Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-11
Sons Of Fun
Leap to Fame
From Cutler
Olsen. Johnson Become
Stage CindereIIas
By DAMON RUNYON

TNHE conversation was Of IA
l. NOUS Cinderella stories OF
show business on bNgone days
OF how obscure performers were
overnight transformed into great
stars, usually by some strange
freak Of circumstances.
II seemed 10 be the general
opinion of those engaged in the
discussion, mostly past and pres
ent show people, that accidents
OF that kind could no longer
happen, when up spoke an old
timer with the declara ton that
there is now current in the
American theater the greatest
example Of the Cinderella thing
in history.
He said he referred to Ole Oh
sen and Chick Johnson, and
after due consideration the cir
Gle had 10 agree that he was
probably right. There are few.
If any, parallels in the ANNALS
OF the American amusement
world 10 match the story of this
pair of small time performers
who came out Of the high grass
of their profession with nothing
to sell but corr" or old fash
Toned stuff 10 stand Broadway
on its ear and to draw millions
of dollars.
OLSEN and Johnson are men
" of middle age whose future
in the theatrical business might
reasonably have been considered
pretty much behind them when
they hit the big town few short
years ago with "Hellzapoppin."
the daffiest presentation ever
seen within the four walls of a
theater.
AS matter of fact. their fu-
ture was still behind them as
far as some of the theatrical
critics were concerned when they
sat down to review the crazy
show.
1t Is now Broadway history
that Walter Winchell was
largely responsible for the sue
cess of "Hellzapoppin" because
he persisted in proclaiming it
great entertainment despite the
adverse comment of other critics
and the public subsequently ap-
proved his judgment.
That it must have been sound
Is indicated by the fact that even
without Olsen and johnson
"Hellzapoppin" continued a sue
cess on Broadway and through
out the country. The pair left
their show to come to Hollywood
to make the picture. "Hellza-
poppin." which is also hopping
up wherever it is being shown
and to play Sons of Fun" now
running on Broadway.
THEY made another picture
l. years ago when they were
having some success in vaude-
vile but you could scarcely say
that 1t created any of the figure
Of the present "Hellzapoppin"
Of the screen. As a matter of
fact. il was flop.
They also Topped in radio.
Vaudeville died and the pair
were facing a dark outlook in
1886 when they were invited TO
appear at the annual Hellzapop-
pin Festival at Buckley. Ariz.
Out of that came the idea and
the name for the show that was
TO become theatrical wildfire.
They first played it in Phila-
delphia and a lot OF American
Legionnaires were on hand TO
give them some sort of parch-
ment or scroll by way Of thanks
for one of their myriad benefit
endeavors. The veterans marched
up and down the aisles in uni
form with flags waving and a
band playing and there was
quite an uproar generally and
Lee Shubert, the New York
theatrical magnate who was in
the audience catching the show,
hurried back stage and signed
the show fer New York.
Afterwards. Lee admitted he
thought the Legion was part of
the regular performance and
that without the attending
racket he might not have been
interested.
OLSEN and Johnson first met
" in the office OF a music pub
Usher in Chicago in 1914. Ole,
bonafide graduate OF North
western. was a member OF an
, act called the Four Collegians,
and Chic was a piano player.
They teamed as an act, Ole
playing broken down violin and
Chic working the piano with a
little ventriloquism and some
singing TO early film slides on
the side. They were not good.
They played small time cafes
and theaters and got their first
important booking on the PAN
tages circuit. Not until they
conceived the idea OF having the
star performers on a bill
"stooge" for them in a take-off
on the headliners' own routine
did they commence TO attract