Strong Vincent High School - Spokesman Yearbook (Erie, PA)

Page 32 text:

Top: Mexicancs. Center: Rockettes. Bottom : Dress Parade. Fire Away Another trailer wound its way through Erie streets, and when it drew up in front of Vincent, we knew things would happen fast. Mr. and Mrs. Lee Winter had arrived bag and baggage with their annual clever show. There was much bustling and unpacking, and first we saw loud colors and peculiar shapes. These gradually turned into a mammoth battleship, the U.S.S. Alaska; a Dude ranch near San Diego, plus a variety of clever costumes for this year ' s musical comedy produc- tion, Fire Away. Thinking back to previous successes, we wondered just how they could be surpassed. Then one rainy morning, they showed us coming at- tractions and all Vincent was dazzled! The mercury in the homeroom sales-thermometers rose steadily, foretelling a capacity audience for two performances, on March 3rd and 4th. Richard Guthrie had the leading role as Captain Moore of the Navy. There is something about a uniform and the way Dick wears one. Eileen Lambrecht of the laughing eyes, was a very sweet Molly and her sisters, Ruthe Johnson as the effervescent Florabel, and Sally Thayer as silent Daisy, put a lilt into the comedy that made Twenty-eight

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.JUNE CLASS PLAY- Seated : Wagner, Kari, Campbell, McClain, Betti, Dunlap. Stand- ing: Geiger, Braine, Eichenlaub, Kuhn, Ar- buckle. Lynch, Cul- bertson. The Whole Town ' s Talking Director Mr. Simmons Mrs. Simmons Ethel Simmons. Chester Binney Letty Lythe Donald Swift Roger Shields . Lila Wilson Sally Otis Annie Sadie Bloom Taxi Driver . Mrs. Jackson . Mrs. Charles Le Sueur CAST . Mark Wagner Paula Dunlap Beatrice Betti William Culbertson Rita Lynch Richard Arbuckle . Harvey Kuhn Claire Eichenlaub . Sally McClain Marjorie Braine Gertrude Kari Robert Geiger Martha Campbell About the June Class Play, of course! for there was much to be talked about! Vivacious Ethel Simmons returned from Chicago with a self-styled blue-blood, Roger Shields, in tow, who charmed both Ethel and her mother with his continental mannerisms. No doubt a wedding would have followed, had not Mr. Simmons planned a more practical future for his daughter. He had selected his timid business partner, Chester Binney, to marry Ethel. Binney had never sown a wild oat in his life, and Ethel would have none of him, pre- ferring men who knew women and the world. Cautious Simmons racked his middle-aged brain with the result that Chester purchased a picture of Letty Lythe, glamorous film star, and dropped it accidentally near Ethel. Daughter and mama flashed it delightedly before envying neighbors, while Lila and Sally, Ethel ' s friends, put the town of Sandusky in a furor, linking Chester ' s name with that of Letty Lythe. Ethel ' s attitude toward Chester changed com- pletely, when she pictured his colorful past. They were soon happily engaged, and things were pro- ceeding nicely, until Letty Lythe arrived in town on a personal appearance tour, her jealous producer, Donald Swift, at her heels. A merry battle of wits ensued. Letty called Chester ' s bluff in an attempt to teach Swift a lesson, and to the bewilderment of all concerned, flung herself into Chester ' s trembling arms. Swift, enraged, in- sisted upon fighting it out, so Chester, quite the squelched creature, called for a battle in the dark. Shields lingered by to gloat, but when the lights came on, there was Chester, big as life, swinging blythely on a chandelier. Swift and Shields had all but killed each other, and Chester received all honors. Mrs. Charles Le Sueur, a director of high standing in Erie, did admirable work in directing the young people, who seemed made for the part. Each did his part in merry style. Paula Dunlap and Mark Wagner were typical modern parents; Harvey Kuhn, a very dapper Chicagoan, and Beatrice Betti was at her cleverest as the spoiled daughter. Claire Eichenlaub lisped in a winning manner, and Sally McClain was attractive in her part. Bill Culbertson changed from the timid to the more dashing soul, and Dick Arbuckle clenched his fists in realistic jealousy. After the performance, the school, as well as the whole town was talking. Twenty-seven

Page 33 text:

Top : Cowgirls, Indians, Principals. Bottom : Gobs the roof quiver. To match them we had a comedy team in the persons of Andy Lindstrom and Frank Morris, that left us weak with laughter. The crew of the battleship were typical sailors — and you know sailors! Darrow Schabacker was a most efficient petty-officer, and Ruth Pearce and Bob Ormsbee were excellent Westerners. No drama is complete without a villain, so Fausto Addessi frightened all his friends as a very dashing bandit. The shining battleship appealed to Molly, who there posed as one of the crew, and the Dude Ranch appealed to Captain Moore when Molly traveled West. Stunning chorines graced both locations, the peppy Gobs and trim Dress Parade Girls aboard ship, and dark-eyed Mex- icanos and Cowgirls who swung castanets and lariats beneath the Western skies — all lending to the sparkling success of Fire Away. Twenty-nine