Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 July 1947 — Page 19

{ Inside Indianapolis

“other “Stouthearted Men” about the premises.

* CAST MEMBERS OF “THE NEW MOON" aren't the only ones who have a firm grip on Sigmund Romberg’s “terrificale® in the -Butler bowl: There are

These men, 14 in all, are known as “grips.” On der the supervision of Arco Conrad, master carpen-

.ter, they're responsible for the lightning-fast scene

changes necessary in the operettta. When I offered:.the usd of my “grip” to Mr. Conrad, he accepted readily. “We can always use a spare hand,” Mr, Conrad said. “But remember one thing. We work fast back nere snd you'll have to be on your toes.” Wath true civic spirit to get behind “The New Moo". to. the hilt, I waited for a chance to help, long before the show was to begin. Chorus girls began appearing on stage humming tunes from “New Moon.” Mr, Conrad .noticed one opening which the girls were using was too small The scenery had been tied down the night before in such a on stage left that it was difficult for the girls to through. “Let's make some room for the girl,” suggested Mr. Conrad-and I jumped into position.

Chorus Girl Trapped

JUST AS WE heaved a mobile section, a loud

" scream split the air. We investigated only to find

chorus ‘girl Shirley Wallace trapped between two pieces of setting. She sang out loudly: “Get me out of here.” : ” . “See what I mean about being on your toes around here?” asked Mr. Conrad as we pulled back the section. “And we're not even started yet." Miss Wallace assured us she wasn't hurt by the wall of the palace. After all, it’s only muslin. Grips Dave Thomas, Willie Martin and Eddie Holland appeared swinging their pull ropes. Other grips were waiting for their cues to set the “palace” for the first scene in act one. ; Technical director Walter Russell peeked through the cantilever curtain and saidi “Boy, I hope we have a full house tonight.”

STEP LIVELY PLEASE—Chorus girl Barbara Kenshaw must do just that when the gripmen of “The New Moon" swing into action. Grips (left to right] are Jack Flanagan, Joe Quinn, Forrest Ogle and Gene Poth.

$25 Per Diem

WASHINGTON, July 17.—The question before the ..

nouse if what did the handsome Mrs. Helen Woods io for the war department to earn $2335.66 at the rate of $25 per diem? The war depaftment also paid her traveling expenses, but these amounted since last March to only $520.10. The congressmen looking into her career say this small figure indicates not that she was a homebody, but that she did most of her traveling by army plane. Gratis. . The subject is a touchy one and I don’t want to insult Mrs. Woods, the tall, slim mother of three fighting men in the last war. -She believes wholeheartedly that what this country needs to avert ansther war is universal military training. She is the widow of Arthar H. Woods, one-time police commissioner of New York. ? mh The chargé has been made that the war depart-

‘ ment hired her in the hope her speeches would in-

fluence Americin women to insist that their congressmen vote for training of every 18-year-old boy. 1f she did do this then she and the war department broke a law passed 75 years ago to keep government departments from lobbying for their pet schemes.

. Hired as an Adviser

SO THERE WERE a few colonels, a three-star general and Mrs. Woods (looking cool, calm and collected in a brown linen dress with gold buttons) before the house ekecutive expenditures sub-committee of Rep. Forest A. Harness of Indiana. Lt. Gen. J. Lawton ‘Collins, the army’s head press agent, sald Mrs. Woods was hired as .an adviser to war department. He said he wanted to pay high tribute to her advice. Mrs. Woods smiled: She testified then that of course she made speeches. But only when she was asked. And then just to tell the facts.’ :

; By Ed Sovola

+ £0 :

Just as I was going to say “I hope so, t00,” Mr, | Conrad gave the signal to set the stage. Gripmen | Gene Poth, Charles Hobbs. Bill McDonald and Joe!

