The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-19
dispute OYER SONG
SUNG IN TRENCHES
Pat Rooney Credited With
Writing the Verses Of sis
This Mr.. Rcilly?"
STOCK SEASON ENDED

the men rcspO0sfOle lVT llpNtIdIy
were Americans II afterward appeared
ira, although they had both spent some
time I'm this country they were actually ,
q, English birth. Now that song has
ceased 20 be the chant of the British
soldiers In the trenches. They have
turned enthusiastically to another, which
is also said to he OF American origin,
slthoueh an English composer has just
ass rted That he wrote the music more
than thut,y years ago.
TIE song heard just now wherever
the Tommies are gathered together Is
nothing else than our old ~favorite. is
this MI. Reilly they speak of so highly.
is this Mr.. Reilly that Keeps the hotel|'
several months ago 1t became a craze
with the English soldiers In order TO
buy the rights for this country a song
publishing company set out to learn
the source of the song.
It was written by Pat Rooney. one
OF the most popular of vaudeville come
dams a score or more OF years ago.
His son is now ON the variety stage.
Pat Rooney was an Irish mpersonator
and singer, who wrote us this Mr..
Reilly 80 In 1888. II was copyrighted.
The music company which had bought
outright tho English text used by the
Tonmies. which Ii not unlike the oriei-
nal verses. saw the representatives OF
the Rooney family and bought the copy
right. although nobody was sure whether
Il had been renewed. 1t turned out
later that the copyright had not been
renewed. so the publishers got little from
the Rooney heirs. Thereupon another
firm put an issue Of the song on the
market. using words which IL had
written.
SO II seemed to he established that
the song which is the inspiration of
the English soldiers In the trenches to-
day was in reality written by an Irish
American actor thirty-two years ago.
The Mr.. Reilly" referred to in the text
was always supposed to be the %proprle-
tor Of "A hotel next to the Holiday
Street Theatre, at that time the prin-
cipal theatre for vaudeville in Balti-
more. When Pat Rooney went there
and made the acquaintance Of MIR. Reilly,
who inspired him to write the song.
he was the star of Tony Pastors trav-
cling company.
But It was the effort Of an English
talking machine company to get the
rights to use the sons that brought out
another claimant. This is nom other
than Leslie Stuart. composer of Flora
dora" half a dozen other well known
musical comedies and endless comic
songs.
Il wrote the music to the Tommies'
song Mr.. stuart asserts definitely and
with the determination to defend his
rights, and ! wrote II th!rty-fve years
ago. II belongs TO me"
So the question is still unsettled as
to where the honor Of having composed
the English popular song of the day
really lies.
"a DuIl,.,nt, "a, .At H. tLt. ,A,,otrx
and II Is by no means settled that she
will ever be. The vaudeville M gnates
are trying to persuade her to come
here, hut as she has "A chateau near
Aris and d country house in Eng
land she will not be compelled by ne
cssity 10 appear in the two "A day. II
was she who. out OF her great wealth.
provided so generously for Sarah Bern
hardt. who without the money that Mile.
Rublnstein gave her might never havc
been able to go to the hospital At Rouen
and have her leg aInputated. At least
Il was the Russian who relieved her OF
all worry in the matter.
Ida Rubinstein, curious as ii seems,
Is a member OF the Imperial Russian
Ballet when it goes on tour, and IN that
capacity she conquered Paris by her
beauty. She is not "a dancer. but a
mime. and has already inspired Gabrielle
dAnnunzlo TO the creation of "St. Sc
bast!an" and la Parasina." in which
,he had the leading roles. Her beauty
10 of a most exotic and modern type
and seems little adapted to the de-
mands of vaudeville.
william \. Brady has many pic,ur-
esque theories which are often forgot
Ten 4 short time after the manager has
announced them, but they are no less m
teresting for that reason. lie told d re-
Porter for THE SUN the other day that
he felt convinced that the forthcoming
season was not to be a good one for
the theatres and that he would for
that reason limit his enterprise in pro-
ducing plays. In fact it is probable
nat the Playhouse and the Forty-eighth
street Theatre will he given over TO out
SIDE attractions. II happened that
shortly after this interview Mr.. Brady
acquired the rights to four new plays.
but mat does not interfere with the
logic Of his remarks.
Inc moving pictures" he said. have
taken the interest of the public from
everything nut musical plays. They can
mol be produced on the films. The pub
NC sun has 10 20 the theatre To hear
singing. Unless a manager wants to
ueNule himself to them. therefore, 1t il
mol worth the risk to put on produce
"oHS with the times so unsettled and the
interest IN the moving pictures so dom
Wat'hg as 1t is at present"
The only stock company south OF
t"e Bronx closed it's season last Satur-
udy and New York Is now without en-
'a'hment If that kind. Yet a few years
ago three or four of these organizations
4>en 10 exist prosperousiy through the
Sumner and there were always one or
TWO during the winter.