Show 1 f S- S 5 1 s r r s Fields Finds Y Yanks at Front T Too 00 Busy Buto s y Sing H I y Parley Dinky 1 y Y Parle v- v I By Marguerite Young NEW YORK NEA Gracie Fields the million dollar blond comic i whose o big brass voice and 1 voice ribald antics make one really rowdy institution that even the loves loves loves-is is back from a 10 week 10 week tour at the fronts and she has the reason why theres there's I y r 4 a y y r F B p ft f Gracie Fields She Fields She just finished a tough week 10 engagement in he the Mediterranean theater of war no parley dinky this this' time Too many tanks an and planes I and t trucks r u c k s explained d. d Miss Fields simply Soldiers are on on the move all the time at the i front never do enough of them i stay together in one place long ong enough for a tune to sweep through divisions and armies At that they m manage nage to pick pickup pickup up languages Miss Fields asserted as as- I I know a British officer who I met a mayors mayor's daughter She didn't know a word of English I and he didn't speak one of Italian Ital Ital- ian iary But now he knows his way back to that town in Italian because be- be because be cause as he says to me me Theres only one way to learn a language Gracie you know wot I mean For once the ever-crackling ever Miss Fields one of the worlds world's great troopers admitted that a concert tour tuckered her out Shedid She Shedid Shedid did at least three day moving right along with the troops in north Africa Sicily and arid in Malta Usually she performed from the back of an open truck on on which somebody always hoisted a Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes She counted it a lucky break to to arrive at midnight where there was a hall then hall then she said some lads would have torches and would bring them and sit on the stage making it much easier for her to pr provide vide while wrapped up in heavy clothes The soldiers know as much ch as i you do about new popular songs they learn them by radio Miss Fields reported They ask for the timeless songs songs They Just never considered a concert finished until I sang AveMaria Ave Maria aria or The Lords Lord's Prayer In England cheering workmen in is the out way the way factories for five weeks she felt closest to corn com com b bat t. t C r When I got to Portsmouth I thought the war had started started started-I I mean I thought the blitz had I started over again she said I It was was bang bang bang for three three- nights But after all all it ir proved to be only another big rehearsal The American boys in England and the British all feel very much Lets get cooking They are pretty busy now however train train- ing Americans told me they were homesick but their spirits seemed bright n I I They also told t told ld her they're sick of canned proc processed meat meat and and so sois sois sois is Gracie Fields First thing I did here was to togo togo togo go and order myself a meal she said My fy stomach had shrunk so I couldn't eat a quarter of my food She returned by bomber with 26 soldiers no seats in i it She was going to Hollywood to start her new victory show on the air |