June 8, 1945 – Page 8 – Army Post Newspaper called “The Redlander” – Honolulu, Hawaii

NOW SHOWING AT THE LITTLE THEATRE

By BILL ROWE

Several weeks ago it was predicted in The REDLANDER that "Shape Ahoy!", the Army's Special Service musical revue, would be a "sell-out", and that bit of crystal gazing was borne out of the capacity houses at each performance during the return engagement. The second run of the sparkling revue in the Little Theatre has as an added attraction the Marine orchestra.

"Now hear this," sings the cast as the curtain goes up, and their initial musical offering sets the stage for you, telling you that they are pleasantly surprised GI's returning on rotation to the Mainland and "girls, girls, lots of girls." With more lyrics on the same subject, you would not have to consult the crystal ball to figure out that they were written by a soldier who has been on Oahu long enough to tell a pineapple from a cocoanut without looking. He is Cpl Hal David, lyric writer for the show's tunes by Sgt Roger Hail, who was last connected with the all-soldier show "Shoot The Works!" which played the Little Theatre several months ago.

Another ex-“Shoot the Works” entertainer is Sgt Ernie Flatt who designed the dances for “Shape Ahoy!” with Josephine Flanders of the Territorial USO theatrical division.

During the introductory number three stewardesses in abbreviated costumes introduce themselves, and off-hand it is hard to think of a more pleasant part of “Shape Ahoy!” than the little lovlies who add emphasis to the first half of the title. There are five USO Flanderettes in the revue, but let’s talk about them in the order in which they appeared.

MEET THE GIRLS

Mina Duncan, who later did a jitterbug routine with Harry Bronson that would stop a Benny Goodman recital at Carnegie Hall, has been in most of the Hawaii USO shows since the theatrical division was first organized to entertain service men, shortly after Pearl Harbor.

Barbara Cain is another USO Flanderette who will be issued service ribbons as soon as the USO is authorized to award for (1) talent, (2) length of service, (3) number of shows, and (4) pinupishness.

Pearl Field was in one USO show before being drafted for "Shape Ahoyl", but don't let that mislead you. She is good in her work, and in all ways complies with the usual nomenclature, assembly and T/E.

Following the opening chorus, Natalie Alesna — you've heard her over Honolulu’s KGMB — sings "It Comes Up To Love" a ballad written for the show by Pfc Roger Adams. Measuring Natalie alongside our shelf of Harvard Classics, we found that she is an even five feet and thereupon proceeded to throw away the books. However, this idea was frowned upon by the other men in our barracks, who are simply wild about reading the classics on their pass days and while we were retrieving the volume of Plutarch's Lives from under a weapons carrier, Natalie got away. So she’s still in the show.

"Pete" Summers made us promise not to give her right first name before allowin’ as how she comes from Alabama. It is some time since we left a certain mud-and-dust repository in Alabama known as an Army camp, and all remaining unpleasant memories of the state disappeared when Pete started talking about how the magnolias smell in the moonlight and other kindred subjects associated with the 130 point boys and the state where the stars fell on. Pete came to the Paradise of the Pacific (meaning Oahu, of course), to be a war worker, but we are against having her talents as a comedienne expended on a turret lathe as long as she can inject some of that over-mentioned and under-estimated stuff called morale into shows for GI's. Too bad we didn't meet her back in the magnolia country while we were in camp, though. Our morale was pretty low then.

Getting on with the show, we have with us, ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Jack Randall. Have you heard of Randall the Magician? Heard of Randall the Dancer? Well, they're him. We mean he's them. What we really mean is that they're both the same guy. Jack has been practicing magic since he was 13, but somewhere along the line he started dancing for a living, and booking agents who knew him as a hoofer gave him the old brush-off every time he asked to be booked a magician.

MAGIC STAR

"Why, if I book you as a magician," said one agent, "You'd make a monkey out of me." "I couldn't do that," our Jack told him, "but I'll start practicing on it right away." Coming to Honolulu as a merchant seaman, Jack went to work for the USO as a dancer and a magician. Now a soldier, in "Shape Ahoy!" he ties his twin talent together neatly, combining light stepping and legerdermain in a one-man version of a double-header.

THE MARINES' HAVE BANDED

But before it is overlooked all the while “Shape Ahoy!” carries its happy cargo Stateside, a 14-piece Marine Corps orchestra id in the pit doing the work that an orchestra is usually organized for. Arrangements by Army Sgt Don Shore are conducted by Marine PFC James Fisher. The Marine orchestra was organized for "Shape Ahoyl" and its members worked day in and day out to master the orchestrations and throw out the sour notes, which you will find they have done when you catch the show at the next stand - proof, that the services are at their best in joint action.

If it's comedy you like, waste no time getting to "Shape Ahoyl", which has a liberal dose of the stuff dished out by, Pete Summers, Carl Reiner and Artie Keegan, with material written by the last two, plus Cpl Joe Coogan. Pete teams up with the Mad Hatters GI quartet: Bill Shepherd, Al Gross, Jerry Graff and Nick England of the Signal Corps, and pours her heart out in a lament called "I Wanna Sing A Love Song!" She comes on stage again to make a play for Reiner, a Sad Sack on KP, and he (the dope) classifies the belle as "An obstacle course in lip-stick."

Reiner and Keegan get together - you may recognize yourself in this skit - as two guys who haven't seen each other since they were back in Brooklyn. With the usual habit of people under those circumstances, they would rather die than admit that they cannot recognize each other, and the skit carries on from there to a neat climax.

Keegan and Reiner give a solo performance, too. Keegan developed a pantomine monolog for "Shape Ahoyl" telling the possible post-war predicament of the ex-vet whose better half won't give up her weekly pay check and forces him into the kitchen. Then along comes Reiner to tell you the plaintive story of "Monty,The Talking Dog”. Monty is dead, but that hardly matters as far as Reiner’s skit is concerned. As matter of fact, even without a talking dog, this is the best talking dog act without a talking dog that we have ever seen. Even with a dog it could not be better.

HAPPY HOOFING HARRY

Harry Bronson is the lucky guy who gets to do that previously mentioned bit of jitterbugging with Mina Duncan. Harry started in show business dancing the Charleston. There apparently were quite a number who wanted to see it, too, as it was a good stepping stone to a career which included dancing with Kay Kyser on tour, at the Cert Room of the Waldorf-Astoria with Xavier Cugat, with Horace Heidt and with Benny Goodman - and incidentally, introduced la dance jitterbug to Park Avenue, the section of New York City which produces more fur-bearing females than several litters of kittens.

Several paragraphs back we dismissed the Mad Hatters with only a few words, which is unfair. The boys teamed up after they met in the Signal Corps and have worked up a style which may give you the idea that the Signal Corps recruited radio talent in place of radio technicians. Such, we understand, is not the case, and the Mad Hatters are actually as exceptional as an A-1 quartet would be in any other branch of the service.

And there you have it. That is the talent - but not the whole show, by any matter or means. Twice it was a big hit in the Red Land's Little Theatre and we suggest you watch for the announcement of when ”Shape Ahoyl" will come to you.

The entire show is produced and presented by the Entertainment Section, Special Service Office, CPBC. Your uniform is your ticket.

Above photos are part of the original newspaper article. Original copy of newspaper contributed by Mr. Greg Rogers, nephew of the late Harry Bronson who appears in this article. Transcription of this article done by Ray Martin Sr. – May 17, 2006

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