The White Falcon - 02.10.1943, Blaðsíða 2

2
Jack Benn/Stops Here
AfterPerforming In Italy
On his way home after a ten week tour of the Afric-
an theater, silvery-haired Jack Benny, long one of Am-
erica’s favorite comedians, stopped off in Iceland this
week long enough to stage
lucky soldiers.
Obviously tired and suffering
from a bad cold, Waukegan’s fa-
vorite son talked freely about his
experiences while entertaining
Allied troops in the Middle East,
Sicily and Italy. Jack seemed
especially proud of the fact that
he and his troupe were the first
group of American entertainers
to play before American troops
in Italy, and appeared gratified
to think that he had been able
to send hundreds of doughboys
away laughing only a few hours
before they were in combat with
the enemy.
Asked how the men who help-
ed drive the Nazis out of Africa
and Sicily seemed to be stand-
ing up under it all, Benny re-
plied, “They are in great shape.
They were just the same every-
where we went, from the Per-
sian Gulf to Italy. They all want-
ed to know how things had been
back home when we left.”
Jack’s answer to that question
from the GI’s in Iceland was:
“Things haven’t changed a bit.
Roosevelt is still President, Ann
Sheridan is still beautiful, and
Fred Allen still stinks.”
Accompanying the comedian
were actresses Winnie Shaw and
Anna Lee, Harmonica King Larry
Adler, and accompanist Jack
F.D.R. Names
Successor For
Sumner Welles
President Roosevelt this week
announced the appointment of
former Lend Lease Administra-
tor Edward Stettinus, Jr., as the
new Under-Secretary of State.
The appointment was made ne-
cessary by the resignation, se-
veral weeks ago, of Sumner
Welles.
In namihg Stettinus to fill the
important Government position,
the President said he had ac-
cepted the resignation of Mr.
Welles “with deep regret.” Wel-
les was reported to have re-
signed because of differences
with Secretary of State, Cordell
Hull. However, the appointment
of Stettinus to succeed the career
diplomat was the cause of some
surprise. There had been no pre-
vious indication that Stettinus
would be named the State De-
partment’s representative in the
forthcoming conferences between
the foreign offices of Britain
and the U.S. on one hand and
Russia on the other. '
The President also announced
this week the appoinlment of
former New York Governor Leh-
man as one of his' special ad-
visers. Lehman will deal with
war relief and rehabilitation
problems and be directly re-
sponsible to the President
two shows for about 1,000
Snyder. Miss Shaw and Snyder
worked with Benny in the two
shows presented here, in which
Jack obliged with everything
from a violin solo to a love
scene. Of Iceland Jack said,
“This place looks like Waukegan
—with rocks.”
Benny made frequent refer-
ence to his valiant valet, Roch-
ester, and when he recalled that
he had been married to Mary
Livingston for 17 years and one
week the soldiers gave him the
biggest hand of the evening.
“Seventeen years and one week,”
mused Jack. “Golly, it doesn’t
seem like more than 17 years.”
The ace comedian’s best-re-
ceived gag was the one he told
about an Irishman in London.
Following an air raid, the Irisli-
er was found walking along with
a door-knob in his hand, mut-
tering as only an Irishman can
mutter. When a passerby asked
him what the matter was, he re-
plied: “Those dammed Germans.
They blew a saloon out of my
hand!”
As usual, Jack went to great
pains to explain how well he
gets .along with Hollywood’s gla-
mour gals. “Betty Grable and
me,” he said (holding up three
fingers) “are just like this.”
Then, pointing to the middle fin-
ger, he added: “That’s Harry
James in the middle.”
His hair has turned to silver,
but Jack Benny’s humor is still
golden.
—Pacific
(Continued from Page 1)
cupation of the northern-most
island of the Ellice group, locat-
ed in the mid-Pacific southwest
of Hawaii. It was taken without
opposition by U.S. Marines and
will be of great value as an air-
base.
In Burma, heavy Allied bom-
bers attacked Japanese railway
and river communications in the
Maudang area. Several locomo-
tives and over 35 vehicles’ were
destroyed.
—Russia
(Continued from Page 1)
ans are converging on the city
from three points.
Other Soviet forces have been
reported only eight miles from
Gomel, one of the three chief
Russian objectives on the central
front. The men of Stalin have
rolled up their heaviest artillery
and are subjecting the city to a
heavy and constant barrage. Sov-
iet Guerilla fighters are reported
by Moscow to be exacting a heavy
toll from the retreating Germans
throughout the entire sector.
