''Hellzapoppin'' is a musical
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
written by the comedy team of
Olsen and Johnson, consisting of
John "Ole" Olsen and
Harold "Chic" Johnson, with music and lyrics by
Sammy Fain
Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. ...
and
Charles Tobias
Charles Tobias (August 15, 1898 – July 7, 1970) was an American songwriter.
Biography
Born in New York City, United States, Tobias grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts with brothers Harry Tobias and Henry Tobias, also songwriters. He started hi ...
. The revue was a hit, running for over three years, and was at the time the longest-running Broadway musical, with 1,404 performances,
[Kenrick, John]
Hellzapoppin - History of The Musical Stage 1930s: Part III - Revues
musicals101.com, accessed August 6, 2009 making it one of only three plays to run more than 500 performances in the 1930s.
Production
After opening at the Shubert Theatre in Boston on September 10, 1938, ''Hellzapoppin'' opened on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
at the original
46th Street Theatre on September 22, 1938, transferred to the
Winter Garden Theatre
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...
on November 26, 1938, and finally moved to the
Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to:
Australia
* Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished
* Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed b ...
on November 25, 1941. It closed on December 17, 1941, after a total of 1,404 performances.
Olsen and Johnson led a large cast of entertainers: the comedy team of
Barto and Mann (
Dewey Barto and
George Mann); Charles Whithers; celebrity impersonators, the Radio Rogues; Hal Sherman; Walter Nilsson; singing group
The Charioteers
The Charioteers were an American gospel and pop vocal group from 1930 to 1957.
History
The Charioteers were put together in 1930 by Professor Howard Daniel at Wilberforce University, in Wilberforce, Ohio. They originally called themselves the ...
; identical-twin dancers Betty Mae and Beverly Crane; stage magician
Theo Hardeen (better known as
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
's younger brother); the Hawaiian music of
Ray Kinney
Ray Kinney (September 26, 1900 – February 1, 1972) was a singer, musician, composer, orchestra leader, and performer on radio, stage and screen.
Biography
Kinney was born in Hilo, Hawaii to Irish-Hawaiian parents William & Pilialoha Kinney. ...
and the Aloha Maids; Bergh and Moore; J. C. Olsen; Reed, Dean and Reed (Bonnie Reed, Syd Dean, and Mel Reed); Roberta and Ray;
The Starlings; Dorothy Thomas; Shirley Wayne; Cyrel Roodney and
June Winters
June Winters (May 17, 1918, Hazleton, Pennsylvania — March 29, 2015, Bergenfield, New Jersey) was an American actress and singer who was actively performing from the mid-1930s into the 1960s. She first came to prominence starring in the Broadway ...
; Billy Adams; and Whitey's Steppers (also known as
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was a professional performing group of exceptional swing dancers that was first organized in the late 1920s by Herbert "Whitey" White in the Savoy Ballroom and disbanded in 1942 after its male members were drafted into World W ...
). Olsen and Johnson were succeeded by
Jay C. Flippen
Jay C. Flippen (March 6, 1899 – February 3, 1971) was an American character actor who often played crusty sergeants, police officers or weary criminals in many films of the 1940s and 1950s. Before his motion-picture career he was a leading va ...
and
Happy Felton Francis J. Felton Jr. (November 30, 1907 - October 21, 1964) was a bandleader, vaudevillian, and host of children's television programs. He was known professionally as Happy Felton.
Early years
Felton was born Francis J. Felton Jr. on November 30, ...
in June 1940.
On the road
In late 1940 and during 1941, while ''Hellzapoppin'' was still playing at the
Winter Garden Theatre
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...
and later the
Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to:
Australia
* Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished
* Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed b ...
, a second edition of ''Hellzapoppin'' with
Billy House
William H. Comstock (May 7, 1889 – September 23, 1961), known by his stage name Billy House, was an American vaudevillian, Broadway performer and feature film actor. After devoting most of his career to live performance, he moved to Hollywood ...
and
Eddie Garr
Eddie or Eddy may refer to:
Science and technology
*Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
* Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...
toured the country. The cast included Grace & Nokko, The Oxford Boys, Sterner Sisters, Ben Dova, Paul Gordon, Billy Potter and Bobby Jarvis.
