12.00 USD
This card was posted in 1937 from Sarajevo, but we believe the image dates to a few years earlier. Gorgeous Soubrette Rosy Barsony was an Hungarian actress, singer and dancer. Born in Budapest, in 1909, she was very popular as a performer in operettas (in this case, light musical comedies). At the height of her fame, she lived and worked in Berlin. Below is a link to a wonderful Youtube soundbite of "Oh Mister Brown," a number out of "Ball im Savoy," a 1932 three act operetta by Paul Abraham, in which Fraulein Barsony appeared with her husband and constant working partner Oszkar Denes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-PWn63GbrU
We hope you were able to hear this one. They were marvelous together. Oh, how we wish we could take a short trip back and sit in the theater to experience this performance. The scat by Denes is a perfection of timing! This is very much the sort of performance that brought joy into the hearts of Berliners (not pastries! :), during those very difficult times. It also gives you a feel for the period during which the musical "Cabaret" is set.
Even more in keeping with the mood and plot of Cabaret, is the fact that Paul Abraham, the composer, Oszkar Denes, and Rosy Barsony were all Jews, living under the dark clouds of Nazi persecution which were growing ever stronger in those last years before Hitler's assumption of power.
In 1933, once Hitler took power, Miss Barsony applied to the UFA for a work permit which enabled her to continue working as a Jew in Germany. In 1935, the permit was revoked, and she and her husband left for Austria, where she agitated against the German annexation of Austria, both on stage, and out in the public eye.
Eventually they were forced to leave Austria for Italy, where they lived and worked in Milan, although in 1937, Italian authorities closed down the production "Zizi" because she and Oszkar, the stars of the show, were both Jewish.
The two survived the madness of those years, however, and although we weren't able to track the later years of Oszkar Denes, we know that Miss Barsony (presumably with her husband), returned to Austria, continued to work into the 50s, and died in Vienna, in 1977.
A great card with a very gentle crease in the upper central portion.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.
Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!