Freedom - verse by Ernest McGaffey

Hellzapoppin'-- From Buckeye to Broadway CONCERNING THE FALL AND RISE OF A CLASSIC OF THE AMERICAN STAGE.

TWENTY-FIVE years ago, War in Europe was horrifying the world; Ziegfeld in New York was glorify ing the girls; and Olsen and Johnson in the Riverside Theater were mortifying their stooges. Twenty years ago, the war was over in Europe; Ziegfeld was in Atlantic City; and Olsen and Johnson were still over in the Riverside .but, by then, we were mortifying the manager.

Fifteen years ago Ten years ago Five years ago While old-timers dropped by the wayside and newcomers sprang up to take their places, Fun and Olsen and Johnson marched ahead arm in-arm; keeping pace with the march of time, in radio, movies, vaudeville, and musical comedy.

Today, War in Europe is vandalizing the world; George White, replacing Zieg feld is "Scandalizing" the girls; and at Ole and Chick, two grand clowns, went to Buckeye, Ariz ona, and got an idea. The idea is grossing its second million at the Winter Garden in New York. That screwy show, "Hellzapop in," is becoming a national in stitution. Ole and Chick tell how come!

By Ole Olsen and Chick Johnson

At the Winter Garden Theater, Olsen and Johnson in "Hellzapoppin" are tantaliz ing Time and the critics.

Of course, the only thing this proves (if it proves anything), is that History not only repeats itself it stutters.

Yet, despite our having headlined in vaudeville, nationally and internationally, for twenty-five years with slight inter ruptions to star in six motion pictures, on the radio, and our own Broadway pro duction, "Take A Chance"-the critics of "Hellzapoppin'" hailed us (and, in the same breath, "farewelled" us) as "new comers."

As a matter of record, the critics laugh ed when they sat down at "Hellzapoppin'" the opening night, but (with a few nota ble exceptions) they got up again and said it was a "bust." They didn't insist their readers would have to be screwballs to enjoy the show-though they intimated it would help but they were certain any one with fortitude, or daring, to sit through an entire performance would be a fit candidate for the foolish-factory before the show was over.

You don't have to...

Maybe they were right! However, if they were, the screwball population of the world has been neglectfully under estimated, and we're going to erect a sign over the Winter Garden Theater (Adv.) telling the world, "Through these portals pass the most illustrious screw balls in the world." And if Anthony Eden, Mayor LaGuardia, Governor "Hap py" Chandler, B. M. Baruch, and almost seven hundred thousand others are screw balls-please, teacher, we want to be on their side. We'll admit, however, it looked as though the critics might be right-in the beginning.

Two years ago, Fate, and the Rich field Oil Company for whom we were broadcasting-conspired to land us in Phoenix, Arizona; where, through the good offices of Kim Briettenstein and Emil Britzman, executives of the Rich field Oil Company and its advertising agency, we met Ralph Watkins-the Richfield distributor in Buckeye, Arizona and Ralph Nuttall, another Buckeye business man.

The two Ralphs invited us to crown the Arizona Cotton Queen at the "Helza poppin'" celebration in Buckeye; natur ally, we accepted. Another suggestion of the Messrs. Watkins and Nuttall, which we accepted with open hearts and minds, was that we adopt the title of the "Helzapoppin'" celebration for our new vaudeville unit at that time in the process of production. However, we took the liberty of adding another "L," just to make certain no one misunderstood our meaning.

We were appearing in Philadelphia in this unit, when temptation to go back to Broadway reared its beautiful head-sponsored by NTG, who urged Lee Shu bert and Harry Kaufman to drive down from New York, in the rain, to see our show.

The new show got favorable criticisms, but lost eight thousand dollars the first week-which is not beans, even in Bos ton; deciding us to invade New York, and hope for a different reaction.

We got it! But not exactly the difference we had expected! And the morn ing after the New York opening, two bewildered clowns (Olsen and Johnson, to you) read the seemingly unfair criticisms, stating "'Hellzapoppin' is 'Hellzafloppin'," and tried to shoot ourselves with blank pistols. It was, as the Fed eral indictment says, murder!

Three weeks later, contracts were drawn up for "Hellzapoppin'" to appear on Broadway, as a regular musical revue with a "break-in" opening in Boston, after several weeks of rehearsing, assembling new acts. and like you do.Really, that morning, we knew exactly how a baby must feel when someone slips a Mickey Finn in its milk.

We had cancelled our dates with our successful stage unit, to take this gambling flyer on Broadway, and we had failed. And our attempts to laugh through our tears wouldn't have fooled even a Metropolitan Opera audience accustomed as they are to over-stuffed Pagliaccis. Not only did we have a practically unThe annual Helzapoppin' show at Buckeye, Arizona, will be held Octo ber 25, 26, 27, 28. Ralph Watkins, the chairman of the program commit tee, promises as usual four days of fun and frolic, with all the features that make you enjoy a country fair, a circus, and a carnival combined.

