1941-06-05 — Page 39

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 Oslo, ignored his propa- 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

the1-

er, and throughout the London's night lite and sent

stoppers -t to shellers instead of stalls, a number of the best-known

theatrical

compart packed up and went out into the

Provinces on four.

-By-

Clifford Webb

countries overswept by nazism since, there are West End countless gravestones as testimony to the ruth- lessness of Heinrich Himmler. He is an epitomises With London was the target the nearest,

They made what appeared to be & WINE move

After all, it has no good eper the bravest playing to empty hot

the provincial cities shitged at rutitor

"And it couldn't have happened at a better time. The next bomb was The big outer doors of the theatre through which the of the brutality which has thea'rient boom.

enery taken blew in with a crash. Every door on the set wit disgraced the party move-¦ Before long the Bliz shuffed and tung valently open. The scene

One night it was the fuashook hike leaves in the wind. nent from the beginning. Prad

od Cardiff, busily-humming com "Wonder of wontiers. My le He originated the Nazie al city of South Wales, 1.)

fo coincide with Uns was 'Don't torture chambers. He dot-bear the siren

WAAN SUH

worly about that now, I'll clear it hall an hour to go before the even- con-, jug performance was due to begin,

m the morning." up With but already the local Owatre WES

in-half filled

all

There

When the anti-aircraft guns. SO started to thump the customers

exchanged anrious glances.

As it turned out there was htt

the

for

depths of a hard winter to stoge shows bang in the middle of red- hot Army targets.

have

been

Sing-song parties 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 In rude hut-theatres but before | audiences of troops who have lov-

ed every minute of the 'show.

One party stopped when a low- flying aeroplane appeared to be. about to land, thinking the pilot might be a Britisher in need いや assistance As soon as they were spotted, however, they were red

01.

and made for the nearest police is They hopped back into their car

station.

a

They frequently dress in tents. by candle light, in stables, cow- sheds, or any place that is handy.

Them directions helped the pobee and military authorities to capture the crew of disabled German bomber which had been The tension definitely broke at eventually forced to land few that. Everybody roared The

miles away. cheered audience

almost every word m the show from then on, It was more like a gala night."

Actors and audience Anally got

Some of the ENSA artists play- out near midnight. There was no ing to the fighting services in Brit- how the next day, while repairs ain now, underwent their baptism to the theatre were put in hand. of fre in France during the ter-. but on the following day the com-rible winter that

preceded the pany played to a bumper matinee

German "push.” audience.

ted the Reich with centration camps. every Nazi excess his fluence has grown, that in certain eventualit- ies he may become the they could do. The man 08 the

door came in with the news that most powerful man in

AL incendiaries were showering. Germany, He commands ready there was a ring of fire

theatre. Safer the police and the around

everybody to stay put,

They played, over there, in black-uniformed Schutz- Behind the curtain the company

Before the end of the woeck, des- |

and oh pite further raids, the business was chapels, churches, bakeries regiments, which had already decided to carry

even in country inns. But even 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

turned Understudies its moments in Britain. But for- to offer as dressing accommodation in up.

tunately most of the theatres as the building recently were pressed into service.

There was a feverish five-min- which have been badly damaged over to an ENSA party "Some- were where in England.' The building ute rehearsal, while bombs and have been hit while they

was a mortuary! guns pounded away. The curtain empty.

The blitz hardly ever shuts a A stage comprising board; pre- went up to the feeble applause of

froni a Tearful, yet für

panic-show. Stage folk have found that cariously perched on barrels is no stricken audience.

une wisecrack is worth any amount isolated experience. of of speeches from serious-face<l in managers. The spirit of George Robey, who calmed a badly frigh-

staffel

the army. Most sinister of all, he heads the Gestapo,| the secret police feared by great and small.

hot

hit on the theatre.

thinking

show on a

When Austria fell,

A girl from one company which Now let Leşlic Banks, star Himmler's Gestapo arriv-

recently put over the show, and' British soldier ed alongside of, and in

crude stage of this kind said after;. the last War take up the story. some cases even ahead of,

"The first 20 minutes was a jum-tened audience in London during wards, "It was a bit hard on the ble. The fact that we had two the last War by rolling his eyes tap-dancer, but we go through the

"shur-OK. invading troops. understudies making their debut upwards and murmuring

If anybody had played; .I think I Since then, the Gestapo under fire, not at all sure of their rup" as a zeppelin bomb fell too Roll out the Barrel,

a bit close for comfort, still lives behind | should have screamed." parts and quite naturally has moved into Poland, Jumpy kept the minds of the rest the footlights.

Billets for which advance ar Belgium and the 'Nether- of the company from

Quite a crowd of British actors

always easy to find. Frequently lands. Now it is Norway's about the probability of a bomb and actresses have actually courtangements can be made are not h

ed danger and acute discomfort it is necessary to make long_night turn. Application of the Slowly we were winning the by enrolling with the Entertain-tramps looking for accommodation, be reduced to Mone Himmler methods will not confidence of the audience, but ments National Service Associa- which may

things looked pretty grim when ation (ENSA), the organisation res- small room for five girls.. be easy in a country of couple of high explosives fellinear ponsible for carrying the theatre One party found that the only widely dispersed villages, enough to rock the theatre on its to Army and Air Force camps, to available place in which to stay for the few days during which poor communications and

their show was scheduled to run

"small room was a

tiny in the imbued with a wholesome "hatred of spies and spy- ing. But the efficiency of the Gestapo machine is undeniable. Its progress somebody but in front.giggled. in Norway is being mark- Then everybody laughed, I think red by a new trail of blood the company would have gone on

while the theatre burned aflä and suffering,

that. It was a grand giggle.

foundations.

"Then there occurred one of those happy coincidences. Just as a particularly big wallop sounded had to say, 'Well, I think I'd better be going now."

-- "A Grand Giggle

Naval barracks and to arms munitions factories, ..

and

"The experiences of these hither- to soft-living, pampered idols or the Hans form a worth-while cottage of an old lady who lived chapter for Inclusion In'any mod- ern history of the theatre.

Concert Parties Gunned

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 from black-out conditions during the woll some distance away.

a