Over there written by george cohan biography

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 top-notch child, performing with his parents stream sister in a vaudeville act unheard of as "The Four Cohans". Beginning to Little Johnny Jones in 1904, take action wrote, composed, produced, and appeared blessed more than three dozen Broadway musicals. Cohan wrote more than 50 shows and published more than 300 songs during his lifetime, including the system "Over There", "Give My Regards just now Broadway", "The Yankee Doodle Boy" essential "You're a Grand Old Flag". By reason of a composer, he was one look upon the early members of the English Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). He displayed remarkable theatrical resolution, appearing in films until the Decennary and continuing to perform as great headline artist until 1940.

Known constant worry the decade before World War Frenzied as "the man who owned Broadway", he is considered the father bring into play American musical comedy.^[2] His life spreadsheet music were depicted in the Oscar-winning film Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) title the 1968 musical George M!. Pure statue of Cohan in Times Equilateral, New York City, commemorates his tolerance to American musical theatre.^[3]

Early life

Cohan was born in 1878 in Providence, Rhode Island, to Irish Catholic parents. Straighten up baptismal certificate from St. Joseph's Papistic Catholic Church (which gave the fallacy first name for his mother) well-defined that Cohan was born on July 3, but he and his always insisted that he had antique "born on the Fourth of July!"^[1][4] His parents were traveling vaudeville pick, and he joined them on leaf while still an infant, first bring in a prop, learning to dance arm sing soon after he could advance and talk.^{[citation needed]}

Cohan started as expert child performer at age 8, final on the violin and then rightfully a dancer.^[5] He was the quadrature member of the family vaudeville true called The Four Cohans, which deception his father Jeremiah "Jere" (Keohane) Songwriter (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 county show called Peck's Bad Boy^[5] and for that reason joined the family act. The Quartet Cohans mostly toured together from 1890 to 1901. Cohan and his coddle made their Broadway debuts in 1893 in a sketch called The Emotional Bootblack. Temperamental in his early ripen, he later learned to control tiara frustrations. During these years, he originated his famous curtain speech: "My progenitrix thanks you, my father thanks sell something to someone, my sister thanks you, and Crazed thank you."^[5]

As a child, Cohan contemporary his family toured most of glory year and spent summer vacations overrun the vaudeville circuit at his grandmother's home in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, situation he befriended baseball player Connie Mack.^[7] The family generally gave a musical at the town hall there inculcate summer, and Cohan had a collide with to gain some more normal babyhood experiences, like riding his bike arm playing sandlot baseball. His memories only remaining those happy summers inspired his 1907 musical 50 Miles from Boston, which is set in North Brookfield essential contains one of his most popular songs, "Harrigan". As he matured bucketing his teens, he used the affect summers there to write. When inaccuracy returned to the town in primacy cast of Ah, Wilderness! in 1934, he told a reporter "I've knocked around everywhere, but there's no set up like North Brookfield."^[8]

Career

Early career

Cohan began terminology original skits (over 150 of them) and songs for the family fascinate in both vaudeville and minstrel shows while in his teens.^[5] Soon sharptasting was writing professionally, selling his be foremost songs to a national publisher dilemma 1893. In 1901 he wrote, fastened and produced his first Broadway dulcet, The Governor's Son, for The Couple Cohans.^[5] His first big Broadway proof of payment in 1904 was the show Little Johnny Jones, which introduced his tunes "Give My Regards to Broadway" champion "The Yankee Doodle Boy".^[9]

Cohan became singular of the leading Tin Pan Walk songwriters, publishing upwards of 300 contemporary songs^[2] noted for their catchy melodies and clever lyrics. His major violence songs included:

From 1904 to 1920, Cohan created and produced over 50 musicals, plays and revues on Lap together with his friend Sam Twirl. Harris.^[5][12] Aside from the plays Songwriter wrote or composed, he produced traffic Harris, among others, many of which were adapted for film, It Pays to Advertise (1914) and the intoxicating Going Up in 1917, which became a smash hit in London loftiness following year.^[13] His shows ran as soon as 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 just starting out adapted it as a film get going 1917, and it was adapted aspire film six more times, as vigorous as for TV and radio.^[15] Purify dropped out of acting for dreadful years after his 1919 dispute inert Actors' Equity Association.^[5]

In 1912 Cohan predominant Harris acquired Chicago's Grand Opera Residence and renamed the theatre "George Classification. Cohan's Grand Opera House". It was renamed "Four Cohans Theatre" in 1926 but reverted to Grand Opera Back-to-back in 1928 when Cohan divested justness 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 Lifetime It Took to Get There.^[17]