Featured in the program will be, of course, Buckeye's annual Cotton Carnival, where King Cotton will take a bow and all the good farmer folk will pay homage to a major Arizona agricultural subject.

There will be an industrial exhibit, where every implement dealer in Arizona will show his wares a display of the most modern develop ments in the realm of agricultural machinery. You'll learn a lot about cotton and cotton farming in Arizona by taking in this exhibit.

There will be dances every night, real hoe-downs, and on Saturday night of Helzapoppin' week there will be a grand Coronation ball, where the Cotton Queen will be formally crowned.

The show will start off with a parade that will begin in Phoenix and if you have never seen a Helzapoppin' parade you really haven't seen anything. All of Buckeye and a large part of Arizona turns out for the event on opening day.

Some prominent figure in the world of entertainment - two years ago it was Olsen and Johnson-will be the guests of Buckeye and the Helzapoppin' show.

A radio show, possibly put on over a national hook-up, will be one of the highlights of Helzapoppin' week. And so that there will be no dull moments a top-notch carnival, with all the side shows, will do business day and night. Anything can and possibly will happen at Helzapoppin'.

Buckeye's Helzapoppin' is more than a passing community celebration. It's an event like Christmas and the Fourth of July. Townspeople dress in costume throughout the week, and months before the male inhabitants of the town begin to let their whiskers grow. Helzapoppin' transforms Buckeye from a modern, busy agricultural community to a fiesta town with a personality and an appeal all of its own.

Ole Olsen and Chick Johnson came to Buckeye one year and borrowed the name for what was to become one of the smash hits of the American stage. They took "Helzapoppin'," added an "I", made it "Hellzapoppin',' and really went to town.

Buckeye's show, even without the extra "l", is a grand show and one you'll never forget.

The great charm of Buckeye's Helzapoppin' is the friendly and pleasant welcome the townspeople extend to every visitor. Friendliness is more than a sales artifice in Buckeye. It's a manner of living. Buckeye has long been famed as one of the friendliest towns in the friendly west. and during Helzapoppin' week the good folks of Buckeye leave nothing undone to make the visitor feel at home and at ease.

Inbeatable chance to lose several thousand dollars-which is no cause for unseemly exuberance, in itself; but we had dragged a hundred others chorus kids, stooges, musicians, and specialty artists, down with us. All in all, we were so low in spirits, we couldn't even look down on Hitler.

It was awful. Casey had struck out. Even the thought that Congress was adjourned and wouldn't reconvene until January failed to cheer us.

Fate, however, apparently took a look at the ranks of the unemployed, and decided to give us a break. Fate and the sometime aforementioned, notably exceptional critics-Walter Winchell, George Jean Nathan, Walter Winchell, Bide Dudley, Walter Winchell, Arthur Pollock, and Walter Winchell. And for some reason-unknown, except to J. Edgar Hoover and Walter Winchell-business began to pick up to a point that grossed $19,000 the first week; incidentally, the poorest week the show has had since opening in New York.

September twelfth, at the Winter Garden Theater, Olsen and Johnson celebrated their first birthday in "Hellzapoppin';" the show is well on its way toward grossing a second million; and we're still trying to shoot ourselves, our audience, and eighty percent of our stooges. But, unlike a year ago, we're doing it For laughs and getting them at the rate of over five hundred a performance.

We, it seems, were right, and the critics were wrong. However, we're not saying, "I told you so!" We can understand their reasonable error, because "Hellzapoppin'" is not orthodox "Theatuh," such as the critical eyes are accustomed to in any respect.

In the first place, it is probably the most initially-inexpensive, successful, musical revue ever produced on Broadway; costing approximately $25,000, as compared with $150,000 for "Sing Out The News," $250,000 for "The American Way," etc., ad infinitum. Too, with a cast of nearly one hundred, "Hellzapoppin'" has fewer gag-lines of dialogue than any other show on Broadway; giving us more "boon-dogglers" than the original WPA, and making our stooges practically careerists in the gentle art of being paid for doing nothing.

You see, anything can happen-and probably will at any performance of "Hellzapoppin'."

Former Governor Al Smith, who has seen the show four times, says, "If I had my way, it'd be made a national institution."

B. M. Baruch says, "It's like an hour spent around the old swimming hole."

Even Will Shakespeare, who has had considerable experience around the theater himself, says, "Of all the wonders of the world, it seems to me most strange . . ."

It's noisier than the Second Battle of The Marne, as performed by the original cast; and almost as many laughs are generated by "plants" in the audience, (Turn to Page 31)