ENTERTAINING TROOPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1944, Page 6

ENTERTAINING TROOPS

U.S.A. STARS’ FAILURE. NEW YORK, April 3. Flaws in the control of stage and film stars sent to entertain troops in Italy have led to what one correspondent calls “varying degrees of fiasco,” , , , , .. John Lardner, in a aespaicn co the North America Newspaper Alliance, quotes as an example of these flaws that Kav Francis, who is noted foi stately drama against lavish Hollywood backdrops was sent as a comedian. With a string of quick gags wfi-’ch she had to memorise on the trans-Atlantic plane,_ she did not exactly roll the troops in the aisles. ’ Army authorities have . openly charred George Raft with shirking, accord’ng to Lard.ner. He missed his first show and. then obtained a medical ecNihrptc -that it was necessary for him to eo to hospital for a cold. After •>p only three out 01 b shows the Army cancelled all his engagements. Jot- E. Brown was sent to Italy badly tired I'rom his earlier trips, and Adolph Menjou, one of the shrewdest dramatic performers, was poorly I'eceived. because he was sent as a mcnologlst. , On the other hand, .Heo Hope, ons of the worla’s most gifted solo performers, was equipped 'with lavish prop!; and auxiliaries, including Frances Langford and Jack Pepper,who were practically a show in themselves.