- Born
- Died
- Birth nameGeorge Michael Cohan
- American composer, librettist, actor, dancer, author, director, and producer on the stage. Started his career in his family vaudeville shows, came to Broadway at the beginning of the 20th century. Was the composer of the American battle hymn of World War 1, 'Over There' Received the Congressional Gold Medal for his lifetime achievement 1936.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
- Composer, librettist, actor, dancer, dramatist, author, director, and producer born in Providence, Rhode Island. He began in vaudeville as a child in his family's act, the Four Cohans, and was writing for the act by the age of 15. As an actor he is remembered in such roles as the father in O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!, and as a writer of such songs as "Yankee Doodle Dandy', which featured in his musical Little Johnny Jones (1904), and which gave the title of the film made of his life.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Lester A Dinerstein<lester1@earthlink.net>
- At nine he joined his parents' vaudeville act, which included his sister Josephine, and the act thereafter was known as The Four Cohans. He wrote songs and sketches for his own act and those of others. He began producing and managing in partnership with Sam Harris from 1904 to 1920. He acted in and wrote the Broadway stage scores and librettos for "The Governor's Son" and "Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway" (and also directed the latter). He appeared in, directed and co-produced "Little Johnny Jones", "George Washington, Jr.", "The Honeymooners", "The Yankee Prince", "The Little Millionaire", and "Hello, Broadway". He co-produced and directed "The Talk of New York", "Fifty Miles from Boston", "The American Idea", "The Man Who Owns Broadway", "The Cohan Revue" (1916, 1918) and "The Royal Vagabond". He acted, produced and directed "The Merry Malones", and produced and directed "Little Nelly Kelly", and "The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly". He was the playwright, co-producer and director for "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford", "Seven Keys to Baldpate", "The Miracle Man", and "Hit-the-Trail Haliday". He acted in "Broadway Jones", "A Prince There Was", "The Song-And-Dance Man", "American Born", "Gambling", "Dear Old Darling", and "The Return of the Vagabond". He produced and directed "The Tavern" and "Elmer the Great". He produced "The O'Brien Girl". His other Broadway appearances included "Ah, Wilderness" and "I'd Rather Be Right". Ward Morehouse authored a biography: "George M. Cohan - Prince of the American Theatre". Joining ASCAP in 1914 as a charter member, his popular-song compositions include "The Yankee Doodle Boy", "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Mary's a Grand Old Name", "Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway", "Harrigan", "Molly Malone", "Venus, My Shining Love", "My Musical Comedy Maid", "Revolutionary Rag", "I Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My Baby", "You Remind Me of My Mother", "Life's a Funny Proposition After All", "So Long, Mary", "I Was Born in Virginia", "Over There", "You're a Grand Old Flag", "In a Kingdom of Our Own", "Nellie Kelly, I Love You", "When June Comes Along With a Song", and "Where Were You, Where Was I?"- IMDb Mini Biography By: Hup234!
- SpousesAgnes Mary Nolan(June 29, 1907 - November 5, 1942) (his death, 3 children)Ethel Levey(1899 - 1907) (divorced, 1 child)
- Is the only performer honored with a statue on Broadway located at the intersection of Broadway, 7th Avenue and 46th Street.
- Child with Ethel Levey: Georgette Cohan (1900-1989). Children with Agnes Nolan: Mary Cohan Ronkin (1909-1983), Helen Cohan Carolla (1910-1996), and George M. Cohan Jr. (1914-2000).
- Awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 1936.
- Pictured on a 15¢ US commemorative postage stamp in the Performing Arts and Artists series, issued in his honor 3 July 1978 (believed to be the 100th anniversary of his birth, even though he claimed 4 July as his birthdate).
- Great-grandfather of Actress Jennifer Ross.
- I don't care what you say about me, as long as you say something about me, and as long as you spell my name right.
- [signature speech when audiences demanded encores] Ladies and gentlemen, my mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I thank you!
- [on playing Nat Miller, the father, in Ah Wilderness! (1935)] This fellow [Eugene O'Neill] doesn't ring the bell, he lets you pull it. The play just shows you this fellow's observations. You wouldn't call it a part at all. It's a study.
- [on his daughter Georgette] The kid's got everything. She can act, sing, dance, write and is an accomplished musician. How far she goes depends on just how much attention she gives it.
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