Dela Lipinskaja

Dela Lipinskaja was one of the cabaret stars of  Weimar Germany, but since then she seems to have disappeared from collective memory. This page is an attempt to reverse the process.  She was born in "Russia" and died in the "United States". (Very helpful info, no?)

She appeared in Berlin the mid-1920s in the cabarets Rakete (Rocket), Charlott-Kasino (Charlotte Casino) & Kabarett der Komiker (Comedians' Cabaret) (1)

She was in the cast of the 1926 documentary movie "Der Tonfilm"  (Movie with Sound) (Note that she was still a minor!)

In 1928 she was the prima donna (not bad for a 21-year-old!) of that fall's Haller Revue. The  Haller Revue's August opening was considered to inaugurate the cultural season. (2)

She was also involved in the Polish sound film "The Morals of Mrs. Dulski" in 1930.

She corresponded with Kurt Tucholsky, who wrote song lyrics for her.

Her performance of Feb. 22, 1933 at the "Curiohaus" in Hamburg resulted in an antisemitic screed in the "Hamburger Tageblatt" that resulted in her being forbidden to perform in public by the Nazi regime. Thereafter, she worked within the framework of the Judisches Kulturbund (Jewish Cultural Union), before Jewish-only audiences. This work took her to Rhein-Main, Rhein-Ruhr, Cassel, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg.

She's listed in the 1933 Vienna telephone book: Dela Lipinskaja-Nevolin - Theresianumgasse 33, Vienna IV tel 40-0-53 (3)

Between 1934 and 1937 she appeared several times in Leipzig, sponsored by the Kulturbund, as well as at the cabaret "Der bunte Karren" (The Colorful Cart). She performed a solo concert called "Petit Fours" in which Walter Lajtai accompanied her (4)

She performed in Vienna in 1937, at the Curhauscabaret, and in Schevingen, the Netherlands

In 1938 she gave Kulturbund concerts in Duesseldorf and Breslau,  with chansons by Fred Endrikat, Joachim Ringelnatz, Curt Bry, Herbert Witt; Erich Kästner, and Werner Finck

She emigrated to Great Britain. In May 1944, she played in Peter Herz' "Blue Danube Club" in "Der blaue Vogel" (The Blue Bird). She also performed for the Austrian Labour Club (5).

May 1945 saw her in an "All Star Concert" at London's Coway Hall. Other performers were Sybille Binder, Agnes Bernelle, and Fritzi Schadl 

In December 1948 she was the soloist in a benefit concert for the Association of Jewish Refugees in London. She emigrated to the US shortly thereafter.

In the 1940s and '50s, she often performed with Hilda Loew-Flatter (6)

New Year's Eve 1952, she was part of "Continental Star Parade" at New York's Town Hall (7)

(1) Unless otherwise stated, information from Volker Kuehn with many thanks
(2) Lincoln Eyre, The New York Times,  Aug. 6, 1928  p. 29. Thanks to the New York Public Library's music division for the copy.
(3)  Many thanks to Celia Male for looking this up. The impetus to look came from reference (6), which describes her as having emigrated from Vienna.
(4)  Many thanks to Martina Wilke, Carlebach Stiftung Leipzig
(5) In 2005, the table of contents of "London Information: Of the Austrian Socialists in Great Britain. Der österreichischen Sozialisten in England" was online and crawled by Google. This reference is from issue 3 of 1944. There is also an article Dela Lipinskaya: International Songs in issue 1.
(6) Dialog mit Bibliotheken, 18, 2006 Nr. 2, biography of Hilde Loew-Flatter, p. 37
(7) New York Times, Jan. 1, 1953 p 18. Thanks to the New York Public Library's music division for the copy.