Evening star., 1942-09-27

but rather the solid and
glowing approval of seasoned play
goers who have labeled it the last
comedy of this generation.
Irving Berlin was invited by the
War Department to write success
sor to World War rs "Yip. Yip Yap-
hank" The composer was the spark
plug of that famous Army show,
which netted $83 900 for visitors bar
racks at Camp Upton. Tin Pan AL
ley's most prolific and successful
master of melody threw himself en-
Enthusiastically into the task.
Hollywood Pays Well.
Very soon Army Emergency Relief
became aware that it was in show
business up to the armpits. Holly
wood early recognized the Nation
wide appeal of this attraction, re-
cruited from the citizens army, and
began to bid. Paramount Pictures
made what it considered a most at
tractive offer, with Mark Sandrich
tossed in to produce and direct the
transfer to the screen. Before the
show was one week old Warner Bros.
topped this bid, closed for the mo-
ton picture rights by writing a
check for $250,000 and offering a
sharing arrangement on profits
when This Is the Army" is released
to motion picture theaters. Out of
it all some IS 900 900 Is in sight for
AER.
With Uncle Sam as the producer
300 soldiers, who were formerly
farmers, machinists, lawyers, school
teachers, reporters, bookkeepers and
actors from virtually every section
of the United States, will take over
the stage of the National Theater
next Tuesday night for the begin
ming of the first road engagement.
Warnings Soloist.
Vaudeville agents and bookers
assert there is enough talent in this
khaki organization of entertainers
to completely cast three ordinary
musical comedies. With such an
abundance of soldiers with the gift
to amuse, putting the routine to-
gether for the full evening simply
required taking the high light of each
individuals effort and giving it an
appropriate moment of prominence
One scanning the program viii
find many names that have a ia
miliar ring. Earl Oxford, singing
star of many Broadway productions
figures substantially when the re-
quirement is for vocal embellish-
ment. So does Stewart Churchill
whom many who listened to Fret
Warnings choir on the I pm. net.
work will recognize.
81 Staging of the show devolvet
upon Sergt. Ezra Stone, the "Henr,
Aldrich" of radio, who surrendered
a $1,500 weekly pay check to answer
| the call to the colors. Then there il
Pvt. Phillip Truck, son of the di
minutive comedian, Ernest Truck
Pvt. Joe Cook, jr., comes forward
with an imitation of his famou
fathers one man vaudeville act
Robert Moore, son of Victor Moore
famous stage Vice President; Corpls
Robert Sidney and Nelson Barclif
devised routines; Pvt. James Nc
Coll contributed most of the dia
logue; settings are by Corpl. JOIN
Koening, and the augmented or
chestra of so musicians is conducted
by Sergt. Milton RoSenstock.
Talent Is Discovered.
Oddly enough, Uncle Sam, who
not supposed to know much abou
things theatrical, has turned out t.
be the best talent scout to loon
across the Broadway horizon il
many decades. This soldier hippo
drome discovered Alan Manson, VIII,
had little or no stage experience, bu
who contrives devastating impres
sion of Jane Cowl. James McColl
who contributes the skits, does al
impersonation of Alfred Lunt guar
anteed to be a gem, and Tilestol
Perry has copied the moods ant
mannerisms of Lynn Fontanne t,
perfection.
Once the assignments were mad
there was no grumbling over tn
casting. Naturally" asserts Irwin,
Berlin, 1--WE knew most of the boy
in the show possessed talent. Tn
big job, then, was to pick from thi