I have always been fascinated by Weimar Republic cabaret and its luminary performers, one of the most famous being Margo Lion. It is suggested with some justification that Lion was the model for Marlene Dietrich’s persona in ‘The Blue Angel’ and for her publicly ambiguous sexuality. Certainly the two sang the famed lesbian song ‘Wenn die beste Freundinn’ as a duet in 1928, two years before ‘Der blaue Engel’. I have uploaded this performance as ‘Marlene Dietrich, Margo Lion and Oskar Karlweiss - 'Wenn die beste Freundinn' (1928)’ at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaGXFPUf_tU. I have also uploaded, from the 1931 film ‘Nie wieder Liebe’, footage of Margo Lion singing Mischa Soliansky’s sentimental ‘Lebe ohne Liebe kannst du nicht’ in a working-class night club - the performance has a real resonance for the world of Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin stories. This film interestingly is one of the first to show a black couple romancing each other, as equals with other romantic pairings in the cabaret audience. I’ve titled this video ‘Margo Lion (1899-1989) - Weimar Republic Cabaret Singer and Actress’ at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-p-tQnEUW0. Finally there is film of Lion singing in a more upmarket cabaret in the mid to late 1930s as ‘Margo Lion (1899-1989) - A Night Club Performance’ at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQj-K4lST20 This video of this upload here has a number of segments from the 1931 Joseph Pabst French language version of ‘The Three Penny Opera’ - ‘Opéra de Quat’Sous’ - in which Margo Lion starred as Jenny. I have edited together all the scenes in which Lion appeared, including that of her singing ‘Seeräuber Jenny’ (‘Pirate Jenny’) at 7.09 minutes. I think these segments hang together to tell her story in the film, a synopsis of which I’ll give here: [1] Brothel setting, then Jenny steps out into the street with Macheath, her ex-lover, and as they stand in the doorway of the brothel, Macheath spots Polly Peachum and her mother. He gestures to Jenny to go back into the brothel and pursues mother and daughter down the street. [2] Jenny goes to a restaurant to which Machete has taken Polly and her mother. She is refused entry at the door. [3] The brothel seeing again, Jenny and the other prostitutes are waiting around for business - sewing, playing cards, reading magazines and so on. Macheath arrives and the prostitutes join him. Jenny comes in and sarcastically congratulates Macheath on his marriage to Polly. He gives her a cup of coffee, and she reads his hand. He suggests she will see only good, nothing bad, but the prostitute predicts difficulties lie ahead. He is angered and prepares to leave but is encouraged to stay and drink and flirt by some of the other resident ladies of the night. Jenny opens a window and signals to Mrs Peachum, a detective and two police officers waiting outside to come in. She then sings the famous "Seeräuber Jenny" (Pirate Jenny). Machete listens and tells her to remember the times they spent together - he is unchanged. The police break in but Macheath manages to escape … and meet another prostitute in the street. They go off together. He is caught later. Jenny visits him in goal and manages to help Machete escape. Enjoy!

• published: 03 Dec 2014
• views: 19