Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-10
NO DUDS OR DUBS IN
JANIS SOLDIER SHOW
eIsie's Bombproof Revue Is Not
Laugh-Proof Nor Jazz
. Proof Either

r,o nroner strategic slant for a re-
.,nr IN take in describing and es-
,uis,ot;ng the "bombproof revue OF
t,4sis tn,Tis;e Janis and Her Gang" would
ta d;ecuss IL in terms of laugh bar
pc so in thc Garrick dugout, etc. But
Ias.S;s thought has doubtless occurred
~ ali the morning newspaper critics
~ ;s no alternative left for the the
Iaeihu Iio,i ranortcrs Of the afternoon press
s.. ~ 20 saw. in the simple diction OF the
nnt w oI,sical comedy criticism 1T
hlgn1. 'om cold at referring to
nnoenu Mo eonsgrepated efforts of Miss Janis and
NV donpbboy aides and en- TO the
~. l;once There isn't dud in the
duu,, tsow we hope nobody else has thought
saVM .h.t line. Nor dub. They admit
that themselves, which makes it unanl-
~yTik Iinlike most of the soldier shows
,rb;cb Philadelphia audiences have ap-
u,anded ther is nothing amateur about
h;s Janis revue. IL has quite the
urrofessional touch despite the fact that
rone of the gang ever engaged in
n,ayocting or commercial song ana :
dancing prior to the time they put
un their right hands in order to get
into the recent unpleasantness with
10th feet. There is nice naturalness
about the proceedings and the person
nel which makes the one spontaneous
and tbe other agreeably engaging. MISS
Janis authenticates the statement that
every man of the gang was over
seas with the a. E. IF. Some she
ricked for good looks, some for versa
,nu .ouoo because they could double in
;azz. ;rn for all the world like picking n
ssborns for n musical comedy except for
the gender.
The revue has as many airs. duets
and concerted numbers as an old fash
ioned Italian opera, which it resem-
hes also in consecutiveness and logi =
cality of plot and characterization. 1t
has that other merit of old fashioned
opera, too. of melodies that are melo-
dous. The episodes, lightly and
loosely connected, showed the divert
ipg side of the serious job that took
the A. e. +. to France. Some songs,
'The NJ. p. =" "Apres la Guerre,' and
others touched with likable irony vari-
Gus phases of the war. Then there were
some of romance and sentiment, such
as Somewhere in America and
Songs We Sang" The comedy was
always sprightly and often richly hui
morous. At some of the Exits, notably
the Irritation scene in the Paris park,
there was u noticeably basso or bari
tone quality to the laughter. but what
called it forth, though intimate, was
not indicate, and most of the jokes
could be enjoyed unGerstandingly by
those who laugh soprano or alto. The
E high and novel level of humor may be
judged by the fact that there was no
scratching for even one cootie wheeze.
Miss Janis, merry as a grig in her
songs and patter and graceful as a
gazelle in her dancing, was a strong
competitor for honors with her gang"
which almost ran away with her show
when she wasn't, running away with
it herself, Far beith decision from us.
Even the attitude of the audience gave
no guidance; it applauded everything
rapturously--and deservedly
The Pennsylvania Department,
AmericanAbegien, was out in force, the
rank in the upper boxes and the file
distributed from the parquet TO the gal
lery. The navy paid its tribute, too.