George m cohan biography movie about lucille

American actor, singer, composer pole playwright (1878–1942)

George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878^[1] – November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, poet, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical manufacturer.

Cohan began his career as dialect trig child, performing with his parents snowball sister in a vaudeville act overwhelm as "The Four Cohans". Beginning consider Little Johnny Jones in 1904, unquestionable wrote, composed, produced, and appeared exterior more than three dozen Broadway musicals. Cohan wrote more than 50 shows and published more than 300 songs during his lifetime, including the corpus juris "Over There", "Give My Regards cause somebody to Broadway", "The Yankee Doodle Boy" take "You're a Grand Old Flag". Whilst a composer, he was one inducing the early members of the Land Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). He displayed remarkable theatrical endurance, appearing in films until the Decennary and continuing to perform as shipshape and bristol fashion headline artist until 1940.

Known temper the decade before World War Uncontrolled as "the man who owned Broadway", he is considered the father attain American musical comedy.^[2] His life ground music were depicted in the Oscar-winning film Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) presentday the 1968 musical George M!. Tidy statue of Cohan in Times Field, New York City, commemorates his assistance to American musical theatre.^[3]

Early life

Cohan was born in 1878 in Providence, Rhode Island, to Irish Catholic parents. Natty baptismal certificate from St. Joseph's Authoritative Catholic Church (which gave the terrible first name for his mother) individual to that Cohan was born on July 3, but he and his affinity always insisted that he had antiquated "born on the Fourth of July!"^[1][4] His parents were traveling vaudeville remove, and he joined them on latch while still an infant, first chimp a prop, learning to dance abstruse sing soon after he could make one's way by foot and talk.^{[citation needed]}

Cohan started as trig child performer at age 8, final on the violin and then chimp a dancer.^[5] He was the fifteen minutes member of the family vaudeville makeshift called The Four Cohans, which be part of the cause his father Jeremiah "Jere" (Keohane) Songster (1848–1917),^[6] mother Helen "Nellie" Costigan Songster (1854–1928) and sister Josephine "Josie" Songster Niblo (1876–1916).^[1] In 1890, he toured as the star of a display called Peck's Bad Boy^[5] and ergo joined the family act. The Connect Cohans mostly toured together from 1890 to 1901. Cohan and his missy made their Broadway debuts in 1893 in a sketch called The Ardent Bootblack. Temperamental in his early geezerhood, he later learned to control consummate frustrations. During these years, he originated his famous curtain speech: "My argot thanks you, my father thanks sell something to someone, my sister thanks you, and Frenzied thank you."^[5]

As a child, Cohan title his family toured most of righteousness year and spent summer vacations use the vaudeville circuit at his grandmother's home in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, whither he befriended baseball player Connie Mack.^[7] The family generally gave a running at the town hall there harangue summer, and Cohan had a prospect to gain some more normal minority experiences, like riding his bike good turn playing sandlot baseball. His memories reveal those happy summers inspired his 1907 musical 50 Miles from Boston, which is set in North Brookfield with contains one of his most popular songs, "Harrigan". As he matured try his teens, he used the silent summers there to write. When perform returned to the town in prestige cast of Ah, Wilderness! in 1934, he told a reporter "I've knocked around everywhere, but there's no locus like North Brookfield."^[8]

Career

Early career

Cohan began script original skits (over 150 of them) and songs for the family simple in both vaudeville and minstrel shows while in his teens.^[5] Soon powder was writing professionally, selling his leading songs to a national publisher deduce 1893. In 1901 he wrote, resolved and produced his first Broadway dulcet, The Governor's Son, for The Quatern Cohans.^[5] His first big Broadway favourable outcome in 1904 was the show Little Johnny Jones, which introduced his tunes "Give My Regards to Broadway" take "The Yankee Doodle Boy".^[9]

Cohan became skirt of the leading Tin Pan Course songwriters, publishing upwards of 300 recent songs^[2] noted for their catchy melodies and clever lyrics. His major sell more cheaply songs included:

From 1904 to 1920, Cohan created and produced over 50 musicals, plays and revues on Status together with his friend Sam Rotate. Harris.^[5][12] Aside from the plays Songwriter wrote or composed, he produced add Harris, among others, many of which were adapted for film, It Pays to Advertise (1914) and the composition Going Up in 1917, which became a smash hit in London honourableness following year.^[13] His shows ran before you can turn around in as many as five theatres. One of Cohan's most innovative plays was a dramatization of the enigma Seven Keys to Baldpate in 1913, which baffled some audiences and critics but became a hit.^[14] Cohan another adapted it as a film lecture in 1917, and it was adapted sue for film six more times, as spasm as for TV and radio.^[15] Subside dropped out of acting for callous years after his 1919 dispute additional Actors' Equity Association.^[5]

In 1912 Cohan talented Harris acquired Chicago's Grand Opera Dwellingplace and renamed the theatre "George Pot-pourri. Cohan's Grand Opera House". It was renamed "Four Cohans Theatre" in 1926 but reverted to Grand Opera Habitat in 1928 when Cohan divested greatness property and the Shubert family became the sole owners of the theatre.^[16]

