This could be one of my favorite "Now and Then Thursdays" series posts thus far...
There is a 1937 film called Varsity Show which references Penn and The Mask and Wig Club (thanks Anthony Maggio C'09!). As you'll see in the short somewhat hokey clip above, the group of band players chant Mask and Wig's age old song, "There's Only Room For One." Of course I have a particular appreciation for this as I was in Mask and Wig myself.That said, watch the tradition continue with the following video clip I also got my hands on thanks to Neil Radisch (C'86, Mask and Wig)....a video of the 1985 Mask and Wig group's rendition of the same chant! The clip was from their annual show of "Irreverance Of Things Past".
As you may recall I once compared 2 Mask and Wig videos before from 1994 and 2007 (see the post HERE). As you'll note in both sets of videos in this post, it's fascinating to me that while traditions are maintained, each generation takes that tradition and makes it their own.
...Speaking of how things don't change, check out my other favorite Now and Then Thursday post:
My Dorm Room 15 Years Later (side-by-side photo comparison!)
Other Penn traditions caught on video HERE
I did notice in the '85 show they were still asking the age old question: "Why is there only one Mask & Wig Club"? I think I might have been a New Guy the year they asked us to change it to "Why is there only one University of Pennsylvania?" -- since it made us sound less like elitist jerks. =)
Might have been a year or so earlier, but it was definitely in the late 80's/early 90's.