South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-27
Legion FrOHc
Scores Success
On Initial Day
Record Crowds Tax Capacity
of Blackstone - Three
Shows Today.
AND IT WENT OVER BIG!


Of the Spring Frolic given by South 1
Bend Post No. 90 OF the Ameri- I
| can Legion saw the curtain rise be- 4
fore a packed auditorium at the 4
Blackstone theater yesterday. aft /
| ernoon and evening. The home 4
| folks turned out TO let the boys IN .
/ the legion know that the days or .
/ their courage and endurance back 4
| in IT and IS were still fresh pic I
lures IN their memories.
over the Top the title OF the I
minstrel show comprising the first .
/ act, sure did go lover the top with .
I the audience. Paul Knox Collins. /
! otherwise known as "Cupie," acted 4
/ as interlocutor and was immediate
I " spotted" on the curtains rise /
/ Although making his debut on the
= stage before a South Bend audience, /
/ Mr.. Collins appeared not at all fius-
tered. and charmed his audience BY
/ his usual easy composure. The song
/ numbers he introduced NOT as they
/ appeared on the program. but with
/ clever catch titles. to-wit: Bob
Swintz was slated 10 sing Never
/ Let No one Gal Worry Your Mind"
but the title of the song with which
he was introduced by Mr.. Collins
was. she's Only a Moonshiner's
/ Daughter. But 1 Love Her Still"
] Only a little ruse, which he en-
ployed in introducing the other
/ singers, but it kept the audience
guessing.
Richards Makes Hit.
Clam Cunningham Pete Strang,
Diehl Martin and Bob Swintz as
end men, showed as many little
professional tricks as any old-tme
minstrel men. Their lines paruc-
ularly were more clever, full OF
laughs and a lot cleaner than most
Of the minstrel shows appearing
here this season.
The ''sOngsters and gangsters'
consisted Of Messrs. Smoke, Goeoel
Barlick, De Witt, Vanderbeck,
Erickson, Chapman, Leonard, Whit
comb. Klockow and Richards Fred
/ Mcknight, who acted as bugler,
brought UP visions Of camp and
trench life.
Some of the "hits" were Don
Richards in That Old Irish Mother
of Mine" Richards has a voice or
rare quality. together with the fac
ulty of giving expression and appeal
I to the words, but could hardly be
heard in remote corners of the aud
itorium. Perhaps a little softer or
chestral accompaniment would ala
him somewhat. Others who drew
rounds of applause were Diehl Mar
tin in his presentation Of Nanny,
and asleep in the Deep" a bass
solo by G. Goebel, Il Never Knew
Could Love Anybody" sung by Glen
Cunningham, and Home Again
Blues" which was ragged by Pete
Strang. We mustn't tell about the
finale. or it will spoil the surprise
for those who attend this evening.
THE Battle of Blaaaaa."
During the internission. Jimmie
Cover sang 1.-THE Bells OF st.
ATary's." responding 20 an encore
with The Barefoot Trail Lucille
Variar followed with a rendition Of
"Carissima," repeating the chorus OF
the song as an encore. The quartet
/ which listed themselves as -Four
Of a Kind, in Harmony" was COM
posed Of Cunningham, Wh1tcomo'
Richards and Smoke. All three or
these numbers were so wen received
that the audience was hardly salts
fed with one encore.
The last act was a farce entitled,
"The Battle of BIaaaaa." the set
ting. Nowhere, the time, 400 a. m
|rThe cast included John De Witt as
Private Cuspidor; II r. Klockow'
/ Gen. Delivery; Robert CHAPMAN.
Corp. Doolttle; Harold J. Metzler,
a spy: JIM and Q. Leonard, guards.
/ No particular plot is woven into the
act but the comedy is battered out
IS fast as the missiles shooting past
the spy.
The spirit Of 1918" was rep
resented in pantomime by the sol
der. the sailor, the Red Cross and
the Y. ". G. A, and these four were
Joined by a marine and other signift-
cant figures in the portrayal Of
"The Spirit of 1921" American
Legion. Well All Follow You" sung
/ ensemble, was the last number be
fore the order TO "Demobilize.'
Preceding the F'rolic, moving
picture. Tom Moore in Made in
Heaven" one of the best comedy
dramas ever seen at the Blackstone
was shown. The manager Of the
theater. +. G.. BerksOn, deserves
commentator not only for the way
i'm which the crowds were handled
but for billing a picture Of this class
while the "Frolic" Is being given.
If you didn't see the "FTolic' last
night, go tonight or this afternoon.
Give the boys a little encouragement
IN this. their first theatrical p-o-
duction." It's well worth the price
asked.
SURE IT WENT OVER BIG