''Little Nellie Kelly'' was a two-act

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

of the Jazz Age, written, produced and directed by

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 ...

. After opening in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in July 1922, it had long runs on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1922–1923, in the

West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buil ...

in 1923–1924, and on tours.

Plot

Nellie Kelly is the daughter of a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Irish-American police officer, Captain John Kelly. After taking a job in DeVere's Department Store, she is seen and admired by the young millionaire and man-about-town Jack Lloyd. However, she is already loved by Jerry Conroy, a laborer who like her is Irish. When she refuses Lloyd's request for a date, he invites all the store's employees to a party at a house on

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...

belonging to his aunt, the redoubtable Mrs. Chesterfield Langford, with a view to getting to know Nellie better, and Conroy attends the party uninvited. During the evening, a valuable string of pearls belonging to Mrs. Langford is stolen, and suspicion falls on Conroy, while Lloyd pursues Nellie. In the end Conroy's name is cleared and the course of true love leads Nellie to refuse Lloyd and fall into the arms of Conroy."Little Nellie Kelly"
in Thomas Hischak, ''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical'' (Oxford University Press, 2009; Oxford Reference Online, Retrieved 24 January 2012 (subscription required)Thomas S. Hischak, ''Through the screen door: what happened to the Broadway musical when it went to Hollywood'' (Scarecrow Press, 2004
pp. 21–22
/ref>

Songs

The musical contains the hit song "Nellie Kelly, I Love You", sung by Conroy, who also sings "You Remind Me of My Mother". Other songs include "All in the Wearing", "Dancing My Worries Away", "Till My Luck Comes Rolling Along", "They're All My Boys", "The Voice in My Heart", "The Busy Bees of DeVere's" and "The Dancing Detective". A song-book, including the music and lyrics of all the show's songs, was published in 1922 by M. Witmark & Sons of New York.

Productions

''Little Nellie Kelly'' opened at the Tremont Theatre, Boston, on 31 July 1922 and arrived at the

Liberty Theatre The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant and built for Klaw and Erlanger, the partnership ...

on Broadway on 13 November 1922, where it ran for nine months.William A. Everett, Paul R. Laird, ''The A to Z of the Broadway Musical'' (2009), p. 194 Its total of 276 performances in New York was more than for any of George M. Cohan's other musicals. Towards the end of February 1923,

C. B. Cochran Sir Charles Blake Cochran (25 September 1872 31 January 1951), generally known as C. B. Cochran, was an English theatrical manager and impresario. He produced some of the most successful musical revues, musicals and plays of the 1920s and 193 ...

announced plans for a separate production of the show to open at the

New Oxford Theatre Oxford Music Hall was a music hall located in Westminster, London at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. It was established on the site of a former public house, the Boar and Castle, by Charles Morton, in 1861. In 1917 the music ...

in London's West End on 20 April. By 26 April no firm opening date had been fixed, but

Roy Royston Roy Royston MC (born Roy Charles Crowden, 5 April 1899 – 7 October 1976) was an English actor who appeared in a large number of films between 1912 and 1966, beginning as a child actor. Most of his films were silents made before the First Wo ...

, Anita Elson, and the Forde Sisters had been engaged to appear. At the end of June the opening of the show was finally announced for the New Oxford Theatre on 2 July. It ran in London until 16 February 1924, with a total of 255 performances.''The Stage Year Book 1921–1925'' (Carson & Comerford, Ltd., 1925), p. 172 ''Little Nellie Kelly'' was succeeded at the New Oxford by the film '' Three Weeks'', after which the company presented the show in other theatres. At the beginning of April 1924 it was playing at the

Golders Green Hippodrome The Golders Green Hippodrome was built in 1913 by Bertie Crewe as a 3,000-seat music hall, to serve North London and the new London Underground Northern line expansion into Golders Green in the London Borough of Barnet, London, England. Taken ...

. After the show closed in London, a touring company set off, with

Daisy Burrell Daisy Burrell (born Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton; 16 June 1892 – 10 June 1982) was a British stage actress and Edwardian musical comedy performer who also appeared as a leading lady in silent films and in pantomime. In 1951 she appeared i ...

in the part of Nellie. The production was at the

Royal Lyceum Theatre The Royal Lyceum Theatre is a 658-seat theatre in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House, the residence at the time of legendary Shakespearean actor Henry Irving. It was built in 1883 by a ...

, Edinburgh, from 17 to 29 November 1924, when the cast consisted of

Reginald Purdell Reginald Purdell (4 November 1896 – 22 April 1953) was an English actor and screenwriter who appeared in over 40 films between 1930 and 1951. During the same period he also contributed to the screenplays of 15 feature films, such as '' Th ...

