George M. Cohan's Theatre was a

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

at Broadway and West 43rd Street in the

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

neighborhood of New York City. It was built in 1911 and demolished in 1938.

History

The theatre was designed by George Keister, and opened on February 13, 1911, starting with

George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...

's ''Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford'', which moved from the Gaiety Theatre which Cohan also owned. Cohan considered the theatre to be a celebration of his career, with exhibits and murals of his work on display. 1911's ''The Little Millionaire'' was the first hit of the theatre. ''

Potash and Perlmutter ''Potash and Perlmutter'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent comedy film directed by Clarence G. Badger. The film is based on an ethnic Jewish comedy with characters created by Montague Glass and Charles Klein for a 1913 Broadway Potash and ...

'' (1913) was a very big hit. In 1915, Cohan and his partner Sam H. Harris sold the theatre to Joe Leblang, a big discount ticket seller. Leblang had A. L. Erlanger manage the theatre. The theatre started also showing motion pictures by the early 1920s on the weekend, eventually making more money through that source than plays. The 1925 film version of '' Ben Hur'' had a long run. By 1933, the theatre stopped hosting live theatre altogether, the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

affecting Broadway significantly. The entire Fitzgerald Building and the theatre in which it was housed was demolished in late 1938. It is currently the site of

4 Times Square 4 Times Square (also known as 151 West 42nd Street or One Five One; formerly the Condé Nast Building) is a 48-story skyscraper at Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Located at 1472 Broadway, b ...

Select productions

The below list includes most if not all of the theatre's productions which exceeded 100 performances: * ''Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford'' (opening play, February 13, 1911) * ''The Little Millionaire'' (Sept 1911 – March 1912, 192 perf.) * '' Broadway Jones'' (Sept 1912 – Feb 1913, 176 perf.) * ''

'' (Aug 1913 – Sept 1915, 441 total perf.) * '' It Pays to Advertise'' (Sept 1914 – Aug 1915, 399 total perf.) * ''Pom-pom'' (Feb – June 1916, 128 perf.) * '' Seven Chances'' (Aug – Dec 1916, 151 perf.) * ''Come Out of the Kitchen'' (Oct 1916 – May 1917, 224 perf.) * ''The King'' (Nov 1917 – Mar 1918, 127 perf.) * ''Head Over Heels'' (Aug 1918 – Nov 1918, 100 perf.) * ''A Prince There Was'' (Dec 1918 – May 1919, 159 perf.) * ''The Hottentot'' (Mar 1920 – Jun 1920, 113 perf.) * ''The Tavern'' (Sept 1920 – May 1921, 252 perf.) * '' Two Little Girls in Blue'' (May – Aug 1921, 135 perf.) * ''The Perfect Fool'' (Nov 1921 – July 1922, 275 perf.) * ''The Love Child'' (Nov 1922 – Apr 1923, 167 perf.) * ''Adrienne'' (May 1923 – Dec 1923, 235 perf.) * ''The Haunted House'' (Sept – Dec 1924, 103 perf.) * '' Desire Under the Elms'' (July – Sept 1925, a portion of a total NYC run of 420 perf.) * ''The 19th Hole'' (Oct 1927 – Jan 1928, 119 perf.) * '' Rain or Shine'' (Feb – Dec 1928, 356 perf.) * ''Hello, Daddy'' (Dec 1928 – June 1929, 198 perf.) * ''There You Are'' (1932, last legitimate production)

References

External links

* * {{Broadway theatres 1911 establishments in New York City 1938 disestablishments in New York (state) Broadway (Manhattan) Buildings and structures demolished in 1938 Demolished buildings and structures in Manhattan Former Broadway theatres Former theatres in Manhattan George M. Cohan Theater District, Manhattan Theatres completed in 1911 Demolished theatres in New York City Times Square buildings George Keister buildings