THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY PLAY IN 1941

The 1941 Parish Play: ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS
March 16, 1941

Full program is beneath the photo of the cast

Thanks to Theresa Robinson I can now identify two of the cast members:
In the front row the fourth woman from the left is Betty O'Toole Nerviani. The very last standing man in the front row is Albert Nerviani. Can anyone help with any other identifications? Help would be appreciated.

THE PROGRAM OF THE SHOW

St. James Dramatic Club

Under Auspices of Catholic Action
Present Their

Annual St. Patrick Play
“Romance on the High Seas”

A Nautical Cruise of Mirth and Melody
IN TWO ACTS

Sunday Evening, March 16th, 1941
at
The St. Louis House Theatre
Curtain, 8:15

Staged and Directed by Mr. and Mrs. Geo. B. Hall
Spiritual Directors: Rev. P. J. O'Connor, Pastor; Rev. Leo C. Byrne, Assistant Pastor

ACT ONE
THE CAST

CAPTAIN BARNACLE, captain of the Eureka ............... EDDIE MAYOR
BILL BREEZE, a sailor......................................PAUL COAD
J. HORACE HODGE, owner of the Eureka .... .................GEORGE HOFFMANN
CAROL HODGE, his daughter .................................MARY MENNER
CHESTER SPARKS, radio operator ............................WILBER WIDEMAN
JACQULINE JAMES, a stowaway................................CATHERINE HRUBY
TOM MARLIN, Icthyologist...................................JOHNNY PALUMBO
RITA LETTERS, secretary to Mr. Hodge.......................HELEN BONSKOWSKI
EVELYN VAN HORN, a guest on board the Yacht ...............VIRGINIA EGGLESTON
PROFESSOR I. M. BRAINEY, an authority on Folk Lore ....... JACK O'HARE
IMA FAILIER, Geometry teacher to Miss Hodge................EILEEN McCAULEY
ORVEL SERVICE, cabin boy...................................ABBIE GRANDINETTI
MARION FAIRPLAY, stewardess ...............................MARY WARNHOFF
ERNEST VARLINU, a sailor .................. ...............JACK ROONEY
REGINALD THORNTON, a fortune hunter........................AL NERVIANI
MARY SCOOPS, a reporter....................................BELLA BORRELLI
MAY CAMERA, a staff photographer ..........................MARY KENNEDY

MUSICAL DIRECTORS

HOWARD BACKER and MRS. EMMET O'KEEFE
Wardrobe by MRS. GEORGE WIBER
Electrician: WILLIAM HENNE ---------- Artist: WILLIAM LEWIS
Costumes by ST. LOUIS COSTUME CO. -------- Furniture by MOUND CITY AUCTION

MUSICAL NUMERS

Act. 1, Opening Number. "We Saw the Sea ...............Sailors

  1. Ensemble - "Good Bye'. ........Guests and Sailors
  2. Song -. “Rhythm in My Nursery Rhymes " ..........Vincent Bresnahan
  3. Dance ..............Eddie Corbett
  4. "South American Way.............Guests and Sailors
  5. Songs You Love to Hear ............Jack Imperlale
  6. Accordion Specialty ................Marcel Kaiser
  7. The Rumba ......................Ensemble
  8. "Down Argentine Way.............Betty and Tommy O’Toole and Rumba Girls
  9. "Six Lessons From Madam LaZanga”........ Bob Houlihan, Bob Droege. Dolan Walsh. Richard Menkhus, Dick Eggleston and Jack Phelan

FINALE -ACT 1.

"He's My Uncle".............................Berniece Dyer

INTERMISSION

ACT TWO
MUSICAL NUMBERS

Opening Number -- "All Ashore” .................Sailors

  1. Song ................... Julia Columbo
  2. A Pretty Girl Milking a Cow ........... Novelty Ensemble Dorothy Dyer, Frances Dean and Jackie Coad ... with Irish Lads and Milk Maids

    Milk Maids -- Jacqueline McVey, Patricia Jones, Virginia Markoetter, Patricia Brazell, Patsy McMahon, Dolores Mae Kuhlman, Virginia Bray, Eileen Harvaten, Betty O'Keefe, Annamae Burch, Peggy Donnelly, Jeanne Bonzon, Dorothy Mirielli, Catherine O'Brien, Bernice Dyer and Jane Crowe.

