During the Equity strike, Cohan said, "I will drive an elevator for a living before I will work with actors in a union." The next day, a sign appeared in the Equity window: ELEVATOR OPERATOR WANTED, GEORGE M. COHAN NEED NOT APPLY.
But Eddie Cantor had the last word, when he informed Cohan that the elevator operators had a union.
Did Cohan mostly speak-sing his songs? I saw the film "Phantom President" years ago, and while the rhyming dialogue was interesting, unfortunately I seem to recall that Cohan never really sang, and he didn't seem that well suited to film. Cohan apparently really resented Rodgers and Hart during the making of the film. Of course, Cagney in "YDD" speak/sings the title song, but has plenty of film magnetism in his Oscar-winning role.