Quinn swung a section of the palace arouhd to ccn-| ! = and ‘mn . Fi & : : ter stage. i. | : » go 1 came to help but I just had to stop and say ] orried Abo ut ! : g F 4 hello to Charlie Schlegel, stage manager at the Murat fo ; w - ; 9 Oe

temple," who was hustling platforms around. He can't keep away from, show business. . Barbara Kenshaw had to step lively across the stage as Jack Flanagan, Forrest Ogle, Mr. Poth and; Mr. Quinn came bearing down stage with another section. x The only help I offered on this maneuver was “Watch it.” I didn’t want to see another chorus girl get mashed. A chicken with its head cut off would have been more help than this grip. Not only did the men move too fast but they knew what they were doing. A tgugh combinhtion to beat. “Don't feel bad,” said Mr. Conrad, ‘You can really help with the second scene when we change into the cafe set.” Assistant stage manager John Byers, in zostume for the part of Fouchette (he also plays the part of Admiral DeJean), was calling for the cast to take their places. Mr. Russell suggested a safe place for me to stay. People were flying around with the abandon of discs. Stage director Jack Hatfield does have a safe place to cue the electricians working the lights as long as the cast is on stage. But when 20 people come dancing off into the narrow passageway it's not so safe. Several elbows combed back my protruding eyebrows.

Gets Shoved Around

THE GRIP JOB was a good deal all through the first scene. I watched the brilliantly lighted stage and the actors until my eyes were poppirg*out. Mr. Hatfleld cued my return to backstage. Scene two was coming up. Stepping backstage after watching spotlights for awhile is a shock to the eyeballs, In the dark I could hear Mr. Conrad giving instructions. Then came a patter of hurrying feet and the ‘master carpenter's signal: “Let's go, men.” Someone banged into me. Dark forms flitted past. Wall sections opened up.and began to swing around to the sound of “Whoops,” “Hold It,” “A little more on your side,” “Okay,” and “Back a little.” * What the audience had just seen as a palace was now a thatched cafe. A: swinging hook slapped against my leg. A flashlight beam blinded me ‘and came closer. oe “What are youtdoing?” It was Mr. Conrad. “I'm trying to bé.a grip,” I answered. Property men dashed between us with tables and chairs. In less than tWo minutes the Cafe Creole was open for business. 5 “Places everyone.” Mr. Byers was after his cast. “Do you really need any i Mr. Conrad?” The chief of moving cafes and palaces and ships shook his head. “Not really. Why domr't you go and help Jack?’ ’ 5, Good idea, From where Mr. Hal grip can see the show good. Besides, compared to a 18-foot-high and 36-f of Marianne Beaunoir’s palace? Sing out Conrad Thibault and Virginia Oat. /

ld stands a t's an elbow ng chunk

Se('On 0 SECTION

Must Find Permanent Home Soon |

COMING IN—A group of civil air patrol cadets watch intently while a light plane demonstrates the technique of making a landing at Sky Harbor airport, Youngsters visit the field frequently for aeronautics instruction and orientation rides.

% ; By Frederick C. Othman |S “On both sides of the question?” demanded Rep.

Harness. “There are others better qualified to speak on the other side,” Mrs. Woods snapped. The congressman read an excerpt ‘from one of her speeches before the ladies of the Los Angeles chamber of commerce in which she said that our children have paid the price twice for our short-sightedness and idealism—that she believed every American parent should demand universal military training. “Is that telling the facts?” asked Rep. Harness. “It certainly is,” Mrs. Woods replied. The subject somehow changed then to the Ft. Knox military reservation, which the army is using to show what fine training it can give young Amerfcan§ if it gets the chance, Mrs. Woods said the youngsters there were being given excellent spiritual} lessons and she had the chaplain’s report to prove it.

He Didn't Like Idéa -

“a note to the committee eounse] asking if he could)

testify, He could. He said his name was John M. Swormley, a Methodist minister of Washington, who didn't like the idea of military training.

any particular spirituality among the men. © “Why,” he said, “one boy who'd just be2n baptised in the Baptist chéirch went og and stole an automobile. They were laughing about it. Then I went to the enlisted men’s club ahd I heard swearing. Plenty of swearing.” Mrs. Woods looked at Mr. Swormley and if looks could kill , . . but maybe I'd better not go into that. One other thing. Mrs Woods does not work for the war department any more. I had a little chat with her after the hearing. She said she could not understand some congressmen. She said I would be surprised how grateful were the people to whom she . explained military training.

————

By Erskine Johnson

‘Not

Over 40’ Clu

HOLLYWOOD, July 17. — Joan Crawford has a new member today in her Hollywood “I'm«Not-Over-Forty” Club—still perky, still shapely Alice White the “Hot Stuff” from the 1932 movie of the same title. “I'm not quite 40 yet,” said Alice, shuddering at the headlines which heralded, after five years, her return to the screen in “The Time of Your Life.” One read: “Pilm Pioneer Returns to Screen.” “Holy mackerel,” said Alice, “I started in pictures in 1929. I'm no pioneer. I'm no snappy’ 16 but #m not 100, either.” Alice White was a blond when she crashed the screen via holding a script for Charley Chaplin—“I was the only girl he didn't ask to marry him"—and zoomed to stardomy as the singing and’ dancing Betty Grable of the depression years. Now she has reddish brown hair and she's still mighty cute. Alice will play a B-girl in the San Francisco bar where Jimmy Cagney, Bill Bendix and others are enacting the Willlam S8aroyan drama which Bill. Cagney is producing for the screen.

