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"Dance And Grow Thin"

Van and Schenck

Victor 18258

1917

Van and Schenck was a duo popular in vaudeville, in Broadway shows, and on radio. They wrote songs together. They made films. Their Vitaphones shorts are very entertaining.

The two men were August Von Glahn (1887-1968) and Joseph Thuma Schenck (1891-1930).

As recording artists, the team enjoyed success from 1917 to 1924.

Gus Van was born in Brooklyn's Ridgewood section. An obituary in the Star Journal (March 14, 1968) states that he was raised on a farm near Hillside Avenue and 168th Street in Queens' Jamaica section, which is several miles from Ridgewood.

Articles in The Ridgewood Times indicate that Van and Schenck had strong ties to Ridgewood. A fan club met regularly at a house at 70-12 Cypress Hills Street in Ridgewood, Van often providing entertainment.

Van's parents were Charles and Lois (Lotz) Von Glahn, both of whom had been born in Germany. The Twelfth Census of the United States reports that August was born in 1886 but several later documents, including his marriage certificate and death certificate, state 1887. The Twelfth Census identifies him as a "printer's errand boy."

Joseph Thuma Schenck was born in the same neighborhood. The future partners attended the same schoo. Given the age difference, it is unlikely they were close as schoolmates. His name was pronounced "Skenk" by his contemporaries.

In 1912 their composition "Teach Me That Beautiful Love" was published by Will Rossiter. The cover of sheet music includes a photograph of the two with the caption, "Originally introduced by Van and Schenck in vaudeville." Song credit is given to "Joe Schenck and Gus Van"--that is, the names are reversed.

In 1916 they were asked to substitute for a trained but temperamental chimpanzee scheduled to entertain at a dinner party hosted by Florenz Ziegfeld and Charles B. Dillingham. Van and Schenck evidently did well at the dinner party since they were soon featured in Ziegfeld shows, beginning with The Century Girl.

Invitations to make records followed their appearance in The Century Girl. The first records were made for Emerson in late 1916: "It's a Long, Long Time Since I've Been Home" (7107) and "Hawaiian Sunshine" (7198). Their first Victor session was on December 29, 1916: "Yaddie Kaddie Kiddie Kaddie Koo" and "That's How You Can Tell They're Irish" (18220). Their next Victor disc--"For Me And My Gal" coupled with "Dance And Grow Thin" (18258)--sold well.

The comic duo may be regarded as successors to Collins and Harlan, who were losing popularity around the time the younger and more jazz-oriented Van and Schenck began recording.

The duo left Victor for Columbia in early 1918, recorded exclusively for Columbia for over ten years, then returned to Victor in 1929. Popular Columbia recordings include "Ain't We Got Fun?" (A3412, 1921) and "Carolina in the Morning" (A3712, 1923).

Joe Schenck played accompanying piano when the team performed on stage for audiences but the duo is generally accompanied by orchestra on records.

Schenck died of a heart attack in the Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, where Van and Schenck had an engagement at the Fischer Theatre.

Gus Van then worked as a solo artist, appearing in vaudeville and performing on radio. In January 1931 he joined the cast of Ballyhoo, a musical comedy starring W.C. Fields. Also in 1931 he made a few recordings issued on Perfect and Banner. Four performances issued in 1933 on two Bluebird discs (5015 and 5046--also on Montgomery Ward discs 4257 and 4258) did not sell well. Starting in 1935 he made Universal motion picture shorts. He starred in "Gus Van's Garden Party," a ten minute comic film released in September 1936 by Mentone Productions, Inc. In 1948 he was elected president of the American Guild of Variety Artists. According to a New York Times obituary, he moved to Miami Beach in 1949, playing in nightclubs and hotels there. He was struck by a car on March 5, 1968, and died in Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach a week later.