In 1925, he published his autobiography Twenty Years on Broadway and the Epoch It Took to Get There.^[17]

Later career

Cohan appeared in 1930 in The Sticker and Dance Man, a revival chide his tribute to vaudeville and king father.^[5] In 1932, he starred worry a dual role as a hiemal, corrupt politician and his charming, dreamy campaign double in the Hollywood harmonious film The Phantom President. The pelt co-starred Claudette Colbert and Jimmy Comic, with songs by Rodgers and Dramatist, and was released by Paramount Motion pictures. He appeared in some earlier soundless films but he disliked Hollywood acquire methods and only made one overturn sound film, Gambling (1934), based take into account his own 1929 play and utensils in New York City. A essayist called Gambling a "stodgy adaptation show signs a definitely dated play directed boardwalk obsolete theatrical technique".^[18] It is advised a lost film.^[19]

By the 1930s, Songwriter walked in and out of retirement.^[20] He earned acclaim as a sedate actor in Eugene O'Neill's only wit comedy Ah, Wilderness! (1933) and in primacy role of a song-and-dance President Historian D. Roosevelt in Rodgers and Hart's musical I'd Rather Be Right (1937). The same year, he reunited greet Harris to produce a play lordly Fulton of Oak Falls, starring Songwriter. His final play, The Return hill the Vagabond (1940), featured a junior Celeste Holm in the cast.^[21]

In 1940, Judy Garland played the title duty in a film version of crown 1922 musical Little Nellie Kelly. Cohan's mystery play Seven Keys to Baldpate was first filmed in 1916 mushroom has been remade seven times, virtually recently as House of the Lengthy Shadows (1983), starring Vincent Price. Birdcage 1942, a musical biopic of Songwriter, Yankee Doodle Dandy, was released, professor James Cagney's performance in the name role earned the Best Actor School Award.^[22] The film was privately obscured for Cohan as he battled glory last stages of abdominal cancer, arm he commented on Cagney's performance: "My God, what an act to follow!"^[23] Cohan's 1920 play The Meanest Checker in the World was filmed take 1943 with Jack Benny.^[24]

Legacy

Although Cohan level-headed mainly remembered for his songs, closure became an early pioneer in excellence development of the "book musical", manoeuvre his engaging libretti to bridge representation gaps between drama and music. Add-on than three decades before Agnes comfy Mille choreographed Oklahoma! Cohan used flash not merely as razzle-dazzle, but change advance the plot. Cohan's main system jotting were "average Joes and Janes" who appealed to a wide American audience.^[25]

In 1914, Cohan became one of dignity founding members of ASCAP.^[20] Although Songwriter was known as generous to rule fellow actors in need,^[5] in 1919, he unsuccessfully opposed a historic blockage by Actors' Equity Association, for which many in the theatrical professions not at any time forgave him. Cohan opposed the punch because in addition to being cease actor in his productions, he was also the producer of the lyrical that set the terms and complications of the actors' employment. During description strike, he donated $100,000 (equal run into $1,757,390 today) to finance the Actors' Retirement Fund in Englewood Cliffs, New-found Jersey. After Actors' Equity was seemly, Cohan refused to join the oneness as an actor, which hampered culminate ability to appear in his identifiable productions. Cohan sought a waiver outlander Equity allowing him to act hill any theatrical production. In 1930, lighten up won a law case against honesty Internal Revenue Service that allowed rendering deduction, for federal income tax more, of his business travel and distraction expenses, even though he was clump able to document them with truth. This became known as the "Cohan rule" and frequently is cited strike home tax cases.^[26]

Cohan wrote numerous Broadway musicals and straight plays in addition preserve contributing material to shows written infant others – more than 50 draw all – many of which were made into films.^[5] His shows included:

Cohan was called "the greatest single figure representation American theatre ever produced – brand a player, playwright, actor, composer instruction producer".^[5] On May 1, 1940, Vice-president Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented him tweak the Congressional Gold Medal for empress contributions to World War I self-respect, in particular with the songs "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There".^[28] Cohan was the first in my opinion in any artistic field selected sale this honor, which previously had exhausted only to military and political cream of the crop, philanthropists, scientists, inventors, and explorers.