Marriage With Recesses

ALICE HAS been married for the last 10 years to Jack Roberts, a film writer. “With a few intermissions,” she said, “I've really been retired” she said, “but there still are a lot of roles I think I can play. And if Hollywood wants me, I'm ready’ to go to work again.” Fate once played a strange prank on Alice. At the peak of her career, she tried to talk Warner Brothers

We, the Women

A HRITISH WAR bride recently divorced her Ameridan husband because pf his passion for conic with his old car,

there should have been them for the ten-

into sending to Broadway for Fred Astaire as her dancing partner. The studio said: “Who wants to see a bald-headed guy dance?” Several years later RKQ hired Mr. Astaire and paged Alice to co-star with him. Alice was in a play in San Francisco and couldnt get out of the contract. So instead of Alice, an unknown girl named Ginger Rogers landed in Astaire's arms.

‘I'll Speak Slower’

gives CAP cadets a lesson on making a

tail of the airplane so that it will Kloess and Stephen FH. Eash.

" ” #

a » Trying to Acquire Schoen Field At Ft. Harrison; Little Success So Far . By JACK THOMFSON . eg : E : THE INDIANAPOLIS GROUP of the cil air patrol will be nothing A PALE YOUNG fellow on the sidelines slipped more than a name if-it doesn’t find a permanent home soon. - This is the prediction of Group Commander Frank E, Lane, who holds the rank of major in the organization. He 3aid all of the CAP leaders here are franily worried about the future. He also had been to Pt. Knox and he didn't notice| ., To put an end to being kicked around from pillar Ao post CAP is

«rying to acquire Schoen field at Ft. Harrison. So far it has little success. CAP officials fee] that the unused airport would be an ideal location

for the Indiana wing headquarters

and the Indianapolis group base. Right now the army. air forces auxiliary in scattered all over town. Wing headquarters 4s in the ‘Board of Trade bldg. The group operates out-of the South Side Motor armory. Flying is being done from at least two local airports. » ” . VALUABLE TRAINING equipment has-been laid away temporarily in the basements of members’ homes. The equipment, including such things as complete airplane engines, link trainers, radio sets and sections of army airplanes, is useless at presen? because there is no place for it. On the contention that today's 15 to 18-year-olds will be America’s backbone of defense in event of another war CAP is doing all it can

to give the younger generation fundamental military. and flying training.

But with just one classroom at

WARNER BROTHERS talked Kent Smith Into playing a bit in “The Voice aff the Turtle.” He finally | saw the preview. “If 1 ever play a part as short as| that again,” he cracked, “I'm going to speak slower.” | Brian Donlevy will get the role of the Chief of the Canadian Mounties in the film version of “Mrs. Mike.”

the armory and no space to set ub the training aids, which are, furnished ftee by the army, the organization is stymied. ” ” » IF CAP COULD have the airfield, all its problems would be solved,

Dan Duryea is due for an all-out publicity CAM | Maj, Lane said, The entire opera-

paign at U. I. Ruth Warrick will make an. album of nursery stories for Decca. Carmen Miranda, of all people, is taking English diction lessons. Bruce Cabot is dreaming up a vaudeville tour, doing a streamlined version of & hit play. Tony Martin turning on the charm far Nan Bennett at the Beverly Tropics. Ida Lupino and Don McGufre a surprise two-some at Jack's at the Beach. “Annie Oakley,” filmed in 1935, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, is. the next revival“ to hit the comeback trail.

