Bernard Granville

Singing and storytelling.

Dapper and immaculate as always, Bernard Granville, mustered out of service about a month ago, has returned to vaudeville and is proving his class again as a single of next to closing calibre. Granville obtained a lieutenancy in the photographic branch of the Signal Corps' aviation division and he was overseas for several months. An important portion of his present routine holds a number of comic war yarns which he says came under his observation. Whether they did or not is immaterial, since they sound fresh and have not been told before, which has been the trouble with most war yarns on the stage. Perhaps his funniest story was about a colored soldier whom he met one morning. The black boy was complaining bitterly he couldn't take care of his drinking as. formerly. Asked what he had been imbibing the night before the chocolate drop replied "only had two bottles of that cognac beer." Granville opened with a modification of "Joan D'Arc," most of it sung in French. After his stories he sang "Girls of France" with a final line, which said the American girls were the best of all. Followed a poem of his own writing done aboard ship on the way home and called "The Doughboy," dedicated to the 27th Division. A prohibition number served as an introduction to his dance with the "drunk" steps first. For encore Granville stated it was the custom for returned soldiers to make speeches so he spoke satirically, concluding by admitting it was only a stall to allow for his "wind" to return that he might sing "Friends." This had lines which mentioned Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and President Wilson. But it was the final lines to the mourned ex-President Theodore Roosevelt that made the number sure fire. Granville is listed for musical comedy. Until then vaudeville can use him to advantage.

Variety, 54:7 (04/11/1919)