Evening star., 1943-04-14
266 Entertainers Tou|
Uncle Sam's Vast
Vaudeville Circuit
Stors Going Overseas
Brave Death, and Some
Have Been Killed

The biggest vaudeville circuit in
The world" has pretty important
mpresario-Uncle Sam-and he's in
the show business for the duration,
entertaining Americas fighting men
throughout the world.
The Office of War Information
today released the first overall
story of the overseas work of USO-
Camp Shows-a tale of sacrifice by
266 entertainers playing" a circuit
that follows the battle lines.
Gen. John J. Pershing was re-
ported to have said once, Give me
1000 soldiers who are entertained
rather than 10000 who have re-
ceived no entertainment"
The Owl said the 266 entertainers
in As units sent to perform for troops
overseas have travelled through sub
marine-infested waters and many
have gone to the front.
Five Die in Plane Accidents.
Three travelling USO entertainers
Maxine March, tap dancer; Chris
tine Street, accordionist and singer,
and Adelaide Joy, singing come
dienne-were killed in a Royal Ca
madam Air Force accident near VAN
couver, British Columbia, March 27.
Two others, Tamara, singer, and
Roy Rognan, comedian and dancer,
lost their lives February % in the
crash of the Yankee Clipper in the
TaguS River at Lisbon.
In the traditional spirit of the
theater-"the show must go on
survivors of the Lisbon crash are
making plans to continue their
work, the Owl reported.
The overseas units are an out
growth of the USO shows in the
United States and represent new
chapter in Americas S show business.
Plane for Transportation.
Transportation presented the first
difficulties. In october, 1941, how
ever, the Army provided a Bib
transport plane. The USO named
it the Flying Showboat," filled it
with Mitzi Mayfair, Jane Pickens,
Ray Bolger, Stan Laurel, Oliver
Hardy, John Garfield, Chico Marx
and Louis Polenski and sent it out
for a 13,00O-mile tour of Caribbean
posts.
Soon troupes were playing all
over the worldly candlelight on a
submarine, in the middle of
cricket field, in air-raid shelters
anywhere fighting men may be.
Not only the name" stars of the
stage and screen toured the fronts.
but the magicians, ventriloouists and
others who proved that vaudeville
is not dead-and the boys loved
them all
Accommodations Supplied by Army.
The entertainers are transported,
fed and lodged free of charge by
the War Department. But as far
as remuneration is concerned. Owl
said, they are asked to help the
USO-Camp Shows staff determine
which of three categories the enter
tainers should be in.
First are the guest stars" celeb
rites of the stage, screen and radio.
who receive $40 a day for expenses.
These are the stars who back home
might make $4,000 a week.
Then there are the s-known
entertainers who cannot afford to
donate their services but are willing
to work for less than they would
earn at home. Many, for instance.
who might make $500 to $1,000 a
week are earning 500 week with
the USO shows.
Other entertainers work for sal
aries about the same as they might
earn in the United States. Thus
it is that an almost unknown vaude-
vile artist might make S1O0 week
with the USO shows and a famous
star will be getting only $40 a day.
Baggage an Influence.
The question of baggage plays an
important part in determining what
entertainers will be sent abroad Be-
cause of weight limitations, for in
stance, an artist whose speciality was
an elephant act might be left be-
hind in favor of a flute player
Hard-put sometimes, for name"
stars, the USO-Camp Shows have
voluntary "AdZvisory Talent
Booking Committee" made up of
vaudeville show buyers for Para