There were some "legit" comic-based shows, such as the aforementioned "L'il Abner" and an operetta version of "Little Nemo." Was there any theatrical interest in comics between "Abner" and 1960s (Superman, Peanuts, Annie)?
Today they've evolved into big arena shows, varying in scale and quality but still dependent on TV and movie properties which have replaced comic strips in mass culture. These seem to be the direct descendants of the Mutt & Jeff shows. Hanna Barbara had a lavish revue touring Australia, which turned up here as a TV special. "Disney on Parade" was one of the bigger ones. basically ice shows without ice, populated by mainly by costumed characters. In the 70s and 80s there were shows featuring Bugs Bunny, Super Friends, Muppet Babies, etc. Suspect they were conceived as touring entertainments, substituting a comic strip for expensive stars. Anyone care to volunteer to make photocopies to share?ĭon't know, but doubt the Mutt & Jeff and Bringing Up Father shows were "real" in the sense of being produced for Broadway-type audiences. When a wealthy young lady leaves the US to visit her aunt in France, her husband falls in love with a flapper. If anyone is in the area of the Library of Congress, the University of Georgia, Brown University or Marquette University, they do have copies according to Worldcat. I'm guessing the play may have also appeared in a high school drama textbook of the day, but I cannot find any reference. It was written by Mamie Harris Mobley.Ī written copy of the play seems to be present in a few libraries, but unfortunately none around me.
The play is apparently quite short, only 19 pages in written form, so it must be quite the whirlwind of a plot. It seems like this is a play written specifically for high school drama classes the long cast list offers roles to a whole class of kids. Here are just some of the comic strip characters appearing in the play:Įlla Cinders, Rinky Dink Club, Jiggs, Maggie, Walt Wallet, Skeezix, Rachel (Walt's maid), Mutt, Jeff, Tom Carr, Mary Gold, Flapper Fanny, Freckles, Barney Google, Major Hoople, Hairbreadth Harry, Tillie The Toiler, Little Orphan Annie, Chester Gump, Katzenjammer Kids, Henrietta Zander, Min Gump, Uncle Bim, Andy Gump Subsequent checking online did not, as I might have hoped, turn up a copy of the play, but I did get a cast list, and it is enormous. "The Zander-Gump Wedding", a comic strip comedy, was performed in Groveland High School's auditorium in October 1930. The article from The (Leesburg) Daily Commercial stated:
A fortuitous "Do You Remember When." filler article in my local paper alerted me to a play, apparently written in 1928, that stars a long list of comic strip characters.