BERLIN, Sergeant Irving

Program for "Yip Yip Yaphank" [full title: Uncle Sam presents Yip Yip Yaphank, A Military "Mess" Cooked up by the Boys of Camp Upton]

First edition. Quarto. Illustrated wrappers. (64pp.) Tiny tear on the front wrap, else fine. Irving Berlin's own copy with his bookplate inside the front wrap. Program for the Broadway production of this military musical revue and extravaganza with all words and music by Berlin, written by him during World War I at the military base in Yaphank, in the wilds of Long Island, where he was stationed after being drafted just months before, much to his shock, immediately after the Russian-born songwriter became an American citizen. Berlin, already a famous songwriter, composed a number of songs for the show which also included comedic skits, military drills, and even a boxing exhibition by Benny Leonard. Berlin himself performed as the lazy soldier for his hit song "Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning," something of a universal anthem for soldiers. "God Bless America" was originally written for this show but not included. For the finale, "We're on Our Way to France" (which replaced "God Bless America"), the entire company marched out of the theater in full combat gear to an Armory downtown where they were housed for the run of the show. After the final performance of the short run, the crew, including Berlin, joined the cast in their march, where they really were shipping out for France (although Berlin stayed behind). The revue was revived in World War II to entertain the troops, and the story of the production served as the basis for the 1943 film This Is the Army directed by Michael Curtiz, starring future U.S. Senator George Murphy and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Also appearing in the film were Kate Smith (who sang the revised version of God Bless America for which she is so well known), and Berlin himself, who was awarded numerous medals for these patriotic efforts.
The enthusiasm for the show is indicated by the members of the Advisory Committee (including Josh Logan and George S. Kaufman), the Committee for Programmes and Flowers (including Norma Talmadge, Mrs. DeWolfe Hopper, and Mrs. Ed Wynn), and the numerous advertisements (including from George M. Cohan). The original production only had 32 performances, and the program is presumably exceptionally scarce, one assumes Berlin's own copy would be unique. Provenance available on request.

[BTC #97713]