    Dancers -- Carol Pursley and Mary Ulrich.
    SKETCH
  3. c. St. Patrick's Way. .
    The Cast
    Ellen O'Riley, a maid to Mrs. Brice. ................................. Mary Ellen McVoy
    Larry O'Neil, Ellen's boy friend ........................................ Bob Eggleston
    Madge Brice, Mrs. Brice's young sister-in-law ............................ Betty O’Toole
    Mrs. Archibald Price, a wealthy English woman living in Ireland ......... . Ann Mayor
    Katia Kelly, a friend of Ellen's .................................... Margaret Kennedy
    Officer Malloy, Katie's sweetheart ....................................... John Pursley
McNAMARA'S BAND

LEADER............ BILL MAYOR
CYMBALS ............ GEO. E. HALL DRUMS ............ JOE EICHNER

ASSISTED BY BAND BOYS AND IRISH LADS AND LASSIES

NUMBER -- "ITS A GREAT DAY FOR THE IRISH .......................... MARY ELLEN McVEY

ASSISTED BY -- IRISH COLEENS AND POLICEMEN

SPECIALTY -- A CHALLENGE BUCK DANCE ................. KENNY AND GENNY

MASQUERADE ............................ JULIA COLUMBO AND BOB EGGLESTON

ASSISTED BY GUESTS

FINALE ..............................................ENTIRE COMPANY

SAILORS

JACK ROONEY, PAUL CHAD, JACK REGAN, RAY KELLEY, BUD DYER, JOE McMAHON, DICK EGGLESTON, GEO. HALL, BILL MAYOR, BOB HOULIHAN, BOB DROEGE, BOLAN WALSH, EDDIE CORBETT, JOE MAYOR, DICK MENKHUS, JOE EICHNER, JACK HAMPEL, ABBIE GRANDINETTI, BOB EGGLESTON, JACK PHELAN and JOHN EICHNER.

THE GUESTS

CELESTE RIEGEL, JANE MOUNDON, JULIA COLUMSO, MARY BORRELLI, BELLA BORRELLI, DOROTHY DESCHNER, VERDA SCHMITZ, KATHRYN HENSE, DOROTHY GRANDINETTI, MARY JURCIC, MARGIE JENNEMANN, LORRAINE WOOD, MARY ELLEN McVEY.

RHUMA TAP DANCERS

DOROTHY ULRICH, MARGARET MENKHUS, DOROTHY DESCHNER, MARY FRANCES BILLINGS, AGNES COAD, GENEVIEVE BACKER

IRISH COLLEENS

PATSY GRIFFIN, MARY FRANCES BILLINGS, AGNES COAD, ROSE MARY CROWE. GENEVIEVE BACKER, MARY JURCIC, EII.EEN McMAHON, MARGARET SMITH, MARGARET MENKHUS, LORRAINE WOOD, DOROTHY ULRICH, LORRAINE KNICHEL, VIRGINIA VORBECK, BETTY O'TOOLE, MARY BORRELLI, and JANE RIEGEL.

POLICEMEN

JOE MAYOR, RAY KELLEY, JACK REGAN and JACK PHELAN.

BAND BOYS
pBOB HOULIHAN, BOB DROEGE. DOLAN WALSH, JOHN ETCHNER, EDDIE CORBEIT. and DICK EGGLESTON.

IRISH LADS

FRANKIE CONNOR, JERRY GALLAHER, NORMAN FRIEDRICK. LLOYD MUELLER, BILL COAD, JOSEPH BETZ, THOMAS PLACKE, JOHN BONSKOWSKI, STANLEY APPRILL and GEORGE TAYLOR.

IRISH LASSES

LaVERNE McEVOY, LORRAINE McEVOY, NANCY BARRY, ROSE MARY SCHRAMKE, ROSE MARY SCHMITZ, PATSY FREIDRICK, LORRAINE McANNAR, MARIAN SCHWEITZER, RUTH ENZ, DOLORES SIMSONE, SHIRLEY LASLEY, ROSE MARY SMALLWOOD, DOROTHY HARNES, ANNA LEE GEEN and MARCELLA BONSKOWSKI.

PATRONS

[Bob Corbett notes --2003: These names were alphabatized in two columns in the original. But, in scanning it, it mixed the columns. I didn't bother to re-alphabatize the names.]

Rev. P. J. O'Connor
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lambert
Rev. Leo C. Byrne
Mrs. McDonnell and Margaret
Mr. and Mrs. C. Billings
John Moore
Mr. and Mrs. J. Clifton Bruce
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Musick
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Coad
Minette Beauty Shop
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Coad
Mrs. May Mulcahy
Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Connor
Genevieve Mahon and Mother
Curt and Minette
Mr. and Mrs. John Mahon
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Croghan
Mr. and Mrs.. Dan Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dailey
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Menner
Frank Dailey
Al Nerviani
Gloria Duggan
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Nerviani
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dolan
Dr. and Mrs. A. P. O'Hare
Mr. and Mrs. John Eichner
J. P. O'Gorman
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Eichner
Mr. and Mrs. Tom O'Toole
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Fleming
Mr. and Mrs. J. O'Connell
General Dry Goods Co.
Mr. and Mrs. Clem Placke
Mr. and Mrs. John Garavaglia
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Prindible
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Hefele, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Edw. Pierce
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Hefele, Jr.
Pat Palumbo
Mrs. D. Hoffmann
Peter J. Palumbo
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. B. Hall
Constance Piestrup
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Heil
James E. Rarick
Jake lmperiale
Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jones
Mr. and Miz. R. E. Stanley
Mrs. J. J. Koncen
Walter Strathmann
Mr. and Mrs. Connie Lane
Robert Sullivan


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