Master come-
dian Jack Benny
let it be known
that he is also a
great lover when
he put on two
shows for about
1,000 fortunate
soldiers in Ice-
land this week.
Above, Waukeg-
an’s favorite son
is shown em-
bracing actress
Winnie Shaw
with such “ent-
husiasm” that a
few seconds aft-
er the picture
was snapped
Jack called for
two soldiers to
“carry her out.”
In a serious
mood, below,
Benny tells White Falcon reporter John Wentworth how he found
conditions in the Middle East, Sicily and Italy, where he spent
the last ten weeks entertaining Allied troops.
Chaplains In Thick Of It
With American Fifth Army
Soldiers in action are more re-
ligious than their relatives at
home in the opinion of Father
Patrick J. Ryan, who is serving as
a Catholic Chaplain with the
American Fifth Army in Italy.
“I think men brought face to
face with death daily appreciate
more than civilians the import-
ance of religion,” explained Fath-
er Ryan. “I was frequently called
to hold Mass throughout the day
by groups of men about to enter
battle.”
Father Ryan pointed out that
the Pope has given permission
to priests to say Mass any time
during the day. The chaplains
carry portable “tent Churches”
covering altars while fighting
men kneel and pray. Under the
present conditions the chaplains
move right into the battle line.
Gen. Mark Clark, in charge of
the Fifth Army, has arranged for
Chaplains to accompany each
Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
combat unit into the fighting,
Sergeant Helps
Girl Reporter
Do Strip Tease
While hundreds gaped in won-
’der, a girl reporter took off her
dress and gave it to an Army
sergeant on the grounds of the
Washington Monument last week.
But don’t be alarmed—the girl
was hidden from view.
Miss Martha Kearney of Inter-
national News Service, attending
a rehearsal of a War Loan Drive
show in the Capital, caught her
heel on the hem of her dress.
She tried to ignore it, but the
Army insisted on repairing the
damage. A screen was hurriedly
erected on a truck. Miss Kerney
went behind it, handed the dress
over the top, and an Army ser-
geant sewed the hem up. “The
Army,” said the sergeant modest-
ly, “is ready fop anything.”
What’s Doing?
MAIN CENTER
Tomorrow—1930 — Show of
Shows — 20.30 — Dance.
Monday—1900—Icelandic Lec-
ture — 2015 — Movie — 2100
— Concert.
Tuesday—2030 — Dance.
Wednesday—2015 — Movie —
1915 — Museum Visit.
Thursday—2030 — Dance.
Friday—1-745 — Movie — 2015
— Words and Music.
Saturday—1530 — Piano Con-
cert — 2000 — Boxing Mat-
ches.
CLUB No. 2.
Tues., Thur., Sat.—2000—Mov-
ies.
Wed., Fri., Sun.—2030—Dance.
CLUB No. 4.
Tomorrow—2030 — Concert
—2145 — Dance.
Monday—1600 — Bridge In-
struction — 2145 — Square
Dancing.
Tuesday—1900 — Dance In-
struction — 1930 — Iceland-
ic Class.
Wednesday—1900 — Art Lec-
ture.
Thursday—1300 — Crafts Class
— Bridge Party.
Friday—1500 — USO Show.
Saturday—2000 — Dancing.
Finds Law Hard
To “Influence”
The director of the Dale Car-
negie Institute in Seattle, Wash.,
who lias taught numerous resi-
dents how to win friends and in-
fluence people, was released on
$2,000 bail this week on a charge
of grand larceny.
After his arrest, the Seattle
Better Business Bureau revealed
the fact that Simmons had been
a prisoner at the Kansas State
Penitentiary from January, 1938,
to March, 1939, after he had
pleaded guilty to a charge of
arson.
Newsman To Be
Released By Japs
Ray Cronin, chief of the Manila
bureau of America’s Associated
Press before that city fell to the
Japs, will soon be back in the
States. The Japanese News Ag-
ency announced this week that
Cronin and his wife are among
the Americans who will be ex-
changed for Jap prisoners in Am-
erica soon.
—Italy
(Continued from Page 1)
Army reported that at some po-
ints the advance was so swift
they came upon Nazi field head-
quarters so recently evacuated
that the Nazi telephones were
still ringing. At another point,
the correspondent says, several
British soldiers wandered into a
building and surprised a Nazi
officer sitting calmly at his desk,