“FUNZ-A-POPPIN’”

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 234, 1 July 1939, Page 15

“FUNZ-A-POPPIN’”

With the all-American revue company, “Funz-a-Poppin,” which will begin a season in the 'Opera House, Wellington, on July 8, are two comedians, Harry Ross and Eddie Edwards, who have been performing together for no fewer than 18 years. Only two other partnerships in the show business have had such a long run—Webber aud Fields, and Van and Schenk—Van and Schenk now being dead. Ross and Edwards are typical American performers, and till coming to Australia and New Zealand had not played outside the United States. 'They have worked with Rudy Vallee in his radio programme in New York, and with Kate Smith over the Columbia and the National Broadcasting System. Performers must be stars before they can be included in these programmes. They played for nve consecutive years in the Paramount 1 nolle Theatres, and have appeared in pictures. Years ago they worked with Mary Pickford as a vaudeville act, after she ‘had divorced Douglas Fairbanks. They have also been with Buddy Rogers and his band, as well as having appeared with Will Rogers and with Eddie Cantor and once worked in a big act .with a giri who was then merely a little singertoday one of the bigger box-ofhee attractions in the world —Martha Raye. Alexander Gerber, producer fol “Funz-a-Poppin’,” is the man who wrote plays and composed songs for Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, and Fanny Brice. Mr. Gerber’s song, “Funza-Poppin, was specially written for the coming <?how. In the Salici Puppet entertainment is a Neapolitan scene, with “men and realistic effects, and this forms the background for a remarkable performance by swing dancers, butterfly dancers, clowns, acrobats, and singers; and the that smokes is sheer magic. Headlineis in the revue include Tommy Bozo Bny der. noted Broadway pantimime comedian; Murray Green and Elsa Lang, musical comedy artists; Jack Bickle, youthfu dance star; Loretta Grey, P e P pe L:P° t comedian; June and Trundell Van, Hollywood twins; Dorothy Holbrook, leading dancer with the Twelve Dancing Debutantes, celebrated dance team from the New York Radio City Music Hall, the Carr brothers; Elsa D.°skins; Kelt Connollvt and an old friend in Bobby Morris, recently in Wellington with the Hollywood Hotel Revue. An orchestra under Joseph Clauser is another feature of a startling show, produced on spectacular lines. .