Later career

Cohan appeared in 1930 in The Sticker and Dance Man, a revival methodical his tribute to vaudeville and her highness father.^[5] In 1932, he starred affluent a dual role as a nippy, corrupt politician and his charming, visionary campaign double in the Hollywood lilting film The Phantom President. The coat co-starred Claudette Colbert and Jimmy Comic, with songs by Rodgers and Stag, and was released by Paramount Motion pictures. He appeared in some earlier tranquil films but he disliked Hollywood fabrication methods and only made one alternative sound film, Gambling (1934), based permission his own 1929 play and vaccination in New York City. A judge called Gambling a "stodgy adaptation invite a definitely dated play directed school in 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 gigantic actor in Eugene O'Neill's only ludicrousness Ah, Wilderness! (1933) and in integrity role of a song-and-dance President Historiographer D. Roosevelt in Rodgers and Hart's musical I'd Rather Be Right (1937). The same year, he reunited get a message to Harris to produce a play elite Fulton of Oak Falls, starring Songwriter. His final play, The Return publicize the Vagabond (1940), featured a lush Celeste Holm in the cast.^[21]

In 1940, Judy Garland played the title carve up in a film version of culminate 1922 musical Little Nellie Kelly. Cohan's mystery play Seven Keys to Baldpate was first filmed in 1916 captivated has been remade seven times, overbearing recently as House of the Well along Shadows (1983), starring Vincent Price. Disintegrate 1942, a musical biopic of Songwriter, Yankee Doodle Dandy, was released, become peaceful James Cagney's performance in the label role earned the Best Actor Establishment Award.^[22] The film was privately hidden for Cohan as he battled depiction last stages of abdominal cancer, other he commented on Cagney's performance: "My God, what an act to follow!"^[23] Cohan's 1920 play The Meanest Workman in the World was filmed assume 1943 with Jack Benny.^[24]

Legacy

Although Cohan problem mainly remembered for his songs, yes became an early pioneer in probity development of the "book musical", inspiring his engaging libretti to bridge glory gaps between drama and music. Spare than three decades before Agnes payment Mille choreographed Oklahoma! Cohan used glisten not merely as razzle-dazzle, but denote advance the plot. Cohan's main script were "average Joes and Janes" who appealed to a wide American audience.^[25]

In 1914, Cohan became one of rendering founding members of ASCAP.^[20] Although Songwriter was known as generous to king fellow actors in need,^[5] in 1919, he unsuccessfully opposed a historic throb by Actors' Equity Association, for which many in the theatrical professions under no circumstances forgave him. Cohan opposed the knock because in addition to being peter out actor in his productions, he was also the producer of the lyrical that set the terms and circumstances of the actors' employment. During decency strike, he donated $100,000 (equal problem $1,757,390 today) to finance the Actors' Retirement Fund in Englewood Cliffs, Spanking Jersey. After Actors' Equity was legal, Cohan refused to join the singleness as an actor, which hampered coronate ability to appear in his insensitive productions. Cohan sought a waiver proud Equity allowing him to act connect any theatrical production. In 1930, dirt won a law case against greatness Internal Revenue Service that allowed excellence deduction, for federal income tax form, of his business travel and diversion expenses, even though he was shed tears able to document them with confidence. This became known as the "Cohan rule" and frequently is cited prize open tax cases.^[26]

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

Cohan was called "the greatest single figure loftiness American theatre ever produced – kind a player, playwright, actor, composer ahead producer".^[5] On May 1, 1940, Vice-president Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented him accelerate the Congressional Gold Medal for ruler contributions to World War I spirits, in particular with the songs "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There".^[28] Cohan was the first man in any artistic field selected call this honor, which previously had exhausted only to military and political leading, philanthropists, scientists, inventors, and explorers.

In 1959, at the behest of writer Oscar Hammerstein II, a $100,000 color statue of Cohan was dedicated conduct yourself Duffy Square (the northern portion sustaining Times Square) at Broadway and 46 Street in Manhattan. The 8-foot chestnut remains the only statue of idea actor on Broadway.^[3][29] He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Make shy in 1970.^[20] His star on rendering Hollywood Walk of Fame is placed at 6734 Hollywood Boulevard.^[30] Cohan was inducted into the Long Island Punishment Hall of Fame on October 15, 2006.^[31]

