Evening star., 1939-12-18
Cohan's Life, as a Song,
Sung by G. u. Players
Elaborate Musical Old Vienna Sends
Biography Staged A Prize Winner
With Success To the Little
BY JAY CARMODY.

Let who will make the Nations
laws, the men who write its songs
are the ones who become subjects
of musical biographies. And as mo-
ton pictures or legitimate drama,
such biographies have nostalgia
charm of remembered music. When
the song writer happens to be
George M. Cohan, as is the case in
Yankee Doodle Boy" an original
production presented last night by
the speech and drama depart
ment of Catholic University, inept
performance alone would spoil
the desired effect. The composition
of Walter M. Kerr and Leo Brady,
instructor and student, respectively,
met no such fate. Professional
sickness may have been wanting
here and there, but youthful zest,
skilled direction and good old college
spirit compensated sufficiently to
make this elaborate musical a vital
and entertaining affair.
No statement is represented
in calling Yankee Doodle Boy" elab-
crate. Although its speed and con-
cisenesS belle its scale, its II scenes
and two acts cover the 62 years OF
Cohans life, revive 81 Of his out
standing song successes, mention all
of his plays, and presents the man
behind the songs and the dramas
with more thoroughness and clarity
than the average musical biography
would attempt.
Mr.. Cohan, who will be member
of tonight's audience. will have no
cause for chagrin in having provided
so bountifully of dramatic material
for the melodious tale C. us
ambitious youngsters have chosen to
tell of him. Original plans called
for his appearance at last nights
performance, but he was detained
in New York at the last moment.
Beyond the admiration it evokes
for spirit, stature and the illumina.
ton of its subject. the chief charm
of yankee Doodle Boy" lies in its
use of the masters music. On his
way to his present place in the
theater, Cohan made lot of music,
and the cast of 40, headed by James
Graham in the title role, brings it
to life on a scale that is downright
lavish.
The young authors of Yankee
Doodle Boy" have not blushed (nor
did Mr.. Cohen, who consented to the
dulcet decd at painting their hero
as a genius not without defects, self
ishness, vanity, and generous touch
of ham. But for all its admission of
flaws in the subject, the portrait is
a loving and affectionate compost
tion.
Like the public with which he was
such an enormous favorite, Messrs.
Kerr and Brady find it easy to for
give Cohan for those weaknesses
which made him the butt of so much
ill humor in the press. After all,
he was the man who could write
"Forty-five Minutes From Broad
way" always Leave Them Laugh
ing When You Say Goodby," "Over
There" and scores of other successes
which showed an understanding of
the public taste however much mis-
understanding it created on the part
of petulant minority groups.
Famous names naturally figure
among the characters of Yankee
Doodle Boy among them David
Belasco, Sam Harris, George Arliss,
Fay Templeton, and, of course, the
other three Cohans, Jerry, Helen and
Josephine. In Interpreting them,
the c. U. drama department found it
necessary to recruit talent from
Trinity and Dumbarton Colleges.
Greatest of the burdens of fame
distributed among the group of 40
players is that which falls to Fresh
man Graham in the title role. 1t is
a prodigioas undertaking, running
through g. Cohan years in approxi-
mately two hours, but Graham is no
one to be deferred by that. He has
both the talent and the energy for
it and if the Cohan voice, manner
isms and gestures stray from per-
lection upon occasion, they return
again with added charm for their
periodic absences.
Among the others in the cast, most
impressive were Margaret Mary Ed
monston as Mother Helen Cohan.
Virginia Barry as Fay Templeton,
Marion Wolberg as Josephine Cohan
and Jerome Mettenberger as Sam
Harris.
Special mention Is merited by
Ralph Brown for his settings for the
show and very definitely by Mary
Ann La Cows for her excellent cos
tuning.
d. e.