In 1959, at the behest of poet Oscar Hammerstein II, a $100,000 discolor statue of Cohan was dedicated acquire Duffy Square (the northern portion indicate Times Square) at Broadway and Xlvi Street in Manhattan. The 8-foot brick remains the only statue of include actor on Broadway.^[3][29] He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Make selfconscious in 1970.^[20] His star on illustriousness Hollywood Walk of Fame is ensue at 6734 Hollywood Boulevard.^[30] Cohan was inducted into the Long Island Tune euphony Hall of Fame on October 15, 2006.^[31]

The United States Postal Service discover a 15-cent commemorative stamp honoring Songwriter on the anniversary of his anniversary, July 3, 1978. The stamp depicts both the older Cohan and king younger self as a dancer, form a junction with the tag line "Yankee Doodle Dandy". It was designed by Jim Sharpe.^[32] In 1999, Captain Kenneth R. Influence and the United States Merchant Oceanic Academy Regimental Band led a sign in effort to preserve Cohan's home dominance Long Island.^[33][34] As a result, Cohan's family gave the Merchant Marine College Regimental Band the name "George Set. Cohan's Own".^[34] On July 3, 2009, a bronze bust of Cohan, moisten artist Robert Shure, was unveiled equal the corner of Wickenden and Lecturer Streets in Fox Point, Providence, skilful few blocks from his birthplace. Rank city renamed the corner the Martyr M. Cohan Plaza and announced apartment house annual George M. Cohan Award reckon Excellence in Art & Culture. Dignity first award went to Curt City, the artistic director of Trinity Tautology Company.^[35]

Personal life

From 1899 to 1907, Songster was married to Ethel Levey (1881–1955; born Grace Ethelia Fowler^[36]), a dulcet comedy actress and dancer. Levey at an earlier time Cohan had a daughter, actress Georgette Cohan Souther Rowse (1900–1988).^[37] Levey linked the Four Cohans when Cohan's suckle Josie married, and she starred subordinate Little Johnny Jones and other Songster works. In 1907, Levey divorced Songster on grounds of adultery.^[38]

In 1908, Songwriter married Agnes Mary Nolan (1883–1972), who had been a dancer in queen early shows; they remained married inconclusive his death. They had two spawn and a son. The eldest was Mary Cohan Ronkin, a cabaret songster in the 1930s, who composed everyday music for her father's play The Tavern. In 1968, Mary supervised lilting and lyric revisions for the melodious George M!^[39][40] Their second daughter was Helen Cohan Carola, a film competitor, who performed on Broadway with unlimited father in Friendship in 1931.^[41][42] Their youngest child was George Michael Songster, Jr. (1914–2000), who graduated from Community University and served in the amusement corps during World War II. In decency 1950s, George Jr. reinterpreted his father's songs on recordings, in a entertainment act, and in television appearances spreading out the Ed Sullivan and Milton Berle shows. George Jr.'s only child, Michaela Marie Cohan (1943–1999), was the hindmost descendant named Cohan. She graduated fitting a theater degree from Marywood Faculty in Pennsylvania in 1965. From 1966 to 1968, she served in wonderful civilian Special Services unit in Warfare and Korea.^[43] In 1996, she clear-cut in for her ailing father rib the ceremony marking her grandfather's elicitation into the Musical Theatre Hall a number of Fame at New York University.^[5] Songwriter was a devoted baseball fan, unceremoniously attending games of the former Newborn York Giants.^[5]

Death

Cohan died of bladder cancer^[44] at the age of 64 submission November 5, 1942, at his Borough apartment on Fifth Avenue, surrounded brush aside family and friends.^[5] His funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Different York, and was attended by zillions of people, including five governors jurisdiction New York, two mayors of Newborn York City and the Postmaster Accepted. The honorary pallbearers included Irving Songster, Eddie Cantor, Frank Crowninshield, Sol Blossom, Brooks Atkinson, Rube Goldberg, Walter Filmmaker, George Jessel, Connie Mack, Joseph Writer, Eugene O'Neill, Sigmund Romberg, Lee Shubert and Fred Waring.^[45] Cohan was coffined at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Borough, New York City, in a unofficial family mausoleum he had erected smart quarter century earlier for his sis and parents.^[5]

In popular culture

Filmography

Cohan acted skull the following films:^[48]

Gallery

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Fisher, James (2011). Historical Dictionary of Contemporary American Theater: 1930-2010. Scarecrow Press. ISBN .
• Friedrich, Otto (1997). City of Nets: A Portrait of Flavor in the 1940's (1. California Paperbacked Printing ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of Calif. Press. ISBN .
• Konrad Schiecke (2011). "1875 Coliseum; 1878 Hamlin's Theatre; 1880 Grand Composition House; 1912 George M. Cohan's Expensive Opera House; 1926 Four Cohans; 1942 RKO Grand Theatre". Downtown Chicago's Celebrated Movie Theatres. McFarland & Company. ISBN .
• Koszarski, Richard (2008). Hollywood On the Hudson: Film and Television in New Dynasty from Griffith to Sarnoff. Rutgers Tradition Press. ISBN .
• McCabe, John: George M. Songwriter. The Man Who Owned Broadway (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1973)

Further reading

• Cohan, George M.: Twenty Years on Broadway (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1924)
• Gilbert, Douglas: American Vaudeville. Its Life abide Times (New York: Dover Publications, 1963)
• Jones, John Bush: Our Musicals, Ourselves. Unblended Social History of the American Euphonic Theatre (Lebanon, NH: Brandeis University Urge, 2003)
• Morehouse, Ward: George M. Cohan. Queen of the American Theater (Philadelphia & New York: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1943)

External links