George White's Scandals

George White's Scandals were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modelled after the Ziegfeld Follies. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W.C. Fields, the Three Stooges, Ray Bolger, Helen Morgan, Ethel Merman, Ann Miller, Bert Lahr and Rudy Vallée. Louise Brooks, Alice White, and Eleanor Powell got their show business start as lavishly dressed (or underdressed) chorus girls strutting to the "Scandal Walk". Much of George Gershwin's early work appeared in the 1920–24 editions of Scandals. The Black Bottom, danced by Ziegfeld Follies star Ann Pennington and Tom Patricola, touched off a national dance craze.

George White's Scandals is also the name of several movies set within the Scandals, all of which focus primarily on the show's acts, with a thin backstage plot stringing them all together. The best known of these was 1934's George White's Scandals written by Jack Yellen, which marked the film debut of Alice Faye. Flapper-era cartoonist and designer Russell Patterson worked on Broadway in various capacities; for George White's Scandals of 1936, he served as scenic designer. George White's Scandals of 1920 was featured in an episode of the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

George White

Main article: George White (producer)

White was an American theatrical producer and director who also was an actor, choreographer, composer, dancer, dramatist, lyricist and screenwriter, as well as a Broadway theater-owner. Appearing in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1915, he popularized the Turkey Trot dance.

The Scandals casts

1919

• Lester Allen
• La Sylphe
• Peggy Dolan
• Ann Pennington
• Ona Munson
• The George White Girls

1920

• Lester Allen
• Peggy Dolan
• Lou Holtz
• La Sylphe
• Ann Pennington
• The George White Girls

1921

• Lester Allen
• Lou Holtz
• Tess Gardella
• Charles King
• Ann Pennington
• The George White Girls

1922

• Lester Allen
• Dolores Costello
• Peggy Dolan
• W.C. Fields
• Winnie Lightner
• Sally Long
• Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra
• The George White Girls

1923

• Lester Allen
• Winnie Lightner
• The Breens
• Johnny Dooley
• Tom Patricola
• Tip Top Four
• The George White Girls (including Dolores Costello, Helene Costello, Edna May Reed and Alice White)

1924

• Lester Allen
• Tony DeMarco
• Peggy Dolan
• Winnie Lightner
• Tom Patricola
• The George White Girls (including Louise Brooks, Dolores Costello, Helene Costello, Dorothy Sebastian, Sally Starr, and Alice White)

1925

• Helen Morgan
• Gordon Dooley
• Elm City Four
• The McCarthy Sisters
• Tom Patricola
• The George White Girls (including Louise Brooks and Alice White)

1926

• The Fairbanks Twins
• Portland Hoffa
• Willie and Eugene Howard
• Tom Patricola
• Ann Pennington
• Harry Richman
• Frances Williams
• The George White Girls (including Alice White)

1928

• Tom Patricola
• Harry Richman
• The Russell Markert Dancers
• Frances Williams
• The George White Girls (including Boots Mallory)

1929

• Jack Durant
• Elm City Four
• Ted and Sally
• Willie and Eugene Howard
• Frances Williams
• The George White Girls

1931

• Ray Bolger
• Ethel Merman
• Rudy Vallee
• Alice Faye
• Beth White
• The George White Girls

1932 (Music Hall Varieties)

• Lili Damita
• Bert Lahr
• Harry Richman
• Eleanor Powell
• The Dancing Beauties (including Barbara Pepper)

1934 (film)

• Rudy Vallee
• Jimmy Durante
• Ketti Gallian
• Alice Faye
• Cliff Edwards
• Dixie Dunbar
• Gertrude Michael

1935 (film)

• Alice Faye
• James Dunn
• Cliff Edwards
• Eleanor Powell
• Lyda Roberti
• Ned Sparks
• Dixie Dunbar

1936

• Cliff Edwards
• Bert Lahr
• Rudy Vallee
• Willie and Eugene Howard
• The George White Girls

1939

• Ben Blue
• Ella Logan
• Ann Miller
• Harry Stockwell
• The Three Stooges
• The George White Girls

External links

• George White's Scandals at the Internet Broadway Database
• George White's Scandals at the Internet Movie Database