Great Guns was released on October 10, 1941. A tour of U.S. Army bases followed in November.
October 25, 1941
Dear Betty [Healy Murray],
Herewith the enlargement & negatives of the snaps you gave me. think they turned out swell. Babe & I are getting ready to leave for Bermuda & Trinidad (British West indies) for the Government Shows at the British & U.S. Naval Bases. We are flying from here to N.Y. & then a naval Bomber picks us up there - think we open in Bermuda Saturday next. Well Dear, nothing else exciting. Trust alls well & happy with you.
Give my best to Skunk -
Kind thoughts always!
October 29, 1941
I, OLIVER NORVELL HARDY, residing in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, and not acting under duress, menace, fraud or undue influence whatsoever, and realizing the uncertainty of life, do make, publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament, and do by this revoke any and all Wills and Codicils to Wills heretofore made by me, it being my wish to declare this instrument my last Will and Testament.
FIRST: I hereby declare that I am married; that my wife’s name is Lucille Hardy.
SECOND: I do hereby give, devise and bequeath the whole of my estate and property, whether real, personal or mixed, whether located in the State of California or elsewhere. to my wife, Lucille Hardy.
THIRD: I do hereby name and appoint my wife, Lucille Hardy, to serve as executrix of this, my last Will and Testament, without bond, for the purpose of carrying out the terms end provisions hereof.
I hereby direct ray said executrix hereinabove named to pay all my just debts and funeral expenses as soon after my demise as may be lawfully and conveniently done.
In the event that, pursuant to the terms hereof, my wife is the executrix hereunder, I hereby expressly authorize and empower my said executrix to sell, lease or mortgage the whole or any portion of my said estate at either public or private sale, with or without notice, but subject, however, to such confirmation by Court as may be provided by law.
FOURTH: I do further state that I have no other persons entitled to share in my estate than the one above named, but in case any other lawful heir should appear, I give and bequeath to him and to her, and to each of them, the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) , it being my intention that no one shall share in my estate except the person whom I have named, and for whom I have, by this last Will and Testament, provided.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of October, nineteen hundred and fortyone.
OLIVER NORVELL HARDY, the maker of the above Will and Testament, having declared to us that he executed the above Will and Testament, and having signed same in our presence, and having requested us to sign same in his presence, as witnesses thereto, we are signing same et his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other.
October 29, 1941
Brig. Gen. Frederick Osborn, chief of the morale branch, said that those booked for the first trips were John Garfield of the screen; Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel, screen comedians; Chico Marx of the former Four Marx Brothers; Mitzi Mayfair, musical comedy dancer, and Jane Pickens and Benay Venuta, singers.
The plane will cover the Atlantic bases as far as Panama and return to New York on Nov. 13.
The venture is sponsored by Camp Shows, Inc., a non-profit agency formed by the Citizens Committee for the Army and Navy In collaboration with the United Service Organizations and approved by the War and Navy Departments.
Camp Shows is headed by Eddie Dowling as president, Clarence G. Michalis is treasurer and Lawrence Phillips executive vice president and secretary. Lee Shubert, Bert Lytell, Mr. Dowling, Y. Frank Freeman, Walter Hoving, Harper Sibley and Mr. Michalis are directors.
The new program, financed by U.S.O. funds, will continue and enlarge upon the basic program of the Summer. Entertainers will be recruited from the movies, the stage and radio. All will receive full scale wages.
The Screen Actors Guild, the Association of Motion Picture Producers and the Actors Equity Association are cooperating with Mr. Dowling in assembling talent.
The avowed purpose is "to produce, direct and send on the road a continuous flow of variety units, musical comedies, streamlined shows and first-class Broadway hits." The circuit will take in 186 camps and naval stations so as to guarantee to each a show at least once every two weeks.
Since June 9, the U.S.O. program has made possible the presentation of 1,043 shows in Army camps.