium, Friday, Oct. 29. MEN OF STEEL—A picture in- tended to make you kiss your boss every morning. (Roosevelt) VARIETY—A truly splendid pic- ture (Harding) + ACROSS THE PACIFIC— We are to credit George G. Nathan with this beautiful word of criti- cism: “Guano.” : ALOMA OF THE SOUTH SEAS —Gilda Gray is a good motional ac- tress (Uptown), MARE NOSTRUM—War hokum. THE ROAD TO MANDALAY— Will someone tell us why they make these things? . SON OF THE SHIEK—Valentino. THE AMATUER GENTLEMAN m ~~ photographer is good, IN GODS—Reene Adoree is the best part of this, , LA BOHEME—A good picture. UP IN MABEL’S ROOM—Marie Prevost in chemise. ‘ Note: Only Chicago theaters show- ing a program for one week are listed. Pictures of current week TERNAL ASUAEA AAA? 2 “THE COCOANUTS.” ERE’S something somewhat. dif- ferent in the line of musical per- formance. There.is not a naked lady in it, mor is there a single bathtub! But you will find to compensate you A PEEK EACH WEEK AT MOTION PICTURES we have ever seen anywhere. “THE STRONG MAN.” ie you are tired of Indians, bad men, good women and heaving chests in the movies, see this picture. Yow will see Harry Langdon. Here fs a first rate mimic whose antics are a pleas- ure to see. One of these lucky days he is going to get something to act in that will give better scope for his real ability. When he gets it, this comic cut-up will take his place asa real comedian and sécond only to Charles Chaplin.~ We advise you to see this picture (showing at the Oriental), if only to see Langdon with a most realistic and amusing cold. (If you can get any fun out of @ cold!) It’s so real it will make your nose run. It is also a bit of mimicry the equal of any It would do credit to Charlie himself. Do you remember the scene in “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp” in which Langdon was “doped”? This is even better, ; There is a good deal of waste mo- tion in both plot and action. The plot is far below even the level of the usual comedy standard. And brother that IS low! However, there are oc- casional situations that are really laugh-provoking, and Harry Langdon makes most of these in true artistic fashion, With all its faults, this is the kind of picture in which you will find a good deal of wholesome fun. If you are in Chicago you can easily risk seeing it. If you don’t like the movie —there is Paul Ash. And if you don’t like this Jazzmaniac—well, maybe you are growing old. 2 Harry Langdon: ing much to “write home:about,” but it is tuneful. The ladies are graceful and an eyefull. They are usually well adorned and plentifully so. An evening’s performance {filled with the antics of good comedians who work i E = i