US Naval Reserve Midshipmens School - Capstan Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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OLLI' OTH Brooks Atkinson and Burns Mantle com- pletely ignored the Notre Dame Midshipmens, production, Happy Houru, which was presented on October 30, in Notre Dameis historic Wlashing- ton Hall. Neither Olsen nor Johnson, nor Gable nor LaMarr, nor even the Studebaker Chorus were principals in the show. There were no Hollywood contracts for the lovely female leads, but from the standpoint of the 1100 Midshipmen who were there, Happy Hour was excellently done, com- pletely funny and presented in a very shipshape and seamanlike manner. The writing was done by W. Leggett and A. F. Berliner was the show's general chairman and stage manager. Most of the humor was supplied by P. Larmer who had done gag writing for NBC, notably for the Fibber McGee and Red,Skelton programs. The work of coordinating the acts into one show was done by A. E. Penelosa. Outstanding individual acts included the Girl Skitn, starring a very fetching and voluptuous female who slightly resembled Cook, a Northwestern football star of last year. As directed by G. M. Critchell, it was one of the eveningls highlights.

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gt. cm CALL for men interested in forming a Navy Glee Club was made during the first week of the indoctrination period. It was answered by forty-five men who, less than two weeks later, be- gan a series of radio broadcasts. This amazing work continued during the time they were here and the Notre Dame Midshipmenis Glee Club be- came an organization of professional grade. The conductor, R. H. Dezell, although just an- other Midshipman from a military viewpoint, is well recognized as a leader in musical circles. Be- fore coming to Notre Dame he performed as a violinist with two symphonic groups on the West Coast and also as assistant conductor ofthe Tacoma Symphony Orchestra. Several of his own composi- tions have been broadcast nationally. R. M. Kent and D. L. Driscoll moved to the fore of the group through frequent commendable solo performances. Both were professional vocalists and had earned degrees in music and musical theory. Kent had previously held a position as music teacher and supervisor in Louisiana. R. J. Taylor, a former mainstay of the St. Peter's College Choral Society, has also contributed occasional solos. F. M. Hruby, accompanist for the group, holds a Masters degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he held a teaching fellowship until entering V-7 training. Several major symphony orchestras have played his works and Carnegie Hall concert programs have often listed his name as soloist. W. A. Sleeper, former accompanist and assistant director of the Columbia University Clee Club, is another music major in the group. Many of the members, beside their singing tal- ents, have also earned reputations in other fields of music. C. H. Hendrickson, an outstanding ex- ample, plays both the piano and the concertina, upon which he has performed with the Boston Symphony Crchestra. Their broadcast work has been the highlight of the choral groupis activities. They staged a half- hour program over WSBT in South Bend every week and were so well received that they were con- tacted for a nation-wide hook-up audition. Lt. E. C. Dollard, former public relations officer, made most of the plans for the group's microphone work. On the station, the Glee Club made a hit with the Midshipmen through their part in the Happy Houri' variety show, staged at the end of the in- doctrination period. In addition to all the other events on their calendar, the Glee Club also per- formed at several of the Midshipmen formals at the Indiana Club. f179j

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. .gvf ' YK H. X . fttiis. gg- 'Ll M K ..jwf,Ez.3f:'k S PROBABLY the most active organization during our lN1idshipman days at Notre Dame, the Drum and Bugle Corps was also probably the most essential. Wherever we went together it was they who set the pace for us. When the lone bugler from their ranks awakened usffalways at the cold- est time of the morningffwe grumbled and swore revenge, but when he turned us in at taps we agreed that perhaps he would make a good sailor some day. Organized by Chief Buglemaster Tainter during the first week of the indoctrination period, the Drum and Bugle Corps started with eight mem- bers. By the time we began Midshipman School there were forty, and led, by Drum lNIajor lvlidship- man R. DufHe, they had ironed out the wrinkles that necessarily punctuated their first offerings. Practice was limited to fifteen and twenty min- utes a day but the Corps still found time to im- provise new numbers and startling arrangements of the old ones. Few of us will forget the Hrst time they sprung the three trumpet chorus of i'Anchor's Aweighw one night at evening chow formation. And but for the fear of Saturday work detail many of us would have danced, a la Harlem, when we heard the brisk syncopation of Bombs at Bayn. 'Vs' H811 ? . 'Q X . L. 5 i t Emp, u 'Q .fi 3' it t f .