Service Wives’ Communique
DEAREST HUSBANDS:
The Victory Vanities is over and so is a lot of fun. Of course, you know that “Victory Vanities” was a honie-talent
comedy-drama the Service Wives sponsored for benefit of the H. F. N. We do wish you could have been here to have
helped uS. Then on the other hand, if you had been home, we wouldn’t have had to have it. That’s another thought. W’e
much prefer your being home to giving plays.
As to the gory details: Tho’ the Service Wives sponsored the play, we’ll have to admit it was truly a com'.nunity
affair. When we say everybody helped we mean just that. The whole town gave of it’s time, talent, and money to make
the play a success. You know it sorta touches us to see that other people think almost as much of you £s we do.
Mr. Mahler and the school board let us use the auditorium; the town, the lights; Simmons Furniture Store loaned
the furniture; “Red” Harper had his crew of men to move it for us. Baker worked two days trying in vain to fix a
“spot” for us to use. Mr. Brown arranged to let us have enough coca colas to quench the thirst of the c:st and
choruses the nights of the play. Jim (Lefty) Hagans had the cokes iced for us; the Southerner gave us best space on
the front page; the Girl Scouts manned the baby booths for us. The merchants and business firms, banks, etc., sup
ported us loyally in buying ads.
Our directress, Mrs. Florence Moor, was a whiz, and we ill came to love her while she was here. Eleanor Howard,
Btcky West, and Irene Collins were, of course, the ■manag'ers. Mary Vanice Barnette and Mary Lib Bryan, production
chairmen. “Pig” Britt, Alice Evans, Marion G. Castarphen, Doris Kim-mel, “Monk” Godfrey, casting committee; Anne
Willetts, Margie Wilson, Elizabeth Spruill Proctor, Eleanor Howard, Msrise Conyers, Becky West, and Alyce Gordon,
costumes and make-up; Murphy Mayo, Jean Hussey, Gil Nichclson, properties; Jean Hussey, Gil Nicholson, Anne Wil
letts, advertising; Nina Banks Fitch, promptress; Mrs. Ed Hart, pianist; Lou Cashwell, usher committee, assisted by
Ella Wicker, Margie Clark, Edna Knox, Sally G. Bailey, Catherine Miller, Ann Turk; Viola Babcock, tickets; Becky,
Eleanor, and Viola conducted the baby contest. Alyce Gordon, refreshment chairman. Eloise Bushman was part of the
cast as Joy Peters, receptionist with allergy towards men.
You have good cause to swell with pride. Your wife is an excellent actress besides making such a beautiful appear
ance on the stage. Joe, your wife Lou was some glamor gal dancing away in the waltz chorus. Believe the old gal got a
year or two younger. Wilbur, Alice really did herself proud when she sang “My Buddy.” The song brought forth tears
and many encores, except she wouldn’t encore but once, the sissy!
The cast of the play; Benny, Archie Burnette (he -made them swoon) ; Bill, Robt. Knox (you should have seen him
di'ess as a girl! Such a figger! and what a voice) ; Jinx, Nancy Holderness (a budding Sara Bernhardt) ; Gladiola, Negro
maid, “Cotton” Davis (well—you know “Cotton”); Mr. Withers, Ed Clayton (supposed to be henpecked, but boy did
the worm turneth); Glennes Weeks, domineering wife and first aid fiend—she did sTich a good job in her part that, if
we hadn’t known better, we might have believed she were “that way”); Miss Pepper, fussy old maid recruiting men to
get kisses, “Droop” Heath (wish you could have seen and heard her in the Air Corps number. The audience was sure
she’d make a one-point landing in the midst of them, she bounced about the stage so); Buzzy Bustleberger, country g:l
with radio ambition, Lois Pryor (Lois is our new recreational director here) ; she was a scream and a mighty good
sport. Know what she did? During the intermissions the W.F.C. held a bond auction. Suddenly, Lois found herself
pushed on the stage and found that she was auctioning off a kiss. She “carried on!” Mr. B. F. Taylor gave first b.'d
but finally Charles Pillow won out.
The choruses included all the “young fry” and glamour gals around about. It’s a good thing that no talent scouts
were around or Tarboro would be a lonesome place now. Mrs. Ed Hart was our pianist and served faithfully and beau
tifully thru all rehearsals and performances. Glamor Gals: Margaret Ann Marshall and Louise Grimmer; Peggy Young
blood and Ann Hagans; Ruth Clark, Ann Edmondson, and Lena Stancill; Miss Moor, Cynthis Mahler, Edna Alderman,
Betsy Edmondson, Carolyn Karn, Jerome Moore, Bayard Walker, Joyce Brown, Jean Jenkins. Louis Grimmer, Miriam
Sollee, Frances Cherry, Anne Moye, Dot Miller, Estelle Denton, Pat Johnson, Frances Harrell, Doris Willey, Lucy Mills,
Eloise Baker, Mamie Lois Faucetts, Lou Cashwell, Patsy Speirs, Dot Moseley, Virginia Owens. The “young fry”;
Loraine Mayo, Marilyn Gray Mayo, Juliana Evans, Barb? ra Babcock, Jane Mayo, Sherrod Bryan, Ann (Itsy) Ruffin,
Peninah Powell, Gail Cherry, Anne Simmons, Celeste Fountain, Carol Melton, Marshall Youngblood, Jane Lee Harrell,
Elizabeth Mayo, Billie Adler, Ray Nobles, Cary Mayo, Alfred Boswell, Ed. B. Fowlkes, Wesley Moore, Dickie Cashwell.
Stamps Howard, III, Tony Hornthall, Edgar Lineberry, Kitchen McDowell, and Dick Denton.
The baby contest created as much interest as the plav and no wonder—such cute children! Votes were sold a penny
each. Winner 1st place, Betty Cummings; 2nd, Bruce Owens (yeS, John, your son); 3rd, Danna Mae Conyers (yes,
Vernon, your daughter). She looked mighty little and cute with a sassy bow tied to those six strands of hair on top of
her head. 4th, “Vic” Thompson.
The W.F.C. auctioned off around $6,000 of bonds. The Service Wives realized around $400 in profit which, of course,
goes to H.F.N. We all had a grand ti'.Tie and now we’re ready to take on another job! Anything to help get you home
soon- because
WE MISS YOU
Your Lonesome Wives.