Folie Parisienne was the second presentation at the French Casino New York in September 1935. It was transferred to the Miami Beach French Casino in January 1936 and was then the opening show at the London Casino in April 1936. It was a highly elaborate mix of spectacle, ballet and speciality acts with fashion shows, dog shows, butterflies, fountains, a carpet of roses, aerialists, dancers and as usual a magnificent array of mannequins and chorus girls.
Clifford C. Fischer, the originator of the French Casino Project
One of the most picturesque figures in show business, Clifford C. Fischer was an internationally distinquished booking agent and producer who really made a name for himself staging spectacular stage shows as part of the French Casino theatre-restaurant project in the mid 1930s.
Variously described as the ‘liveliest man in show business’, ‘showman par excellence’ and ‘the Florenz Ziegfeld of Europe,’ Edmund Sayag arose to prominence in the mid 1920s owning or managing several prestigious European venues. He was hailed for putting Ostend back on the map and making Les Amabassadeur café-restaurant in Paris, the world’s most famous night-time rendezvous for the rich and famous.
At Christmas, traditional pantomime ruled theatres nationwide, but some interesting and curious Christmas fairy plays also emerged after the turn of the century including such delights as Peter Pan, Where the Rainbow Ends, The Blue Bird and Make Believe. Another big success was the charming production of The Windmill Man, which at its heart was a quaint moral tale condeming selfishness. Produced by the actor Bert Coote it was given its first performance on 26th December 1921 at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
