SHOW BUSINESS AT WAR

[Music] in time of war as in time of peace an industry close to the heart and pocketbook of the American public is show business whose pulse is Broadway but whose nerve system spreads over a large portion of the globe for nearly four decades the gaudy doings of the men and women of show business have been reported to the world by variety a weekly theatrical paper edited from an inconspicuous building off-broadway by men who carry on in their own way the colorful journalistic tradition of its founder the late great Syme Silverman osteopath of the English language and inventor of some of the most unfettered journal E's ever to be set in type [Applause] today variety is devoting its space to a story bigger even than that of the amusement industries new wartime boom the vital and amazing story of American show business at war of the amusement industry's total manpower a high percentage is now serving in the Armed Forces every branch of show business has contributed it's white collar men technicians and skilled artisans in answer to the call to armed famous actors whose peacetime salaries reached astronomic figures serve today on an equal footing with the members of their former public the American stage concert hall radio and screen are already organized in their every branch to further the war effort the work of the war Activities Committee of the motion picture industry is typical of the enthusiasm of top executives and artists for full cooperation with the government and with the Armed Services such committees are putting at the disposal of the nation all the facilities show business has developed for quick and effective contact with the American public and at every show shop in the land citizens today contribute to a hundred wartime causes outside the theaters hundreds of millions of dollars of war bonds have been sold as a result of the personal appeals of America's most appealing personalities the stars of the stage and screen on one such Bond drive the well-loved film star Carole Lombard gave her life the motion picture industry today is supplying without charge all its newest and best feature films to the US War Department overseas film division for shipment to every US base and camp abroad ace cameramen from the newsreel companies are training the uniformed men who will become combat cinematographers for the Army and Navy on every fighting front documentary and industrial filmmakers are furthering the government's plans for the visual education of millions of new workers in war industry and for the training by films of the men of the American armed forces in Hollywood Walt Disney has turned over almost the entire facilities of his studio for the production of Army and Navy instructional films some of them involving closely guarded military inventions and techniques let's go with Navy project six four eight sequence one at a roll famed Hollywood director John Ford now heads the film producing unit of the newly organized Office of Strategic Services under the aegis of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [Music] [Applause] [Music] from North Africa former Hollywood producer Colonel Darryl zanuck has brought an official film record of frontline action to produce inspirational films for servicemen and public alike the Army's special services division has mobilized many of the industry's best editors and technicians from millions of feet of film confiscated from the enemy or donated by American film companies these men are preparing pictures to set the war record straight and to counteract enemy propaganda the Army Air Forces have their own production units making specialized films for the training of aviators and ground crews in New York City the Army Signal Corps photographic Center is today the biggest and busiest American film studio outside Hollywood on vast stages the Army is producing films which explain every phase of military activity and graphic terms for the indoctrination of raw recruits and for the instruction of the Army's ever growing legions of specialist but most impressive single example of cooperation between the army and the film industry is the production of a wartime musical show with an all soldier caste which on the stage alone grossed an unprecedented total of nearly two million dollars for army emergency relief and brought new glory to its veteran composer and author Irving Berlin this is the army carries on the tradition of patriotism and American high spirits which its author created in World War one with his famous army musical show yep yep yep Hank which gave the world a soldier song that will never die someday I'm going to murder the bugler someday they're going to find him dead I'll amputate his rebel e and step upon it heavily and spend the rest of my life in bed Oh [Music] in most cities of the united states a serviceman on leave can be reasonably sure of finding a decent interesting evenings amusement thanks to the USO and its related agencies at New York Stage Door Canteen men on leave rubbed shoulders with notables as they enjoy good food and amusing company the latest novelties in Broadway's almost inexhaustible store of entertainment are theirs at no cost merchant seamen unsung heroes of the seven seas get a warm welcome at their own recreational clubs where the cooking is done by such nationally famous stars as the theater guilds Alfred Lunt to entertain workers in war industry throughout the land the American Theatre Wing now sends out complete shows to boost morale and production with fun during the brief lunch period in the nation's military and naval hospitals the great names of stream stage and concert fall singly and in group are bringing to wounded and invalidity n entertainment which is an integral part of therapeutic care taking its place in the army camps with more familiar American vaudeville the traditional Russian ballet has found itself a new and unexpected crop of devotees but still tops in entertainment are the well-known acts and personalities dddd know [Applause] famous radio shows play the camp circuit too sure I got your cookies and send some more honey and tell mom two cents more that homemade candy I hit the last one in my bunk slept on it and masters but even flat it's good I'll give you a hint she put everything she had on a horse Lady Godiva Lady Godiva is correct and you get 64 oh no no no no wait a minute no you can't do it you cannot read that poem jack you let me read my poem or I'll tell all these fellows here that when you were in the Navy you went up to the crow's nest looking for eggs I too ashamed of yourself calling these fellows horseface and stinking yeah aren't you ashamed of yourself well they know they did it I want you to look at these men yeah look at all the girls back there what do you think of them [Applause] at the Hollywood Canteen members of the Armed Forces can have experiences worth writing home about a dance with Olivia de Havilland Marlene Dietrich or Deanna Durbin can be a reality [Music] but too many youngsters contact with Hollywood glamour girlz still has the quality of a dream [Music] contributing to the fun are well-known Hollywood figures relegated to the roles of Busboys or waiter [Music] f-35 someone out there 35 f-35 somebody have it and let it you have one here at the Hollywood Canteen a $25 bond which is presented every night by a different studio and when this 20 panel of bongos an additional Tim day pass listen with are you gonna take your bar now but if you have a man I think you are from Brooklyn you'll get miss Hedy Lamarr to seal it with a kiss what about it Eddie [Applause] I know [Applause] [Applause] to provide laughs for men on distant outposts and in the combat zones famous performers travel thousands of risky miles share the life of the troops in camps from the South Pacific to North Africa [Applause] women stars carry on their work as near the battle line as Army Regulations will allow and far from home the greatest jazz singer of them all Al Jolson finds that soldiers still like the old song [Music] [Music] smiles upon your smiles oh my little Fanny the sunshine sees the sunshine when I know where the Sun shines best kiss on my mammy I'm talking about nobody else's my little baby my heartstrings a tangle around alabamy maybe mammy I'm coming oh my hope I hope I didn't make you wait Manny I'm coming Oh Oh God I hope I'm not late Tammy look at me don't you know me I'm your little baby I'd walk a million miles for one of your smiles [Music] [Applause] day and night American radio is reaching distant camps with special broadcasts recorded and beamed to the US forces wherever they may be featured artists give their talents willingly and generously service him golden system golden success my and we're case with its own aged Oldham golden slippers old and gonna stuff symbolism [Applause] [Music] [Applause] by the way Rochester what's your brother doing my brothers in infantry KP division what's that most extraordinary of American radio shows is one the civilian public never hears a War Department program made up of personalities and numbers specially requested by the men actually on the fighting fronts and beamed to them alone by shortwave transmission tonight we believe we have the most unusual request made today here is the letter special service division War Department Los Angeles dear commander performance we feel we could win the war single-handed if we could only hear Carol Landis side that's all we want justice I sign - Jimmy doc and Big Mac somewhere in the South Pacific ok file don't forget your promise Carol Landis will now sign [Music] I'm marches on [Music] [Applause] [Music]