Following the close of ''Hellzapoppin'' at the Majestic Theatre on December 18, 1941, many in the Broadway cast went on the road during 1942 with
Jay C. Flippen
Jay C. Flippen (March 6, 1899 – February 3, 1971) was an American character actor who often played crusty sergeants, police officers or weary criminals in many films of the 1940s and 1950s. Before his motion-picture career he was a leading va ...
and Happy Felton. This road edition of ''Hellzapoppin'' included Barto and Mann, Charles Withers, the Radio Rogues, Harry Reso, Walter Nilsson,
The Charioteers
The Charioteers were an American gospel and pop vocal group from 1930 to 1957.
History
The Charioteers were put together in 1930 by Professor Howard Daniel at Wilberforce University, in Wilberforce, Ohio. They originally called themselves the ...
, Lyda Sue, Theo Hardeen, June Winters, Bonnie Reed, Shirley Wayne, Ruth Faber, Stephanie Olsen, Bergh and Moore, Dippy Diers, Bobby Barry, Billy Adams, and Sid Dean. The road shows continued in the same style of sight gags, risqué humor, and audience involvement.
[Hinckley, Davi]
" 'Hellzapoppin,' 1938"
nydailynews.com, September 1, 2005. Accessed August 6, 2012.
In late 1942, a ''New 1943 Hellzapoppin'' revue with
Jackie Gleason
John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...
and
Lew Parker
Lew Parker (born Austin Lewis Jacobs, October 29, 1910 – October 27, 1972) was an American television, stage and musical theatre actor. His most notable role was as Lew Marie, the arrogant father of Marlo Thomas's character, Ann Marie, on the ...
was staged at the Nixon Theatre, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
[https://books.google.com/books?id=LAwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=%22Barto+and+Mann%22&source=bl&ots=eFOVqbST6K&sig=j3ZOzN8J5HuOsZHTIbpSFt_LuRQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jgAgUPL3O6aUiAKnsIDICA&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22Barto%20and%20Mann%22&f=false , ''Billboard'', October 10, 1942. Accessed August 7, 1942.] the
Hanna Theatre
The Hanna Theatre is a theater at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is one of the original five venues built in the district, opening on March 28, 1921. The Hanna Theatre reopened in 2008 as the new home of Great La ...
, Cleveland, Ohio; and the Erlanger Theatre, Chicago, Illinois. The cast included many of the original and road show performers (Barto and Mann, the Radio Rogues, Charles Withers, Theo Hardeen, Harry Reso, Stephen Olsen, Bergh and Moore, Dippy Diers and Billy Adams) and several newcomers to the show (the Biltmorettes, the Commandos,
the Kim Loo Sisters
The Kim Loo Sisters were an American jazz vocal quartet popular during the swing era. The close harmony group consisted of Alice (August 22, 1916 - April 16, 2011 ), Margaret “Maggie” (November 4, 1917 - July 14, 2016) Genevieve “Jenée” ...
, Mary McNamee, and Jean Baker).
[
In 1949, Olsen and Johnson went back on the road with ''Hellzapoppin of 1949''. The all new cast featured Harrison & Fisher, Shirley, Sharon & Wanda, Nirska, Jose Duval, Gloria LeRoy, Frank Cook, 6 Mighty Atoms, Shannon Dean, Helen Magna, Andy Ratouscheff, Hank Whitehouse, John Howes, Billy Kay, Maurice Millard, Frank Hardy, J.C. Olsen, ]June Johnson
June Rozelle Johnson (May 28, 1918 – July 14, 1987) was an American film actress from 1936 to 1941 who appeared in Western films and serials. She made 14 films including three in which she was the female lead alongside The Three Mesquiteers. ...
, and Marty May.
Film
A film based on the stage musical was made by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
and released in 1941. Although the Broadway cast was initially slated to appear in the film, except for Olsen and Johnson and the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, no one else from any of the stage productions appeared in the movie.
International productions
A production of ''Hellzapoppin'' toured Australia in 1949-50 playing in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney. The Australian shows were produced by J. C. Williamson, and featured a predominantly American cast including Don de Leo and George Mayo (as ‘Olsen and Johnson’), Gloria Gilbert, Tom Toby, Marlene Lilyponds, Dorothy Jean, Snowball Whittier, Charlie Pope, trombonist Reg Thorpe, and David Hogarth. Various ‘locals’ joined the cast in some cities: Bob Dyer
Robert Neal Dyer OBE (May 22, 1909 – January 9, 1984) was a Gold Logie-award-winning American-born vaudeville entertainer and singer, radio and television personality, and radio and television quiz show host who made his name in Australia. Dy ...
in Perth, and Roy Rene
Roy Rene (born Henry van der Sluys, 15 February 189122 November 1954) was an Australian comedian and vaudevillian. As the bawdy character Mo McCackie, Rene was one of the most well-known and successful Australian comedians of the 20th century.
