THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 5, 1941.
CHINA MAIL
--WINDSOR HOUSE
HIMMLER IN NORWAY
Major Vidkun Quisling, regarded as a traitor by the great mass of Nor
wegians, is finding out that as a Nazi agent he has not been sufficiently tough. His fellow-coun- trymen scorned his edicts as Hitler's Gauleiter in! Oslu, ignored his propa-i ganda efforts and booed his public meetings. He. had to appeal to Berlin, for help. In response they sent Himmler to show him how to operate. In- formation from western
Norway getting out through Stockholm now tells of terror exceeding anything previously ex- perienced throughout that region; of man hunts to seize actual and poten- tial opponents and of an increasing number of sui- cides. Such are Himmler's methods and the results they bring.
Throughout
Germany
since Hitler came to pow-
THE MENACE
British Stage Shares
War Effort
When the blitz cracked down on
the
er, and throughout the London's night life and sent countries overswept by stoppers-out to shelters instead of
nazism since, there are West-End
They made what appeared to be
it Wise HOVA.
divarica! boom
There
Wis
-By
Clifford Webb
depths of a hard winter to stage shows bang in the middle of red- hot Army targets.
Sing-song parties have been! machine-gunned along the roads and forced to crawl un- der their wagons for shel- ter. When the raiders have passed they have gone on to play in front of bullet-ridden scenery Fin erude hut-theatres but before audiences of 'roops who have lov- ed every mi ule of the show.
One party stopped when a low- lying aeroplane appeared to be about to land, thinking the plot might be a Britisher in need
As soon as they were assistance.
were fired spotted, however, they
"And it couldn't have happened at a better time. The next bomb was the nearest. The big outer doors of the theatre through which the i scenery is taken blew in with a on.
crash. Every door on the set waj
The tension definitely broke at that. Everybody roared. The audience cheered almost every
Their
directions
helped
of
the
police and military authorities to capture the crew of a disabled German bomber which had been eventually forced
land #t few
miles away.
stalis, a number of the best-known theatrical compames packed up and went oul into the countless gravestones as Provinces on tour. testimony to the ruth- lessness of Heinrich! After all, it was no good ever!
the bravest playing to empty hon Himmler. He is an epitomeses. White London was the target the provincial cities staged a minor of the brutality which has disgraced the party move-|
They hopped back into their car Before long the biz shifted ambung violently open. The scenery and made for the nearest police
One night it was the tural Shook like leaves in the wind. ment from the beginning.d
station. of Cardiff, busaly -latumming com- "Wonder of wonders. My li He originated the Nazi mereal city of South Wales,
to comeide with this was 'Don't torture chambers. He dot- hear the sirens,
was still worry about that now. I clear it hall an hour to go before the even- ted the Reich with con- ing performance was due to begin,
up in the morning." centration camps. With but already the local theatre every Nazi excess his in-half-filled
When the anti-aircraft guns fluence has grown,
SO started to thump the customers word in the show from then on.
It was more like a gola night." that in certain eventualit-exchanged anxious glances.
Actors and audience finally got As it turned out there was little
the out near midnight. There was no ies he may become the they could do. The man on
in with the news that show the next day, while repairs most powerful man in door came
incendiaries were showering. Ai- to the theatre were put in hand, Germany. He commands ready there was a ring of Are but on the following day the com- the theatre. Safer for pany played to a bumper matinee all the police and the around
audience.
there, in They played, over
and black-uniformed Schutz-everybody to stay put,
Before the end of the week, des- Behind the curtain the company
chapels, churches, bakeries pite further raids, the business was
even in country inns. But eveл staffel regiments, which had already decided to carry as good as it had ever been. rank on an equality with with the show. Two of the actors.
Acting in the blitz certainly has France had nothing quite so grim presumably cut off by the fires had
turned up. Understudies its moments in Britain. But for- to offer as dressing accommodation the army. Most sinister of not
tunately
as the building recently turned most of the theatres
"Some- all, he heads the Gestapo, were pressed into service.
There was a feverish five-min- which have been badly damaged over to an ENSA party
where in England." The building bombs and have been hit while they the secret police feared ute rehearsal, while
was a mortuary! guns pounded away. The curtain, emply. by great and small.
went up to the feeble applause of
on
were
They frequently dress in tents, by candle light, in stables, cow- sheds, or any place that is handy.
Some of the ENSA artists play- ing to the fighting services in Brit- atn now, underwent their baptism of fire in France during the ter- rible winter that preceded German "push."
the.
A stage comprising boards pre- cariously perched on barrels is no isolated experience.
"shur O.K.
ก
The blitz hardly ever shuts a u fearful, yet far from panic-show. Stage folk have found that When Austria fell, stricken audience.
une wisecrack is worth any amount of of speeches from serious-faced A girl from one company which Now let Leslie Banks, star
show on a Himmler's Gestapo arriv-
in managers. The spirit of George recently put over
Robey, who calmed a budly frigh-crude stage of this kind said after- ed alongside of, and in the show, and British soldier
the last War take up the story.
"The first 20 minutes was a jum-tened audience in London during wards, "It was a bit hard on the some cases even ahead of,
two the last War by rolling his eyes tap-dancer, but we go through ble. The fact that we had the invading
If anybody had played, troops. understudies making their debut upwards and murmuring
too 'Roll out the Barrel,' I think I' Since then, the Gestapo under fire, not at all sure of their rup" as a zeppelin bomb fell
a bit close for comfort, still lives behind should have screamed." has moved into Poland, parts and quite naturally
jumpy kept the minds of the rest the footlights.
Quite a crowd of British actors Belgium and the 'Nether- of the company from thinking lands. Now it is Norway's about the probability of a bomb and actresses have actually court- ed danger and acute discomfort turn. Application of the "Slowly we were winning the by enrolling with the Entertain- Associa- but ments National Service Himmler methods will not confidence of the audience, be easy in a country of things looked pretty grim when a tion (ENSA), the organisation res- small room for flye girls.
hit on the theatre.
couple of high explosives fell near enough to rock the theatre on its
foundations.
a
ponsible for carrying the theatre widely dispersed villages,
to Army and Air Force camps, to Naval barracks and to arms, and Then there occurred one of munitions factories." poor communications and
The experiences of these hither- imbued with a wholesome those happy coincidences. Just as
a particularly big wallop sounded to soff-living, pampered idols of worth-while hatred of spies and spy-1 had to say, 'Well, I think I'd the fans, form
chapter for inclusion in any mod- ing. But the efficiency of better be, going now.'
ern history of the theatre, the Gestapo machine is A Grand Giggle undeniable. Its progress "Somebody out in front giggled. Norway is being mark- Then ever body laughed, I think ed by a new trail of blood the company would have gone on while the theatre burned after and suffering.
that. It was a grand pløgle.
Cel:oboyda calda c
Concert Parties Gunned
Billets for which advance ar- rangements can be made are
not Frequently always casy to find. it is necessary to make long night, tramps looking for accommodation,
be reduced which may
to
one
One party found that the only available place in which to stay for the few days during which their show was scheduled to run
in the was a small room
tiny cottage of an old lady, who lived alone."
During the first night the old lady was taken Ill. So, for the Whole "period the artists took it on themselves to nurse her and to look after themselves. This, in spite of the fact that all the They drive hundreds of miles in water had to be carried, bblack-out conditions during the well some distance away
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