Marvellous Success Of Comedy Duo

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 12

Marvellous Success Of Comedy Duo

There’ll be no more stick and hip waving for Frank Jenks and Dorothea Kent.

Jenks has permanently laid aside his baton and Dorothea her dancing slippers in preparation for a quick trip to stardom planned for them by Universal Studios. “In “Strange Faces,” a newspaper film, the young comedy team has its initial starring role.

Mad antics of the Kent-Jenks combination in “Youth Takes a Fling” prompted the studio to prepare “Strange Faces” for the co-starring debut.

It was a short hop from footlights to arc lights to the spotlight for Frank and Dorothea. Just a few years ago Frank was tooting a trombone, trumpet, bass horn and clarinet prior to formation of his own orchestra. Dorothea, a kid just out of high school, was “hoofing” for 15 dollars a week. In 1931 Dorothea started rapping at studio gates, and her “break” came when she starred in a series of shorts. Appearances in two Hollywood stage revues won her a Universal contract. Jenks made his screen debut as a musical sailor in “Follow the Fleet,” then scored a hit as the singing taxi driver of “100 Men and a Girl.”