Army Signal Corps photographs, courtesy of the National Archives. Photograph of the Cast of “This is the Army” Backstage. These performances included comedic routines, skilled feminine singers and dancers, and impersonators of female stars of the period. There were essentially three types of drag performance that became commonplace in soldier shows during the WWII-era through the blueprint from This Is the Army. The production went on to massive commercial success in the film version starring Ronald Reagan and George Murphy raising almost $10,000,000 for the relief fund’s efforts. Following a special performance of This Is the Army for President Roosevelt in Washington, DC, a reporter highlighted how the President was especially drawn to the striptease routine of a Gypsy Rose Lee impersonator. This all-soldier cast show was a huge success with the audience raising money in support of the Army Emergency Relief Fund. On the Fourth of July 1942, This Is the Army opened to a packed audience at New York’s Broadway Theater. Army Signal Corps photographs, courtesy of the National Archives.ĭuring World War II, Irving Berlin’s brilliance for creating popular soldier shows reappears with the production of This Is the Army. A pony ballet is one where groups of masculine looking GIs dress in tutus and perform ballet routines often wearing their army issued boots. “Girly” show choreography was outlined in the publications to ensure that the GIs looked good in their highly choreographed “pony ballet” numbers. Blueprint Specials for soldier shows even included dress making patterns and suggestions for material procurement. These publications, known as Blueprint Specials, contained everything you would need to put on an approved and pre-scripted soldier show. The Army Special Services produced, published, and distributed handbooks for soldier shows. Top Image: Jumping with Jodie, Army Signal Corps photographs, SC-140522, courtesy of the National Archives.Įarly in World War II, the National Theater Conference lobbied to authorize soldier shows as “a necessity, not a frill.” By early 1942, approval was granted by leadership in Washington for the Special Services in concert with the United Service Organization (USO) and American Red Cross to begin soldier show productions to entertain the troops both on the homefront and abroad.
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