...
in Sydney. A production also played in Sydney in 1954, including female impersonator
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
Maurice Millard.
Broadway revival
In 1976, there was an attempt to revive the show with a cast that included Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
and Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Rachel Redgrave (8 March 1943 – 2 May 2010) was an English actress. She won two Golden Globe Awards throughout her career.
A member of the Redgrave family of actors, Lynn trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962. By ...
, but it closed on the road before reaching Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
.
Sketches
A comedy hodgepodge full of sight gags and slapstick, the show was continually rewritten throughout its run to remain topical; it opened with newsreel clips of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
speaking in a Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
accent, Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
speaking in blackface minstrel dialect, and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
speaking gibberish, before the real-life Olsen and Johnson burst through the image (actually, a transparent sheet in front of the screen).[Cullen, Frank, Vaudeville Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America, Vol. 2, 2007, Taylor & Francis Group Publishing, pg. 846] A circus atmosphere prevailed, with dwarfs, clowns, trained pigeons and audience participation adding to the merriment.[ Chorus girls left the stage to dance with audience members or sit in their laps. Laundry-filled clotheslines were strung across the theater over the audiences' heads, and some seats were wired with electric buzzers that were triggered during the performance.]
The sketches were a "smorgasbord of explode-the-fourth-wall nuttiness:... comedy songs; skits abandoned partway through; cameos by audience stooges; an absurdist raffle; and in a trademark stunt, a man who wandered through the theater hawking an ever-larger potted tree."[Wren, Celi]
'Hellzapoppin' in Arlington: Well, That's Show Business"
washingtonpost.com, July 19, 2007 The comedy continued even after the show had ended, as departing audience members discovered the man who'd been carrying the increasingly tall plant waiting for them the lobby, trapped and shouting atop a 20-foot tree.
Seeing a painting of a warship, Olsen and Johnson began firing weapons at it until it sank inside the frame. At this point, a soaking wet man in a uniform walked onstage, but was shot to death by the pair because "a captain always goes down with his ship!" As an actress walked the aisles yelling, "Oscar!", another loudly said that she was just going to use the bathroom. When this started to overwhelm, an actor started loudly selling tickets to the competing Broadway show ''I Married an Angel
''I Married An Angel'' is a 1938 musical comedy by Rodgers and Hart. It was adapted from a play by Hungarian playwright János Vaszary, entitled ''Angyalt Vettem Felesegul''. The book was by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with music by Rodge ...
''.[
]
Songs
Lyrics and music by Sammy Fain
Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. ...
and Charles Tobias
Charles Tobias (August 15, 1898 – July 7, 1970) was an American songwriter.
Biography
Born in New York City, United States, Tobias grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts with brothers Harry Tobias and Henry Tobias, also songwriters. He started hi ...
(unless otherwise noted).
;Act 1
* "Blow a Balloon Up to the Moon"
* "Fuddle-Dee-Duddle"
* "A Bedtime Story"
* "Strolling Thru the Park"
* "Abe Lincoln" (Music and Lyrics By Earl Robinson and Alfred Hayes)
* "Shaganola"
* "It's Time To Say Aloha"
;Act 2
* "Harem on the Loose"
* "Ol' Man Mose'" (Music and Lyrics By Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
and Zilner T. Randolph)
* "When You Look in Your Looking Glass" (Lyrics By Sam M. Lewis, Music By Paul Mann and Stephen Weiss)
* "When McGregor Sings Off Key"
* "Boomps-a-Daisy (I Like a Bustle that Bends)"
* "We Won't Let It Happen Here"
Songs featured during the run also include work by Don George, Teddy Hall, Annette Mills
Annette Mills (born Edith Mabel Mills; 10 September 1894 – 10 January 1955) was an English actress, dancer, songwriter and television presenter, best known for presenting the children's television show ''Muffin the Mule''.
Biography Early life ...
, Gonzalo Curiel, and Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...
.
References
External links
* {{ibdb title, 12378, Hellzapoppin
Hellzapoppin'
Illustrated article on the Collecting Books and Magazines website
* ttp://www.americancentury.org/ag_hellzapoppin.pdf ''Hellzapoppin'' study guide, synopsis, background, americancentury.org, 2007
1938 musicals
Broadway musicals
Lindy Hop
Revues
1930s in comedy