The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-17
BY Jack Gayer

Olsen and Johnson are back on
Broadway running Wild as usual in
one of those berSerk musical eS-
trayaganzaS with which they have
been tied up over since they did
"Hellzapoppin" six years ago. II
You lilic .. and j., "Laffins Room
Only is you dish.
The new production i cut on the
same pattern as the original, al
though considerably more has been
spent ON it In the way Of costumes
aud scenery. ole and Chic are in
it early aud they're the last ones
off the stage. They work overtime
keeping the continuous stream of
gags, practical jokes and song
numbers going at n mad pace de
signed to beat the customers into n
condition where he'll laugh at any
thing, word that just about de
Scribes the contents Of the show.
one Of the main running gags Of
the current production il based on
Mrs. Eleanor ROoSevelt's travelling
prOcliNitieS. An actress Cor two
made up To resemble the First Lady
is constantly popping mp in the
proceedings, saying nothing but
beaming M the audience as she
quickly exits. she is shown com
ing ont Of coal mine, In Pull
man berth, descending from an air
shin and otherwise making her
presence keenly felt
There is another running gag
based on the play Harvey" In
this a man made mp To resemble
Frank Fay, star OF the play, up-
pears at various spots in the the
alter from time to time holding
rabbits. At first II Is two. then -four,
six. etc. All he does is call plain
lively for Harvey, the invisible six
foot RABBIT who consOrts only with
boozcm companions.
As usual, much Of the action
takes place in the audience, with
stooges bobbing up everywhere TO
point up what the producers hope
will be a bit Of funny business.
There Is audience participation in
dance with the chorines and Il
dressing and undressing race be
tween two Scrvicemen selected
from the audience. Frank Lihuse,
who has become famous as n fake
waiter who insults guests at night
clubs. Is in several sketches on and
off the stage. Before the show
opcns he wanders around playing
usher aud getting patrons mixed
up and between acts he and some
cohorts take over one Of the boxes
and hurlesque the antics OF play
goers.
The production numbers are biz
and flashy, including those built
around such songs as "llooray
for Anywhere" Go Down TO Bos-
ton Harbor," stop That Dane
ing" 'Fussin', Feudin'. and Fight
in".' There Is Betty Garretto sing
the songs and that fine team of
Malta and Hari 10 give the proper
satirical dance interpretations.
This q. and J. exhibit leaves me
several degrees colder than even
lis Two predecessors did, l suppose
it will be the usual gold mine. The
Shuherts, Olsen and Johnson are
the producers.
Wanna be a Salome? II yor
don't. you're a man. Ever since
Producer Frank Ross had an artist
whip up a portrait of what he
thought the infamous siren OF The
Robe should look like. ladies from
one end OF the land to the other be-
gan rigging themselves up in the
Ritchen curtains and having their
pictures taken.
Ross is now digging himself out
of the heap.
We thought Ross could save him.
self lot of trouble by Just hiring
Gene Tierney for the Job, and We
said So II made him mad. This
time, he said, crossing his heart
and hoping to die. it was really