The sun., 1919-03-25
LETS BEAT IT. HAS
MARCHERS UP LATE
Soldier Actors and Crowd in
Century Theatre Belated by
Officers Dinners.

II occasionally a tall and handsome
youth staggers bit sleepily when he
marches up Fifth avenue this morning
in the Twenty-seventh parade, don't
blame him. He is probably ono Of the
chorus OF the divisional show. Lets
Beat It." which danced its way into his
tory this morning at an early hour. The
tall lad has had less sleep than he got
in funk hole over there while waiting
to take a crack at Fritzie.
When along in the witching hour of II
+. NJ. the old town clock was striking a
theatre curfew over Broadway Lets
Beat II" was Just letting the curtain
down on the first act. and there were
things being said back stage about on
GERS dinners that wouldn't have looked
good in print. For the officers were all
good time until about 9 o'clock. and the
curtain went up some time after. When
II went down for the last time only
those who waited for the desperate An
ish can ever know.
But aside from that Lets Beat It"
was almost as good a show as you
Know Me. AL" the dancing and singing
affair which the division staged Just be-
fore II went abroad. That was written
while the division was training at Camp
Wadsworth. So pleased was Gen. Organ
with the performance that he organized
the men into a divisional troupe unit to
entertain the men in rest billets. They
brought their songs from New York and
got their dresses in Paris, and that
should be a good enough combination
for anybody.
Wounded Among the Actors.
When the division went into action
the men OF the entertainment unit took
their part also in advance dressing sta
lions and as stretcher bearers, and a
number Of stars after the names OF per
formers on the programme last night
showed that they had been wounded.
But that 1t had not detracted one bit
from their dancing agility and their
ability to sing a bit was evident
This show was written during rest
periods and the music was beaten out
on battered old piano that happened
to fall to their lot In the battle zone.
Most of the second act was composed
in q billet near the St. Quentin Canal
at Bellicourt. few days after the Ger
mans had been driven out in some OF the
hottest fighting of the war. The book
was from the pen Of Private Harry Crib
BILE and Lieut.. William A. Halloran. Jr..
and the music came from Privates Will
lam j. Whitman, Burton Hamilton, Eric
krebs and Sid Marion.
AS for those in the cast Lets Beat
II" can boast OF one OF the snappiest
red headed soubrettes that ever pranced
in a bathing suit at a musical comedy
seaside. Her name was Private L. A.
Crawford, and she was there, but when
she talked one was grievously disap-
Iointed In Kitty.
There was a young ingenue named
Private Walter Roberts, who looked
rather good for a time also and Eric
Krebs, besides being a composer. bios
somed as temperaJnental child named
Rita something or other. But after q
time one noticed Rud's feet.
Big FEET Not HIS Fault.
We'll. what do you expect" growled
Private Tommy Brennan of the artillery,
after ten months in trench boots.
Good night"
There were girls In that chorus that
one wouldn't want to meet In a dark
place at night and others that needed
only to keep silence to make one imagine
| that Flo Zeigfeld had overlooked some
thing. But one made large bet after
! watching them do three encores that
the next time they go to a regular show
they will have heap more respect for
! the endurance of any little girl. Climb
Ing hill in front of a machine gun
| is lot less trying to the wind than
kicking the right leg in the air an in
| definite number OF times while looking
as II one had been brought up that way.
There were a number OF songs, tune
full and we'll sung by Private Jack
Roche. who has curly hair and every
thing just like Donald Brian Private
| Harry Sharpe, who has a tenor voice
| and wound stripe he is proud of. and
| Private Howard Plassman. the jazz
singer OF the troupe.
Major-Gen. Organ and members OF
his family occupied box. and II was
| evident that the General thinks we'll of
his official entertainers. for he grinned
| with delight. especially when a husky
chorus girl with pair of legs that
| would do Justice to any Jerry chaser in
the army. tumbled heels over head in
| the midst of a dance