Amex Revue
Title
Amex Revue
Creator
The Argonne Players
Identifier
WWP15577
Date
1918
Description
AN ORIGINAL REVUE, WRITTEN AND PRODUCED AT THE ARGONNE FOREST FRONT, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LIEUT WARREN E. DIEFENDORF
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
The Argonne Players of the seventy-seventh Division are a group of soldiers, formerly professionally connected with theatredom, who were recruited from the front lines and gun pits, forming a permanent theatrical unit to furnish the men in and near the front lines with entertainment. Their productions were written and produced at the front, in the shell-swept areas. This, their latest offering, was written and first presented in the Argonne Forest, in a German built theatre, twenty-four hours after it had been wrested from the enemy. When the players toured the divisional circuit they actually played under shell-fire. and it is a fine commentary on the quality of the production, that the performance went on uninterrupted in these newly captured theatres—even when the shells were bursting less than a hundred yards away. Since its inauguration, the unit has offered its performances in every conceivable kind of a place:—ruined cathedrals, German theatres, tents, underground theatres, chateaux,—and when nothing else was available, an open-air platform was erected.
Gowns by Lucile, Ltd.Military and Civil clothing and silks by Belle Jardinière.
A. Overture: Selections from popular musical comedies.
B. The Camp Upton Four (Harry “Williams” Solomon, Ben Baker, Wm. Reedy, Wm. Liebling) with AD. “MORTON” PINCUS. “Harmony and Comedy.”
C. Jack Waldron “The Long Laugh.”
D. Rollins Grimes, Jr. and Harry Cahill “Class and Cleverness.”
E. Mario Rodolfi “Five Minutes at the Opera.”
F. “General Orders No. 10.”
An Episode of the war by Fred Rath.
Cast of Characters. (In order of first appearance).
The Girl... ... ... ... ... ... Percy Hilton Michel.
The Sergeant ... ... ... ... ... Stuart Sage.
The Aviator ... ... ... ... ... Rollins Grimes Jr.
The Prisoner ... ... ... ... ... Alfred Dubin.
Scene: The Girl’s Cafê near front line on the American front. Time: An evening during the war. Note:—The general order upon which this playlet is founded warns against giving away information to the enemy. The story is based on an actual incident of the war.
G. Englebert Roentgen Formerly with Damrosch’s New-York Symphony Orchestra. “Cello Selections.”
H. Jack Waldron and Harry Cahill“Jazzing it up.”
I. “Little Comrade.” A dramatic playlet by Hal Crane.
Cast of Characters. (In order of first appearance).
Peter Valon ... ... ... ... ... Stuart Sage.
Basil Valon ... ... ... ... ... Percy Hilton Michel.
Capt. Mardrise ... ... ... ... ... Rollins Grimes Jr.
Scene: The Valon Rooms, France. Time: During the war. Note:—This play is produced through the courtesy of Mr. Hal Crane, who wrote it for Percy Hilton Michel for a benefit performance in New York.
J. Walter MacManus and Jack MacNulty “Two of a Kind.”
K. Oi! General.” Produced by Waldron and Pincus.
Cast of Characters. (In order of first appearance).
Soldier Quartette.. ... ... ... ... Camp Upton Four.
The Guard ... ... ... ... ... Mario Rodolfi.
The General ... ... ... ... ... Jack Waldron.
The General’s Orderly... ... ... ... Herman Cohen.
The Courier ... ... ... ... ... Rollins Grimes, Jr.
The “Rookie” ... ... ... ... Ad. “Morton” Pincus.
The Soldier (?)... ... ... ... ... Walter MacManus.
The Red Cross Girl ... ... ... ... Harry Cahill.
The Second Courier ... ... ... ... Ben Baker.
Finale ... ... ... ... ... Entire Company.
L. Exit March “They Didn’t Think We’d Do It, But We Did!” Rath and Dubin.
By RATH and DUBIN
They didn’t think we’d do it, but we did,They didn’t think we knew the way to fight,But from Château Thierry to the home of the huns,You’ll find the food-prints of all your noble sons.