By Ruth Millett More likely, you'll find Mr. America washing or tinkering with: the car, working in the basement,

gardening, fooling around with his fishing tackle or guns

tion could be centralized. The organization would have plenty of

~The Indianapolis Times

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1947

COMPASS CORRECTION—Arthur G. Brandenburg, group executive officer, compass correction card, Holding up the be in flying attitude are Leo D, Allen, William O,

hangar space for the small planes it expects to get soon from the air corps. There would be plenty of room for classwork and aviation exhibits. >

The group commander argued

against a move by the national},

guard to take over the field, He could see no reason why the guard, which already ‘has Stout field, should want the small airport at the fort. « i 3 “Schoen field is far too small for the military type aircraft they fly,” Maj. Lane declared. “And besides they have just about crowded us out of the armory as it is.” n t J ” MORE THAN 200 youths are en-

rolled in the CAP training program here.” There are approximately 300 senfor members—men from -all

walks of life who like flying, Membership over the state is nearly 3000. The Indianapolis group holds classes each Tuesday evening at the South Side armory. Most of the flying, including _orientation rides for the cadets, has been done lately from Sky Harbor airport. Youngsters participating in the program have learned all sorts of things about aviation, They have received instruction in basic navigation, communications, weather, aerodynamics, theory of flight, engine operation. ‘ ~ ” .

ON THE MILITARY side they

engage in drill practice, have courses on military courtesy and discipline

WORD-A-DAY

By BACH

——————— ———_ ———

[ Aversion a-var’ zhin vow A PERMANENT DISTASTE OR

INTENSE DISLIKE COUPLED WITH A DESIRE TO AVOID

Then a Bit of Reading

OR IF HE is through with such jobs as those,

to be a tinkerer, nell probably be absorbed in the comics or catching

up on the latest news in the world of sports. American man to escape from

Moose Legion Post Elects Farrington

Members of Moose post 334, | American Legion, have elected Lloyd H. Farrington post commander. Other officers named in the recent election are: A. Walter Mueller, first vice commander; Robert J. Klem, second vice commander; Edward J. Flamian, adjutant; Madison ‘Ray Whitehair, finance officer; William H. Bannon, service officer; Paul Derringer, chaplain; Donald A. Hilts, historian, and A. E, Pollard, sergeant-at-arms. 7 The post will hold a dance and card party July 30 at the 50-50 clup, 322 E. New York st.

Speaks on Far East | Herman Holliday of Indianapolis,

former UNRRA aid in the Far East, will speak at 8 p. m, tomorrow in

Y. W. C. A,.320 N. Pennsylvania|asking what can be done. Replies

A 35

and get a touch of tactics and] strategy. , CAP was organized shortly before Pearl Harbor. Ome of its first jobs was to prepare boys under army age for ehlistment in the air corps. Thousands of younghters were given indoctrination courses and basic training until they reached the age of 18 when they were sent to the air corps for flight training. Aside from the recruitment phase CAP carried on numerous other activities in the ‘interest of national defense. It became well known for its submarine, forest and border

patrol work. Ld

” » AND MANY small airports around the country were able to operate during the war only because CAP pilots maintained a constant vigilance against possible invasioh by the enemy. , As the war wore on and activities diminished CAP took up the recommendation of its then commanding officer, the late Col. Earl Johnson, who was killed last year in an air.

set up the cadet training "program on a peacetime basis, : Now Maj. Lane and Walter Smith, deputy commander of the state wing, are devoting all their spare time to the perpetuation of Col. Johnson's suggestion. wo Many letters have, been directed congressmen and high army officials,

have all carried a heartening note

Peace.|but none has given more than an can have the ashi!

"FLIGHT CONTROLS—-Maj. Frank Lane, &ommanding officer of the CAP group here, explains how flight controls operate to Patricia D the plane), Dwight Miller, Doris Morrow and Reter {Palmer (standing left to right),

_ HOW IT WORKS—Second Lt. Raymond Cobb, army air force, (extreme right) briefs a group of CAP cadets on operation of the tail assembly. Aspiring aeronauts are (left to right) Scotty Richardson, James McNair, Fay Oliver, Charles Wells, Neal Giles and James East.

~~ THE AILERON—If the aileron (wing control surface) is moved upward the wing will drop in flight, Capt. Loyd Peerman, C AP squadron | commander, told his class at . Sky Harbor airport. Standing feft to right and eager to learn are Marjorie Brown, Betty Hayes, Evelyn Sims, Gloria Oliver and Mrs. Calvert Richardson, Kneeling beside Capt. Peerman are (left to right) Maurice Sigmon, Frank Anoskey and Donald Ware.

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Photographer

Carnival =By Dick Turner

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PR. 1947 BY NEA SERVICE, INC. T. ML REG. UL. 8. - “Now then, if juitice is to be done in this