Hollywood Entertains the Troops - The "Sweetheart of the AEF" - 100 Years

Started by ArizonaTank, September 08, 2018, 12:57:45 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

ArizonaTank

Elsie Janis was an American comedic movie actress, singer and song-writer who set her career aside to entertain US troops in WWI France. In her day, she was one of the most well-known American movie actresses. She was also a great American patriot.

There was no organized effort to provide entertainment to the troops of the AEF in WWI. The USO was not established until WWII. The Salvation Army and the YMCA provided some comfort to the troops with canteens, libraries and small "shows". The troops themselves would often put together plays or "reviews," sometimes with regimental musicians forming jazz bands.

Then there was Elsie. At her own cost, she spent six months traveling the trenches, hospitals and depots, giving shows for the troops. She was close enough to have been strafed by German aircraft, and had to take shelter during bombardments.

She became known as "The Sweetheart of the AEF".

After the war she continued to advocate for veterans. She was one of the "silent" stars who did not transition well to "talkies", and her stardom faded in the late 20s and 30s.

This link has some great pictures taken in France:  http://roadstothegreatwar-ww1.blogspot.com/2017/07/remembering-veteran-elsie-janis.html

In May, 1918 she visited the 26th "Yankee" Division.  The "Yankee" Division was made up of National Guard units from New England.  The division history says:

While the Twenty-sixth Division occupied the Toul
sector, it was visited by Elsie Janis, the famous actress.
She immediately became extremely popular with the men,
and called the Twenty-sixth "my division." The young
woman, who was accompanied by her mother, wore three
silver stars, so that she could outrank General Edwards,
and Captain "Al" Ford was made her chief of staff. She
remained three or four days, giving outdoor entertain
ments, and cheered the men up. Miss Janis paid the
division three visits in all.


Shortly after the war, Elsie published her memoirs on her experience in France, titled "The Big Show".  The book is available for download from Google books.

This is how she describes her visit to the 26th Division:


Sunday

Today is a red letter day for me. I have myself
personally killed a German and maybe three or four.
At nine this morning we went with General A. up
to the woods right back of the lines where the big
guns nestle in sweet seclusion. We got out of the
motor at the place where motors no longer are pos
sible, and got onto the cutest little narrow-gauge
railroad, on a little car that usually carries shells,
and this morning drew a couple of " duds "—only
a couple, because the General is a regular firstclass
" high explosive " in the artillery end of the
war game. We rode through the loveliest green
woods, going like mad (the narrow-gauge has any
thing at Coney Island beaten by miles!). We
passed many big guns, all camouflaged by natural
trees, and finally arrived at a battery of one hun
dred and fifty-fives. The General gave the word
and the show commenced. Boom ! went one on our
left some distance away. Boom! on the right, a
little nearer, then the gunners where we were stood
to attention—" Battery ready ! Fire ! " came the
order. They gave me some cotton for my ears, but
I was afraid of missing something. Boom! she
went—and jumped back like a spirited horse—
" Always the same ! " came the order.
"Now, Miss Janis, kill a few Huns," said the
General.
I took the little piece of cord which is called the
laignon, and thrilling as I have never thrilled be
fore, I stood to attention and waited for my orders.
" Battery ready ! Fire ! " said the General, and I
pulled. I was so excited I forgot to jump. " Al
ways the same ! " came the command, and I pulled
again. I would be there still pulling only for the
fact that the observation posts reported that there
was nothing left of the position we had been shell
ing, and as it is a very expensive war I desisted and
came away regretfully, but very proud. They told
me I was the only woman who had fired regular
hundred and fifty-five power hate into Ger
many.
...
After lunch I was feeling so important on ac
count of my morning's work that I had to convince
myself that I was really there to entertain the
boys, and not to strafe Huns. Gave a show at three
for the ammunition trains fellows. I think they are
exceedingly brave to go bumping along sitting on
enough high explosives to blow up the Flatiron
Building, and all the time under direct fire with no
method of getting even. Had tea at a town called
Lucy. I would like to know what all these girls
had to do to have towns named after them ! Went
on to another place, Lagny, at seven.
This crowd were just out of trenches and between
the joy of still being alive and the excitement of
seeing a girl from home they very nearly went mad.
I thought the French inhabitants of Lagny looked
rather scared. Perhaps they thought the Yanks
might decide to throw the village houses in the air
as they did their overseas caps. We went back to
Lucy to dine with the ammunition train crowd.
They gave a show for us. Their little French
liaison officer sang the French " Tipperary "—
" Madelon " ! We left them at about ten. They
work at night, so their day was beginning.
We came home by the most wonderful moonlight,
as bright as day. There was a terrific cannonade
going on, which seemed all wrong, according to
my ideas of moonlight. I said " What a wonderful
night! " and then suddenly realized that the ammu
nition train would get it hot and heavy. So I sat
back and hoped for rain.
...

Monday

We were to leave this morning, but the General
sent word that there were thirty wounded from last
night's raid out at the hospital, all fellows that I
had sung for, and he thought they might like to
see me. We went to lunch first up in the woods
with the observation balloon crowd—very near the
line and a strafe going on all through lunch. Very
soon I shall write a new version to an old song—
Gee ! but I like shell-fire with my meals.
Afterwards went to the hospital, gave one show
for the fellows who could move about in the " hut,"
then went through the wards to see the boys from
last night's raid. Poor kids ! they had just gone in
and were settling down when the Huns put on a
gas show and got some of them quite badly, but
they tell me that seventy dead Germans were
counted—hanging on the barbed wire at dawn to
day, so that's not so bad for beginners.
In one of the wards I found a Major who has been
one of the fellows to boss the big gun that is named
after me. There are two of them, big railway guns
—one is " Betsy Ross " and the other " Elsie Janis."
I am certainly proud, for he says we were chosen as
being American patriots. I don't know that Betsy
Ross would like it, but I feel quite overcome by
being mentioned with her.
He told me that Elsie had just finished making
a mess of a position when he got " his." He says
she is some girl and has her name in large white
letters written on her graceful but somewhat hard
face.
Saw one dear kid who was terribly bunged up.
He had gone out to rescue two of his pals who were
wounded and got them nearly in when they got
him. Also saw two little German boys both shot
through the spine and paralyzed from the hips
down. One is seventeen and looks like a girl.
They are lying in the position one would like to see
all the Huns in—on their backs, with both legs well
in the air and about fifty different ropes and
weights tied to them.
When we went in they turned their heads away.
I suppose they thought we had come to sneer at
them, but somehow one does not sneer. A wounded
man is a wounded man. I spoke to them in Ger
man, and they smiled. The pretty one showed me
how he could " die Fiisse bewegen " and told me
he was glad he was out of the battles.
They tell a story up here of a young German boy
whom they took prisoner; he spoke English, and
one of our fellows asked him how he thought the
War would end. He thought a while, and then
said:
"Well, we ought to win because we have God
with us, but now that the Allies have America—
ich weiss nicht! "
Tomorrow we leave, and I am sorry. This has
been a wonderful week ! And so, as the Huns say,
" Nach Paris "—only we will get there and they
never will!


Photos from "The Big Show"







Johannes "Honus" Wagner
"The Flying Dutchman"
Shortstop: Pittsburgh Pirates 1900-1917
Rated as the 2nd most valuable player of all time by Bill James.