They didn’t think we’d do it, but we did,The pale faced rookies that they used to kid.
When Jerry fell in the Argonne woodHe got merry Hell and got it dog-gone good.
They didn’t think we’d do it, but we did.
Yes, you know darn well we did.This tour of the AEF centers and base hospitals was made possible by special permission of Major-General Robert Alexander, commanding the division.
The Argonne Players take this opportunity of expressing their thanks to the YMCA for their invaluable cooperation, which has made this tour a success.
Gowns by Lucile, Ltd.Military and Civil clothing and silks by Belle Jardinière.
A. Overture: Selections from popular musical comedies.
B. The Camp Upton Four (Harry “Williams” Solomon, Ben Baker, Wm. Reedy, Wm. Liebling) with AD. “MORTON” PINCUS. “Harmony and Comedy.”
C. Jack Waldron “The Long Laugh.”
D. Rollins Grimes, Jr. and Harry Cahill “Class and Cleverness.”
E. Mario Rodolfi “Five Minutes at the Opera.”
F. “General Orders No. 10.”
An Episode of the war by Fred Rath.
Cast of Characters. (In order of first appearance).
The Girl... ... ... ... ... ... Percy Hilton Michel.
The Sergeant ... ... ... ... ... Stuart Sage.
The Aviator ... ... ... ... ... Rollins Grimes Jr.
The Prisoner ... ... ... ... ... Alfred Dubin.
Scene: The Girl’s Cafê near front line on the American front. Time: An evening during the war. Note:—The general order upon which this playlet is founded warns against giving away information to the enemy. The story is based on an actual incident of the war.
G. Englebert Roentgen Formerly with Damrosch’s New-York Symphony Orchestra. “Cello Selections.”
H. Jack Waldron and Harry Cahill“Jazzing it up.”
I. “Little Comrade.” A dramatic playlet by Hal Crane.
Cast of Characters. (In order of first appearance).
Peter Valon ... ... ... ... ... Stuart Sage.
Basil Valon ... ... ... ... ... Percy Hilton Michel.
Capt. Mardrise ... ... ... ... ... Rollins Grimes Jr.
Scene: The Valon Rooms, France. Time: During the war. Note:—This play is produced through the courtesy of Mr. Hal Crane, who wrote it for Percy Hilton Michel for a benefit performance in New York.
J. Walter MacManus and Jack MacNulty “Two of a Kind.”
K. Oi! General.” Produced by Waldron and Pincus.
Cast of Characters. (In order of first appearance).
Soldier Quartette.. ... ... ... ... Camp Upton Four.
The Guard ... ... ... ... ... Mario Rodolfi.
The General ... ... ... ... ... Jack Waldron.
The General’s Orderly... ... ... ... Herman Cohen.
The Courier ... ... ... ... ... Rollins Grimes, Jr.
The “Rookie” ... ... ... ... Ad. “Morton” Pincus.
The Soldier (?)... ... ... ... ... Walter MacManus.
The Red Cross Girl ... ... ... ... Harry Cahill.
The Second Courier ... ... ... ... Ben Baker.
Finale ... ... ... ... ... Entire Company.
L. Exit March “They Didn’t Think We’d Do It, But We Did!” Rath and Dubin.
By RATH and DUBIN
They didn’t think we’d do it, but we did,They didn’t think we knew the way to fight,But from Château Thierry to the home of the huns,You’ll find the food-prints of all your noble sons.
They didn’t think we’d do it, but we did,The pale faced rookies that they used to kid.
When Jerry fell in the Argonne woodHe got merry Hell and got it dog-gone good.
They didn’t think we’d do it, but we did.
Yes, you know darn well we did.This tour of the AEF centers and base hospitals was made possible by special permission of Major-General Robert Alexander, commanding the division.
The Argonne Players take this opportunity of expressing their thanks to the YMCA for their invaluable cooperation, which has made this tour a success.
Files
Collection
Citation
The Argonne Players, “Amex Revue,” 1918, WWP15577, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.