George M. Cohan In America's Theater     |   home Stageography   |   What's New   |   George Washington, Jr.   |   The Merry Malones   |   Broadway Jones   |   45 Minutes From Broadway   |   About Me   |   The Little Millionaire   |   Little Nellie Kelly   |   The Tavern   |   Seven Keys To Baldpate   |   Ah, Wilderness!   |   Get Rich Quick Wallingford   |   The Royal Vagabond   |   Discography & Filmography   |   Early years: 1878-1900   |   Broadway Rise: 1900-1909   |   Broadway Emperor: 1910-1919   |   Decline & Fall: 1920-1929   |   Little Johnny Jones   |   I'd Rather Be Right   |   Broadway Legend: 1930-1978   |   Mailbag/Contact Me   |   Related Links   |   Articles & Thoughts   |   The Yankee Prince  Little Nellie Kelly Opened: November 13, 1922 Liberty Theater, NYC                                                                                                                           Sheet Music Cover Original Cast: Wellesly...............................................Harold Vizard Matilda................................................Edna Whistler Sidney Potter......................................Frank Otto Jack Lloyd..........................................Joseph Niemeyer Francois DeVere...............................Robert Pitkin Jean....................................................Dorothy Newell Nellie Kelly......................................... Elizabeth Hines Mrs. Langford.....................................Georgia Caine Marie...................................................Marion Saki Jerry Conroy.......................................Charles King Capt. John Kelly.................................Arthur Deagon Miss Spendington.............................Jean Palmer Ambrose Swift (The Detective)........Mercer Templeton Synopsis: Wealthy millionaire, Jack Lloyd is convinced that he has met the woman of his dreams; Nellie Kelly.  So much so, that he invites the entire staff of DeVere's Modeling Company, to a party at his elusive NYC mansion just to be introduced. Obstacles arise however, when Jerry Conroy (a pseudo boyfriend from Nellie's neighborhood in the Bronx) arrives uninvited to the party demanding to see Nellie, declaring his love for her (via "Nellie Kelly, I Love You").   Additionally, a conspiracy between a maid and a butler (they think Nellie is beneath Jack's status) and DeVeres and his secretary, Jean (they are afraid to loose Nellie because she is so popular at their clothing store) involves stealing a necklace from Mrs. Langford (Jack's aunt), and putting the blame on one of the "rough crowd" from the Bronx.  In the end, amidst the efforts of Nellie's father (Capt. John Kelly) and Detective Ambrose Swift, it is Mrs. Langford who exposes the clandestine plot.  Nellie confesses her love for Jerry, and the two live happily ever after. Elizabeth Hines star of "Little Nellie Kelly" Songs From The Show: Act I Over The Phone All In The Wearing Girls From DeVere's Dancing My Worries Away Nellie Kelly, I Love You The Hinky Dee Somethings Got To Be Done The Name Of Kelly Ensemble Act II Busy Bus Of DeVere's The Dancing Detective They're All My Boys The Flirting Salesman You Remind Me Of My Mother The Great NY Police The Mystery Play The Mystery Dance The Voice Of My Heart Till My Luck Comes Rolling Along Reprise Finale Critic's Corner: "This is not a revue.  Yet it is not conventional musical comedy.  It is a little bit of drama, a great deal of comic pertness,  a senic delight and through all runs an almost continual strain of lovely music.  Its dialogue becomes so serious at times you scent melodrama, and then one of the heavy dramatists bursts forth in silly dance steps.  There are moments of thrilling mystery and then the police captain looks at his wrist watch and dashes his pink handkerchief after the dignified matron who lost the pearls."     New York World Cohan's Recollection: "I produced "Little Nellie Kelly" at the Treamont Theater in Boston, where, after a run of 16 weeks, it had broken all house records.  Even "Mary" & "The O'Brien Girl" were "also-rans" in the matter of receipts and popularity.  Four big song song hits in the play, and altogether my biggest musical comedy success since the days of "Little Johnny Jones."  A second company was organized and presented the piece on tour, while the original cast held on for a solid year's run at the Liberty Theater in New York City." Notes: The leading characters were named Jerry & Nellie, and Cohan dedicated "Little Nellie Kelly" to the memory of his father, and surviving mother.  This was Cohan's attempt at the Cohanization of a 1920's style musical.  It was a slight departure from his previous style (both libretto and music), but not enough to escape from being branded old fashioned.   It was, as Cohan attests, very popular, running 248  performances on Broadway, and a few more years on the road. The show was directed by Julian Mitchell, whose history in the American Theater includes stage direction with Weber & Field's Music Hall Shows, and The Ziegfeld Follies of 1907, 1912, & 1915.  It was Mitchell, who with Lew Fields, helped define the role of the chorus within the context of a production.  His work at Weber and Fields' Music Hall, gave him a reputation as one of the best musical directors of the era.  Some of his other credits include, "The Wizard Of Oz" (1903), "Babes In Toyland" (1903), "It Happened In Nordland" (1904), & "The Girl Behind The Counter" (1907), both with Lew Fields, "Mary" (1920), and the O'Brien Girl (1921) both for George M.  "Little Nellie Kelly" would be his last effort.  He retired after the show closed and survived another 22 years without directing another Broadway show. Cohan also produced "Little Nellie Kelly" in London where it achieved similar success. Cohan's music contained a few top selling hits that can be listened to on the "George M!" soundtrack album:  "Nellie Kelly, I Love You," "All In The Wearing," " They're All Our Boys" (re-titled "All Our Friends"), and the underrated "Dancing Our Worries Away." Cast as Jerry Conroy was Charles King, now a veteren of musical comedy.  He began his career appearing for Lew Fields in "Mimic World" (1908), and later went on to appear in two more huge hits produced by Fields, "Hit The Deck" (1927), & "Present Arms" (1928).  He also appeared in Cole Porter's musical, "The New Yorkers" (1930) before starring in a string of early Hollywood talkies, most notably "Broadway Melody Of 1929" where he introduced Arthur Freed's now classic song "Broadway Melody." In 1940, M-G-M made a film with the title of "Little Nellie Kelly" which bore no resemblance to the original show.  The film starred Judy Garland, George Murphy, Douglas McPhail (who does a great rendition of "Nellie Kelly, I Love You") and long time Cohan favorite Charles WInninger.  Winninger, who is best known for originating the role of Capt. Andy in "Show Boat," appeared in  "The Cohan Revue Of 1916," & "The Cohan Revue Of 1918."   The film was written by Jack McGowan who appeared in two 1920's Cohan musicals:  "Mary," & "The Rise Of Rosie O'Reilly."