Evening star., 1942-10-07
Zip, Zip Yaphank S
Dance Veterans Back
In Army Chorus
Have Maintained Nimble
Feet to Put on Same
Routine as Of 1918

What Is probably the oldest
chorus line in the theater is getting
roars of applause all this week
from audiences at This Is the
Army" at the National Theater.
The average age is S. and the
average number of grandchildren is
correspondingly high. But the vet
Grams of Irving Berlins 1918 war
show, "Yip, Zip, Yaphank," have
still got what it takes. They were
pulled from hooks and crannies of
the show world to do exactly the
same skit they did at Camp Upton
Is years ago. One of the II men in
that skit was Irving Berlin. He
makes his only appearance in the
current Army relief show as he
sings the identical song he sang
in the World War, "Oh, How I Hate
to Get Up in the Morning"
Finding the same men was easy
for Mr.. Berlin. They had all kept
together anyway, meeting every
month at Corpl. John Murphy S
dance studio in the Strand Theater
IN New York
Take Pride in Condition.
'We used to challenge each other
to see what condition we were in
explained Jack Riano. ,
See" he said, and tumbled on
the narrow dressing floor. Pencils,
nickels and keys flew from his
pockets as he twirled and bumped
in an intricate acrobatic routine.
then got up with plenty of breath
to spare
Each Of the II had been a dancer
before World War I, and each of
them went back to the stage after
they were mustered out. Curiously
enough. they were all in New York
when Mr.. Berlin first called for
them last May.
Il was corpse No. 2 in Arsenic
and Old Lace just before I Joined
This Is the Army" said Alexis
Sousloff.
Bob Mcdonald and Paul O'Neil
had been masters of ceremonies in
New York night clubs, Bert Spencer
a Broadway dancer and sound man.
Mr.. Riano speciality dancer in Max
Gordon's Sunny River" Lee Har-
mon a radio script writer. Bob
Adams and Peter Burns Broadway
actors and Jack Dillon a night club
and vaudeville circuit man.
Corpl. Murphy hired a big studio
TO give dancing lessons and grad
ually the veterans began to congre-
gate there for dancing Jam ses-
sions."
Veterans Needed Call.
1T was composition dancing" ex-
planned Mr. Riano. "One fellow
would do step and then the next
fellow would do harder step"
Corpl. Murphy was getting ready
to have the dancers up for another
session one day, he said, when he
noticed call for "Yip, Zip, Yap-
hank veterans in a Broadway COL
umn. Within three days, spurred
by admiring relatives, the crew was
In rehearsal.
Mr.. Riano has a grown grand
daughter doing specially dance at
the Radio Center Music Hall in
New York At SO he is the oldest
OF that sprightly chorus line. Bob
Mcdonald admits to being the
youngest. He's only so.
The veterans have loved being
with the sho wand with the 300
other youngsters in the cast. They
still love the Army, they said, and
it seems like old times to be taking
orders from Corpl Murphy.
Corpl. Murphy is not sparing with
with the show and with the 300
boys" could pose for a picture he
swept rehearsal group off the
stage, silenced the orchestra and
placed himself in front of the group.
Now give your names to the pho
tographer, men, he roared, but
don't give no life history"