"DENTANTIC MEMOIRS“

What would the Dent boys do without their yearly show Dentantics to fret about? However, the appreciation and applause awarded to every show has proved the effort worth the work and worry.

The idea of introducing dramatics into the repertoire of faculty activities was headed by Mr. Gordon Agnew, B.A., graduate of 1921. In 1920, he secured a loan from the Dental Parliament to commence work on the first "Dental Stunt Night" as it was then called. The name "Dentantics" was added through the ingenuity of a certain J. C. Foote who graduated in '24.

In spite of the fact that the Soo hockey game was on the same evening, 1,500 people turned up to help make the first show a success. The program consisted of local hits, original jokes and even illustrated slides shown continuously between acts. It must have been good, for this pattern was followed, with some variation of course, through most of Dentantics history.

Browsing through old Hya Yakas has brought forth some interesting shows and interesting people connected with them. Skimming over the highlights will no doubt revive many old memories, for example, the famous Whiz Bang Symphony Orchestra which made its debut in 1922.

Does anyone remember the R.C.D.S. Ukelele Club and its 1921 performance "Down Hawaii Way," or better yet, W. J. Riley "hipping" his way through an impersona tion of a "hula maid?"

Although it really originated in '21, 1923 was the first record found of the dental students' own "Noctem Cuckoo,” which included musical entertainment, midway (even booths et al), social events such as dancing, basket ball, water-polo, canoeing, diving competitions and skits mad efforts to win the Gaston Brule Cup.

U. D. Davidson was the darling of the dental college as the prize-winning burlesque queen "Tillie."

Who can forget the sweet music of Jessie McAlpine Dempster and Mrs. Russel Marshall in 1925, the "Cuckoo's" fourth birthday?

And what did you think of Drs. Willmott, Webster and Agnew as judges of Dentantics, 1930? They awarded the Agnew Shield to the dental nurses' skit "The Whoja Cabaret." (Don't ask me what that means.)

The passion for complete musical comedies seemed to begin in 1931 with the successful experiment "A Rustic Romeo,"—so successful that comedy prevailed till '34 with still another attempt in '37 and the latest stabs in '57 and '58.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM LEHMAN'S "THE

HEIRESS HUNTERS."

-poor Tom, Dick and Harry-in love with the same dame.

-Tom by Walter Hancock looked very well fed for having lived a year on $17 and Marg Morton as "Widow Wood” was a good man-catcher in spite of her

two splinters.

George Clarke's favorite expression as Major Moran was "Don't excite me, don't excite me!"

Imagine using the tune of the Doxology as the base for an amusing parody but this fellow Dempster did it and it was the highlight of the evening in '35.

Never heard of using baby alligators in any faculty show but Dentantics "Yellow Triangle of '36 original? But yes! They stole the show.

Even our own Dr. A. Antoni got into the act in '37 along with Marion Ling in "Candlelight."

Talk about go-getters and you're talking about Tom Cragg, both leading man and director in 1940's "Yes Means No." And what's this "Hasten Mason, the Basin?" -sounds vulgar but it was terrific. Both plays were part

of Dentantics first complete sell-out.

Two names catch my eye in the '41 write-up—those of A. Hunt and Jack Mullet. Could they be our own Doctors? Anyway the former was an indispensable com mittee member and the latter a "stage hand that was a stage hand"-really "on the bit" with those curtains. The same night Robinson and Kilgour impersonated Drs. Woolatt and Cole to the hilt, even to the latter helping the former blow his nose (so it looked in the yearbook).

Dentists or professional musicians? they wandered about Park Merrifield and his brilliant That's what 17-piece Blue Band. Talent abounded during this period. Remember Jack MacDonald, George Werry, Bob Green, Morley Hardy, Chris Sharman and Misses McAuliffe, Piers and Skinner Dentistry's nightingales.

The "most to say the least" - and this was provided by those good-hearted dental nurses in '44 with TWO (!) chorus lines. Also worth mentioning are the famous lampooning" jobs of Malloch, Craig and Banfield (Harry "The Great").

Even the war and accelerated courses couldn't dampen the spirits of these boys. As they say "The Show Must Go On.” It did, and it was great. Eddie Schneider helped bring down the house by impersonating Winston Churchill and of course there were those beautiful sounds emitted by the "Chamber Music Society of Lower Huron Street."

More professional stylings in '45 by piano team Chapple and Tamblyn and vocalist Georgia Day, formerly with Mart Kennedy (WOW!) - and Wes Dunne (sounds familiar) using his talent for arranging and pro ducing.

A Dental Campus Queen also emerged from this show in the form of Dorothy Gourlay. How come Blake Mc Adam looked so pleased?

Ross Richardson probably won't forget the fun (?) involved in moving stage equipment during a snowstorm and fixing a dead "mike."

Forty-six must be a memorable year for Grove Light ford who produced a "dilly" of a show which featured the Sockettes Chorus Line, Bob Redfern as Corpusele Her bie, Chuck Kennedy (just great) and ex-army-show star, Jean Stewart.

After seven fruitless evenings of trying to organize a show, Gid Rowntree and his colleagues enlisted the aid of some tasty nut-brown ale and wrote the show in one night. As they say, "persevere and any obstacle can be overcome." The next year ('51), Dover and Murchison solved their problem by simply locking themselves up for three days and emerging finally, haggard and worn, but clutching the elusive script complete at last! Some thing of interest in the show was Shag Shaughnessy's take off on Somerset Maugham and the machine of the year, the "Cole-Woolatt Plate-Maker" built by "Hanau" Rown

tree. What a contraption! And then there was the story of Dean Ellis's rise to power set to the music of Gilbert and Sullivan, a very moving drama.

Discovery of the year in '52 was Dave Engel for whom a brilliant future in Dentantics was predicted.

He, Mendel and Robbins were the stars in '53 real showmen. -

Poor Shakespeare, he must have turned over in his grave in '55, completely under the mercy of director Raj czah and assistant Yasny. But who agrees with Shake speare? Even Varsity came out of its hard shell and named it "one of the best college shows in years."

The following year, Bob Yasny, his own boss, brought forth some unbelievable talent in "THE FORM" of Marv Klotz who along with his cohorts, tripped daintily (?) through the newest version of "Swamp Lake Ballet."

And now for an Irish note with '57's "Vale of Tralee" complete with leprechauns and Irish colleens. Part of the cast even had the honour of experiencing a T.V. interview (with repercussions). Bet Zeke and Mor ley won't forget that. Nor will anyone forget Marv Klotz's "air-conditioned" pants.

So much for bygone days and fond recollections. As for our latest show, "The Gay Cup" of '58, nothing need be said here as you'll find it written up elsewhere in this book; nothing, that is, except to say that it too will have its full quota of memories for us — we all enjoyed it tremendously, including

Yours truly, Lynne Armstrong.

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