| for good dramatic reasons. In the GEORGE M Cohan's first Broadway show, THE GOVERNORS SON is a flop - as it was, running only 32 performances. In GEORGE M this is followed by his first hit, LITTLE JOHNNY JONES. But thats not quite how it happened. A month after GOVERNORS SON died, he opened another new show, starring his family (the 4 Cohans) called RUNNING FOR OFFICE. This musical ran for 48 performances. 6 months later he contributed a song to a big holiday show at the New Amsterdam - MOTHER GOOSE. It was one of his signature songs, "Always leave them laughing when you say goodbye!" Six months after that he contributed two songs to a successful show called A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. One of them was "I love to hear a Yankee Doodle Tune". Then 6 months after THAT, LITTLE JOHNNY JONES opened at the Liberty Theatre, and ran 52 performances before going out on tour. It came back the next year for an 128 performance 'revival'. The show had been revised for the tour. It included the two hits you recall, YANKEE DOODLE BOY and GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY - and also one of his best lesser known songs, LIFE'S A FUNNY PROPOSITION AFTER ALL. |
