''George White's Scandals'' were a long-running string of

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

s produced by

George White George White may refer to: Politicians * George White (died 1584) (c. 1530–1584), MP for Liverpool * George White (Liberal politician) (1840–1912), British Liberal member of parliament, 1900–1912 * George E. White (politician) (1848–1935), ...

that ran from 1919–1939, modeled after the ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

''. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W. C. Fields, the Three Stooges, Ray Bolger, Helen Morgan,

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

, Ann Miller, Eleanor Powell,

Bert Lahr Irving Lahrheim (August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the MGM adaptation of ...

and

Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type. Early life Hubert Prior Vall ...

Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress and dancer during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an icon of the Jazz Age and flapper culture, in part due to the bob hairstyle that she helpe ...

Dolores Costello Dolores Costello (September 17, 1903Costello's obituary in ''The New York Times'' says that she was born on September 17, 1905. – March 1, 1979) was an American film actress who achieved her greatest success during the era of silent movies. ...

, Barbara Pepper, and Alice Faye got their show business start as lavishly dressed (or underdressed) chorus girls strutting to the "Scandal Walk". Much of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

's early work appeared in the 1920–24 editions of ''Scandals.'' The Black Bottom, danced by ''Ziegfeld Follies'' star Ann Pennington and

Tom Patricola Tom Patricola (January 22, 1891 – January 1, 1950) was an American actor, comic and dancer who starred in vaudeville and motion pictures. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, New Orleans, Patricola established his fame as a hoofer, becoming a leading ...

, touched off a national dance craze. ''George White's Scandals'' is also the name of several movies set within the ''Scandals'', all of which focus primarily on the show's acts, with a thin backstage plot stringing them all together. The best known of these was 1934's ''George White's Scandals'' written by Jack Yellen, which marked the film debut of Alice Faye.

Flapper Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered accepta ...

-era cartoonist and designer

Russell Patterson Russell Patterson (December 26, 1893 – March 17, 1977) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and scenic designer. Patterson's art deco magazine illustrations helped develop and promote the idea of the 1920s and 1930s fashion style known as t ...

worked on

in various capacities; for ''George White's Scandals of 1936,'' he served as scenic designer. ''George White's Scandals of 1920'' was featured in an episode of the television series ''

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" bookend segments filmed in Wilmington, Nort ...

.''

George White

White was an American theatrical producer and director who also was an actor, choreographer, composer, dancer, dramatist, lyricist and screenwriter, as well as a

Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

-owner. Appearing in the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' of 1915, he popularized the Turkey Trot dance.

The ''Scandals'' casts

Christine Welford - George White's Scandals (1921)

1919

* Lester Allen * La Sylphe * Peggy Dolan * Ann Pennington *

Ona Munson Ona Munson (born Owena Elizabeth Wolcott; June 16, 1903 – February 11, 1955) was an American film and stage actress. She starred in nine Broadway productions and 20 feature films in her career, which spanned over 30 years. Born and raised in ...

* Yvette Rugel *The George White Girls, including Christine WelfordChristine Welford
at IBDB

1920

* Lester Allen * Peggy Dolan * Lou Holtz * La Sylphe * Ann Pennington *The George White Girls, including Christine Welford

1921

* Lester Allen * Lou Holtz * Tess Gardella * Charles King * Ann Pennington *The George White Girls, including Christine Welford

1922

* Lester Allen * Peggy Dolan * W. C. Fields * Winnie Lightner *

Sally Long Sally Long (December 5, 1901 – August 12, 1987) was an American dancer and actress. Early years Long was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Long. She graduated from Eden Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1921. Dancer Florenz Ziegfeld ...

* Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra *The George White Girls (including

)

1923

* Lester Allen * Winnie Lightner *The Breens *Johnny Dooley *

*Tip Top Four *The George White Girls (including

Helene Costello Helene Costello (June 21, 1906 – January 26, 1957) was an American stage and film actress, most notably of the silent era. Early life and career Born in New York City, Costello was the youngest daughter of the prominent stage and pioneering ...

an
Edna May Reed

1924

* Lester Allen * Tony DeMarco * Peggy Dolan * Winnie Lightner *

* The Williams Sisters *The George White Girls (including

Dorothy Sebastian Dorothy Sebastian (born Stella Dorothy Sabiston; April 26, 1903The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Sebastian's date of birth as April 26, 1907. – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress. Ear ...

and Sally Starr)

1925

* Helen Morgan *Gordon Dooley *Elm City Four *The McCarthy Sisters *

*The George White Girls (including

) * Patricia Bowman

1926

* The Fairbanks Twins *

Portland Hoffa Portland Hoffa (January 25, 1905 – December 26, 1990) was an American comedian, radio host, actress, and dancer. The daughter of an itinerant optometrist, she was named after Portland, Oregon, the city in which she was born. She began her ca ...

Willie and Eugene Howard Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

* Ann Pennington *

Harry Richman Harry Richman (born Henry Reichman Jr.; August 10, 1895 – November 3, 1972) was an American singer, actor, dancer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and nightclub performer, at his most popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In his peak yea ...

* Fowler & Tamara *Frances Williams *The George White Girls *Patricia Bowman

1928

*Eugene and Willie Howard *Ann Pennington *

* The Russell Markert Dancers * June MacCloy *Frances Williams *The George White Girls (including

Boots Mallory Patricia "Boots" Mallory (October 22, 1913 – December 1, 1958) was an American film actress, dancer, and model. Career Mallory grew up in Mobile, Alabama, where her father operated a tugboat. She attended Murphy High School, and was wor ...

)

1929

*Jack Durant *Elm City Four *Ted and Sally *Willie and Eugene Howard *Frances Williams * Marietta Canty *The George White Girls

1931

* Ray Bolger * Ethel Barrymore Colt *Eugene and Willie Howard, including " Pay the Two Dollars" * Everett Marshall, including the first performance of " That's Why Darkies Were Born" *

, introducing “ Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” *

* Alice Faye *Beth White *The George White Girls

1932 (''Music Hall Varieties'')

Lili Damita Lili Damita (born Liliane Marie-Madeleine Carré; 10 July 1904 – 21 March 1994) was a French-American actress and singer who appeared in 33 films between 1922 and 1937. Early life and education Lili Damita was born Liliane Marie-Madeleine Car ...

* Eleanor Powell *The Dancing Beauties (including Barbara Pepper)

1934 (film)

* Jimmy Durante * Ketti Gallian * Alice Faye *

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standar ...

* Dixie Dunbar * Gertrude Michael

1935 (film)

* Alice Faye * James Dunn *

* Eleanor Powell * Lyda Roberti *

Ned Sparks Ned Sparks (born Edward Arthur Sparkman, November 19, 1883 – April 3, 1957) was a Canadian-born character actor of the American stage and screen. He was known for his deadpan expression and comically nasal, monotone delivery. Life and career ...

* Dixie Dunbar

1936

*Willie and Eugene Howard *The George White Girls

1939

* Ben Blue * Ella Logan * The Kim Loo SistersLi, Leslie
''Just Us Girls''
Four Seasons Press (2015), p. 1067, Kindle * Ann Miller * Harry Stockwell *

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

*The George White Girls (including Marie McDonald)

References

External links

* * * * {{Gershwins Broadway musicals Revues