Fascinating bit of ephemera fell into my box today.
All you 21st century types who think it's evah so original to produce a musical with a one-sex cast ... try this one, from over a century ago. Reeks of 'Ain't half hot, Mum'.
I can do no better than reproduce these snippets from the wartime press...
This is the 'long run' predecessor. 1918. That run seems to have been ten performances and a matinee at the Belasco Theatre in April.
Spartansburg, SC eh? Ah, that's where the Regiment's camp was.
Did Major Tupper (the name, alone, reeks of BBC comedy) get his show on?
Who was W A Halloran? Was he a Windsor Davies type, or a Melvyn Hayes type? Ah! A photo .. Elsewhere Hugh Stanislaus Stange is given book and production credits ..
I don't think I'd fancy meeting Private Eddie Albert Crawford in a dark alley!
Here's an announcement. March 1919. Let's Beat It (I have no idea what relevance the title had, but it was an era of meaningless titles) is to open at the Century Theater 24 March 1919 for a limited season of four weeks. Well, three weeks. And maybe a tour of New York state cities..
Finally, the show was dismembered, and the pieces mixed with bits of the older musical, under the title Putting It Over, and sent our on the vaudeville circuits. The leading ladies were still there. Private Crawford of the 106th Infantry, Private Roberts of the 107th Artillery, and Private Pauly of the 107th Infantry led the troupe of seventeen. Private Harry Sharpe was the Don Estelle of the group as a tenorious Hindoo.
The credits for the compilation were slightly different, but Major Tristram was indeed there!
Interestingly, the bill includes Ruth Budd whose downfall in the mileu of cross-dressers I have related elsewhere (https://kurtofgerolstein.blogspot.com/2024/03/flying-so-high-with-gay-in-sky.html).
They were Still Putting it Over .. I spy them at the Orpheum, Omaha .. at the Cosmos in Washington .. in 1920 ...
Eddie Crawford (b Brooklyn 27 July 1895; s Brooklyn 18 September 1949) and worked at Mark's when not in uniform or a dress ... He did not marry.
I didn't think there would be mamny Tristram Tuppers around. ut there were. This one (b Virginia 11 September 1886; d Arlington 30 December 1954) actually seems to have ended up a Brigadier General...
Yayyy! Eric(h) Krebs (d Solingen, Germany 18 December 1894; d 10 January 1974) can be seen with other 'Broadway Boys' [William] John Johannes, Sidney Thursby Marion, William Cyril Pauly of College Point LI, Harold Ellsworth Printz, Walter Charles Roberts (ah!!) of Windsor NY 'of the ambulance service', John Conklin Roche of Rochester, James Thomas Morey of Brooklyn, Cecil Calvert Beall of Cape May, Russell J Brown, Harry Wagstaff Graham Gribble from the UK, Arthur Armstrong Hauser from NYC, Edwin Joseph Tierney and -- yes! -- Eddie Crawford ... it's the en masse post-war rentrée of Les Boys and Girls from Europe, in February 1919!
OK. That makes it easier!
JOHANNES: (b Ashton, Iowa 18 February 1890; d Sibley, Iowa 27 May 1877) married Rose Mary Opgenorth in 1925. Three daughters. Bank cashier.
GRIBBLE (b Sevenoaks, Kent 28 March 1890; d NYC 28 January 1981) unmarried
MARION (b New Jersey 25 November 1894; d NYC 19 December 1946) had already been an actor. Unmarried
PAULEY (b College Point, LI 29 December 1894; d New York 1968) married a lady named Blanche in 1913, then another named Viola ... by the second war he was working as a 'purchasing editor' for Consolidated Edison ...
HAUSER (b NYC 3 December 1892; d Florida 13 May 1983) musical salesman. Married Melba Martin Scafard.
PRINTZ (b Reading, Pa 15 April 1885; d Reading, Pa 1 March 1954) married Catherine B Love. 'Secretary at Pulley Works'.
And here's our prima donna: Walter Charles Roberts born Windsor, NY 21 April 1896, died Windsor 3 January 1966 ... he seems to have been just one of the skirted soldiers who remained in 'the business'.
ROCHE: (b Penn Yan 6 May 1893; d Hollywood 10 November 1952) also stayed in the business, as a stage and screen actor. Unmarried.
 |
| J C Roche |
MOREY: (b Brooklyn 23 December 1894; d Ulster, NY 24 January 1942) seems to have also remained an actor. And unmarried.
BEALL: (b Saratoga 15 October 1892; d Valrico, Forida 4 May 1970), married, became a 'correspondent'. His obituary says 'he painted what is considered the official painting of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri' and did cover illustrations for magazines.
TIERNEY: (b NYC 5 June 1897; d Los Angeles 4 October 1959) After some years as a vaudeville performer, Eddie became a dance director in Hollywood. He married briefly, lost his young wife in a car crash, re-wed, was annulled with much publicity
Connie O'DONNELL (b Escanoba, Mich 4 October 1889) was a steward/messboy on a Great Lakes ship ... and ...
at last, Lt William A HALLORAN jr, born Brooklyn 19 October 1891 was a career army man. Married Julia Lillian Madden in 1929. In 1950 he was a 'field agent for Veterans Affairs'. Died in New York 10 December 1968.
No comments:
Post a Comment