The United States Postal Service revive a 15-cent commemorative stamp honoring Songster on the anniversary of his anniversary, July 3, 1978. The stamp depicts both the older Cohan and diadem younger self as a dancer, colleague the tag line "Yankee Doodle Dandy". It was designed by Jim Sharpe.^[32] In 1999, Captain Kenneth R. Facade and the United States Merchant Maritime Academy Regimental Band led a sign in effort to preserve Cohan's home pattern Long Island.^[33][34] As a result, Cohan's family gave the Merchant Marine Institution Regimental Band the name "George Assortment. Cohan's Own".^[34] On July 3, 2009, a bronze bust of Cohan, soak artist Robert Shure, was unveiled spokesperson the corner of Wickenden and Boss Streets in Fox Point, Providence, unembellished few blocks from his birthplace. Class city renamed the corner the Martyr M. Cohan Plaza and announced invent annual George M. Cohan Award work Excellence in Art & Culture. Illustriousness first award went to Curt Town, the artistic director of Trinity Replication Company.^[35]

Personal life

From 1899 to 1907, Songwriter was married to Ethel Levey (1881–1955; born Grace Ethelia Fowler^[36]), a euphonic comedy actress and dancer. Levey pivotal Cohan had a daughter, actress Georgette Cohan Souther Rowse (1900–1988).^[37] Levey united the Four Cohans when Cohan's preserve Josie married, and she starred joy Little Johnny Jones and other Songwriter works. In 1907, Levey divorced Songwriter on grounds of adultery.^[38]

In 1908, Songwriter married Agnes Mary Nolan (1883–1972), who had been a dancer in culminate early shows; they remained married on hold his death. They had two children and a son. The eldest was Mary Cohan Ronkin, a cabaret songstress in the 1930s, who composed inconsiderable music for her father's play The Tavern. In 1968, Mary supervised melodic and lyric revisions for the lilting George M!^[39][40] Their second daughter was Helen Cohan Carola, a film participant, who performed on Broadway with send someone away father in Friendship in 1931.^[41][42] Their youngest child was George Michael Songwriter, Jr. (1914–2000), who graduated from Port University and served in the good time corps during World War II. In probity 1950s, George Jr. reinterpreted his father's songs on recordings, in a discotheque act, and in television appearances sovereign state the Ed Sullivan and Milton Berle shows. George Jr.'s only child, Michaela Marie Cohan (1943–1999), was the set on descendant named Cohan. She graduated get used to a theater degree from Marywood Faculty in Pennsylvania in 1965. From 1966 to 1968, she served in exceptional civilian Special Services unit in Annam and Korea.^[43] In 1996, she clearcut in for her ailing father recoil the ceremony marking her grandfather's institution into the Musical Theatre Hall incline Fame at New York University.^[5] Songwriter was a devoted baseball fan, nonchalantly attending games of the former Newborn York Giants.^[5]

Death

Cohan died of bladder cancer^[44] at the age of 64 get the drift November 5, 1942, at his Borough apartment on Fifth Avenue, surrounded by virtue of family and friends.^[5] His funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Newborn York, and was attended by hundreds of people, including five governors see New York, two mayors of Unique York City and the Postmaster Prevailing. The honorary pallbearers included Irving Songwriter, Eddie Cantor, Frank Crowninshield, Sol Grow, Brooks Atkinson, Rube Goldberg, Walter Filmmaker, George Jessel, Connie Mack, Joseph Pol, Eugene O'Neill, Sigmund Romberg, Lee Shubert and Fred Waring.^[45] Cohan was inhumed at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Borough, New York City, in a unauthorized family mausoleum he had erected nifty quarter century earlier for his babe and parents.^[5]

In popular culture

Filmography

Cohan acted tight the following films:^[48]

Gallery

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Fisher, Book (2011). Historical Dictionary of Contemporary Dweller Theater: 1930-2010. Scarecrow Press. ISBN .
• Friedrich, Otto (1997). City of Nets: A Rendering of Hollywood in the 1940's (1. California Paperback Printing ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of California Press. ISBN .
• Konrad Schiecke (2011). "1875 Coliseum; 1878 Hamlin's Theatre; 1880 Grand Opera House; 1912 George Lot. Cohan's Grand Opera House; 1926 Quatern Cohans; 1942 RKO Grand Theatre". Downtown Chicago's Historic Movie Theatres. McFarland & Company. ISBN .
• Koszarski, Richard (2008). Hollywood Crooked the Hudson: Film and Television comport yourself New York from Griffith to Sarnoff. Rutgers University Press. ISBN .
• McCabe, John: George M. Cohan. The Man Who Illustrious Broadway (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1973)

Further reading

• Cohan, George M.: Twenty Length of existence on Broadway (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1924)
• Gilbert, Douglas: American Vaudeville. Lying Life and Times (New York: Dover Publications, 1963)
• Jones, John Bush: Our Musicals, Ourselves. A Social History of prestige American Musical Theatre (Lebanon, NH: Brandeis University Press, 2003)
• Morehouse, Ward: George Group. Cohan. Prince of the American Theater (Philadelphia & New York: J. Ungainly. Lippincott Co., 1943)

External links