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1945 101st USO Show- Frances Langford? Ann Sheridan?


cthomas
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Can anyone help me ID this image of an attractive gal that was taken at a 101st Airborne USO show in Germany, 1945? Some guesses have been Frances Langford or Ann Sheridan. What do you think?

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Got da Penny

I am going to disagree .... I vote Ann Sheridan. :thumbsup:

 

Look at Hair Style / Cheek - Jaw Bone Comparison.

 

 

 

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Carey

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Carey-

 

Hmmmm...I have to admit that with the image you submitted, it looks pretty close! I guess I passed that one up during my research.

 

Anyone else want to weigh in?

 

-C

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Heck, it could be darned near anyone. Both named people here look like the person in the photo. Keep in mind, the USO had a lot of females in those shows, some not even on stage!

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My apologies...as Paul Harvey would say "Now, for the rest of the story..."

 

First pic shows some announcer at the mic. Bob Hope? Being former 82nd Ariborne, I like to describe that eagle on the placard above the speaker's head as being the puking buzzard...Images were in the collection of a 131st AAA veteran which I acquired recently.

 

More to follow...

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Here's the same gal in the first pic I posted seen dancing amongst a couple of brunettes & some GI's on stage. FYI- she's the tall one at center.

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Again, she's the taller blonde at center. Notice the announcer now at ground level & the GI playing the piano(foreground)...

 

Do you think these images could help solve the mystery as to who the gal was?

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One more for ya...

 

Jerry Colonna signing short snorters for 101st paratroopers. Colonna was a comedian, composer, songwriter & sidekick of Bob Hope.

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I have no info on this show, just a few thoughts on the Lady in the photo. Frances Langford was only 5' tall acording to her bio. Ann Sheridan was 5' 5.5". Unless the GI in the first pic is extremely short, standing in a hole, or the gal is wearing extremely high heels, I don't think it could be Frances Langford. Just my opinion.

Levi

 

It just occoured to me that she could be standing on a stage.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Levi-

Sorry to have missed your reply....

 

Thank you for your input. I thought the same thing- standing on a raised section located center stage. If that weren't the case, then she'd have to be one very tall gal because she seems to tower over everyone else in the scene.

 

Where are all of our resident 101st buffs? No one knows anything about this show?

 

-Chuck

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  • 3 weeks later...

Could it be Patty Thomas...the best known of his "Gypsies" the dancers he brought along with him... Supposedly he used to introduce he as "...what you boys are fighting for..."

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teufelhunde.ret
Could it be Patty Thomas...the best known of his "Gypsies" the dancers he brought along with him... Supposedly he used to introduce he as "...what you boys are fighting for..."

A photo of Patty Thomas from the Bob Hope USO Show - Fritzlar, Germany (Hesse) July 26, 1945

Bob_Hope_USO_Show___Fritzlar__Germany__Hesse__July_26__1945.jpg

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A photo of Patty Thomas from the Bob Hope USO Show - Fritzlar, Germany (Hesse) July 26, 1945

 

 

Wow! Talk about being 'easy' on the eyes....

 

After seeing this scan, I now believe the announcer in the first two stage scenes could indeed be Bob Hope. However, I do not believe the gal in question is Patty Thomas, 'noexpert'. Just my humble impression...Thank you for the excellent suggestion though!

 

That's not to say she could be one of the dancers in post #10 or 11

 

And thank you both for your continued interest in this thread. It's good to see members still coming forward with their comments.

 

-Chuck

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Just because this is fun...and for no other reason...it's enjoyable seeing all of these old USO shows...I had family involved...

 

Absolutely no chance on God's green earth that it could be Patty Thomas? (shown here with Frances Langford...) :unsure:

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Just because this is fun...and for no other reason...it's enjoyable seeing all of these old USO shows...I had family involved...

 

Absolutely no chance on God's green earth that it could be Patty Thomas? (shown here with Frances Langford...) :unsure:

 

 

Thank you for another photograph of two beautiful gals.

 

Hmmm....I still don't think it's her. I'll give you this-they do have a couple of vague similarities. I wish there was a little more detail in this last image.

 

So, you had family involved in these shows. Did they ever share any experiences with you? What was it like behind the curtains to one of these shows? Must have been interesting with a lineup like that!

 

-Chuck

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I worded that poorly... My Mum was an entertainer during the War, but she was in the Canadian Army Show. Sadly, like a lot of wartime romances, the realities of peacetime were a little too much for her and my old man and they split. When I met her later in life, she did tell me some tales...but Wayne & Shuster, and some other names she mentioned just didn't have the crackle of Hope, Benny, etc. Sorry to all my relatives in The Great White North. :rolleyes:

 

It was a completely different arrangement than the US, I guess, they were all actually IN the Army...but she had a "grand time" so there ya go.

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That's quite all right! Thank you for sharing that little bit of family history with us all. You're right...you don't hear much about Wayne & Shuster, but I'm sure they were just as entertaining as the rest. I would love to see one of these old USO shows done again. That would be something else, eh?

Have you seen my avatar? It looks like we're pretty much neighbors ;)

 

A pleasure to meet your acquaintance.

 

-Chuck

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  • 1 year later...

For anyone interested, I just put this up on the auction block:

 

101st USO Show Auction

 

If this hyperlink doesn't work, just copy and paste the auction #: 230726980511

 

Thank you to all that have replied to this post.

 

I do appreciate the help!

 

Regards,

Chuck

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