Although Olsen and Johnson were a leading act in vaudeville, their greatest achievement was their "legitimate theater" production of Hellzapoppin'. Assembled and produced by Olsen and Johnson, Hellzapoppin' opened at New York's 46th Street Theatre on September 22, 1938 and ran for 1,404 performances, transferring to the Winter Garden Theatre mid-run.
The show had its start in a revue called Monkey Business where the team began developing their signature style of observing and commenting on the lunacy taking place around them. The gags and comic premises were borrowed from classic variety entertainment, but Olsen and Johnson put an original spin on the material through their inspired improvisation in live performance.
Described as a rule-breaking exercise in hysteria, Hellzapoppin' was a comic amalgam of the best - or worst - of vaudeville and burlesque. It gloried in the broadest type of comedy, with no sketch too lowbrow to be included. Technically a musical because it included a score by lyricist Charles Tobias and composer Sammy Fain, it was best known for its crazy combination of comedy acts, which included clowns, midgets, animals, and an audacious mock newsreel making fun of Adolf Hitler. Stylistically, the show consistently broke the fourth wall utilizing shills, plants, and zany audience-participation gags. It also made heavy use of prop comedy including rubber snakes and breakaway pants.
Olsen and Johnson's shows were so popular that the team franchised them, with road companies headlining similar vaudeville acts and comedians. (The road company of Hellzapoppin' starred Jay C. Flippen and Happy Felton in the Olsen and Johnson roles.)
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