I’m Getting Dizzy–Back Again to George M. Cohan

George’s image did not entirely fit into the top feature, so we are including it below because it is a good picture of him. George opened The Talk of New York in December 1907, and it ran for a very respectable 157 performances. The problem was that there were no memorable songs from the show. Next George wrote Fifty Miles from Boston; it tried out in Boston at the Colonial Theatre in June 1907, the same theatre where Oklahoma! would try out in March 1943.

Here is the review found in the Cambridge Public Library from June 15, 1907:

George M. Cohan

That prolific and successful young American author-composer and playwright, Geo. M. Cohan, has furnished another highly entertaining play to the American stage. It is called “50 Miles From Boston,” and reason for the title is found in the fact that the scenes and incidents’ told in the story of the play are laid in and around Brookfield, Mass., and the characters with which it is peopled have been taken from types of that thriving little town… “50 Miles From Boston” is perhaps the most ambitious effort up to date that has emanated from Mr. Cohan’s, strenuous pen, and is said to contain intensely interesting situations and dramatic climaxes heretofore not found in Cohan productions. No Cohan play would be quite complete without musical numbers, and for “50 Miles From Boston” the young author has supplied five distinctly fascinating songs that will, it is promised, become immediately popular. They are captioned as follows: “Jack and Jill,” “A Small Town Gal,” “Aint It Awful,” “Boys Who Fight the Flames,” and “Harrigan.” Mr. Cohan has also supplied the orchestra with a number called “The Brookfield Two-Step,” which is finding as much favor as has his celebrated “Popularity” March. In a scenic, costume and electrical way, “5O Miles From Boston” will be found as thoroughly equipped as any stage representation of recent production. The first performance of “5O Miles From Boston” is scheduled for the Colonial. Monday evening, June 17, and the fact that the performance begins at 8.15 and the final curtain falls at 10.35 will undoubtedly find favor with suburbanites and Greater Boston people, who depend upon the city for their theatrical entertainment.

The show opened on Broadway in February 1908. We have two songs from the show, including a number of versions of the famous song, “Harrigan.”

Here are the lyrics to the song:

Who is the man who will spend or will even lend?
Harrigan, that’s me!
For I’m just as proud of my name, you see
Harrigan, that’s me!
For I’m just as proud of my name, you see
As an Emperor, Czar or a King could be
Who is the man helps a man ev’ry time he can?
Harrigan, that’s me!

H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N spells Harrigan
Proud of all the Irish blood that’s in me
Divil’ a man can say a word agin’ me
H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N you see
Is a name that a shame never has been connected with
Harrigan, that’s me!

Who is the man never stood for a gadabout?
Harrigan, that’s me!
Who is the man that the town’s simply mad about?
Harrigan that’s me!
They ladies and babies are fond of me
I’m fond of them, too, in return, you see
Who is the gent that’s deserving a monument?
Harrigan, that’s me!

H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N spells “Harrigan”
Proud of all the Irish blood that’s in me
Di-vil’ a man can say a word agin’ me
H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N you see
Is a name that a shame never has been connected with
Harrigan, that’s me!

The first version is sung by Billy Murray in an early Gramophone recording from 1907. It will give you a feel for the way the song was originally sung.

Here is the version from the movie, Yankee Doodle Dandy, with Joan Leslie and Jimmy Cagney.

Next up is a recent restoration recording by the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra. The orchestra is directed by Rick Benjamin on vintage instruments in the authentic style for New World Records; the song is sung by Colin Pritchard.

Finally, we have a television version of the song, sung by Ray Bolger, with help from Eddie Hodges (he played Frank Sinatra’s son in A Hole in the Head in 1959), Jimmy Durante, Jane Powell and Jimmy Rodgers.

The second song is not well-known; it is called “A Small Town Gal.” Here is a 1911 recording by George, himself.

Fifty Miles From Boston would be the last George M. Cohan show that contained one of his classic hit songs. That is not to say that it marks the end of his shows on Broadway; nor is it to say that he never wrote another fine tune. But the big hits were over. In the short span of three years, he had skyrocketed into space and then had had to come back to Earth for air.

In our next post on Thursday, we will explore a set of some of George’s songs from shows after 1908 and will discuss the one great song of his that did NOT come from a Broadway show.