, Sylvia Caine, Arthur Brander, Patrina Carlyon, Bernard Clifton, Bryan Danzil, Babs Farren, Madge Haines, Edwin Henderson, Eileen Leslie, George McCloskie, Hugh Reading, Charles Ross, and Tom Woods. The musical was produced in Australia by Benjamin Fuller, Hugh J. Ward and John Fuller for Hugh J. Ward Theatres Ltd. It opened on December 22, 1923, at the New Princess Theatre,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

; Harry Hall directed and choreographed under the supervision of Ward, with musical direction by

Willy Redstone Willy (or Willie) Redstone (24 September 1883 – 30 September 1949) was a French composer and conductor of light music who had a substantial career in England and Australia, where he became music editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ...

.Theatre programme for the 1923–24 Melbourne season at the New Princess Theatre in the possession of Theatre Heritage Australia It played in Melbourne for four months, then at the Grand Opera House,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, for ten weeks from mid-August 1924. The production included two interpolated numbers composed by Redstone: "I Want a Man" and "Romany Tango".

Reception

The New York critics considered the piece to be an old-fashioned and sentimental

Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...

which was out of place in 1922, but despite this it proved a huge success. The reviews of the London

opening night A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

on 2 June 1923 were good. ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' said "Better than the average musical comedy and as good as any that has been in London", the ''

Pall Mall Gazette ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood. In 1921, '' The Globe'' merged into ''The Pall Mall Gazette'', which itself was absorbed int ...

'' "the best thing we have had since '' The Belle of New York''", the ''Star'' "a real novelty full of swift surprises, haunting melodies, dancing phenomena, and playful burlesque". ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' made a prediction: "For months all New York has been drawn to see, to listen to, and to applaud ''Little Nellie Kelly'', and London is going to follow its example for an even longer period."

Roles and original casts – Broadway/West End/Melbourne

*Nellie Kelly – Elizabeth Hines / "June" / Mamie Watson *Jack Lloyd – Barratt Greenwood /

/ Eric Masters *Jerry Conroy – Charles King / Ralph Whitehead /

Leyland Hodgson Leyland Hodgson (5 October 1892 – 16 March 1949), also known as Leland Hodgson, was an English-born American character actor of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in London on 5 October 1892, Hodgson entered the theater in 1898. In his early 20s, Ho ...

*Captain John Kelly of the NYPD – Arthur Deagon /

James B. Donovan James Britt Donovan (February 29, 1916 – January 19, 1970) was an American lawyer and United States Navy officer in the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS, predecessor of the Central Intelli ...

/ Mark Daly *Mrs. Chesterfield Langford, Lloyd's aunt –

Georgia Caine Georgiana Caine (October 30, 1876 – April 4, 1964) was an American actress who performed both on Broadway and in more than 80 films in her 51-year career. Early career Born in San Francisco, California in 1876, the daughter of two Shak ...

/ Maidie Hope /

May Beatty May Beatty (4 June 1880–1 April 1945) was a New Zealand singer and stage and screen actress. She was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 4 June 1880. Biography Beatty began her performing career at age seven, touring with Pollard's Lill ...

*Miss Spendington, a costumier – Peggy McClure /

Constance Worth Constance Worth (born Enid Joyce Howarth; 19 August 1911 – 18 October 1963) was an Australian actress who became a Hollywood star in the late 1930s. She was also known as Jocelyn Howarth. Early life and career She was born in Sydney, Austral ...

/ Dorothy Roberts *Jean, a modiste – Dorothy Newell / Marie Lee / Ena Dale *Harold Westcott, a friend of Lloyd's – Joseph Niemeyer / Arthur Denton / Robert Jackson *Sidney Potter, a friend of Lloyd's – Frank Otto /

Sonnie Hale John Robert Hale-Monro (1 May 1902 – 9 June 1959), known as Sonnie Hale, was an English actor, screenwriter, and director. Early life John Robert Hale-Monro was born in Kensington, London, the son of Belle Reynolds and actor Robert Hal ...

/ Ireland Cutter *Francois DeVere, owner of DeVere's Store – Robert Pitkin / Henry de Bray /

Lou Vernon Lou Vernon (26 June 1888, Brisbane – 22 December 1971, Sydney) was an Australian actor of stage, radio and screen and producer. He started his career in musical comedy, and was particularly noted for his versatility and ability as a character a ...

*Marie Langford, Lloyd's cousin – Marion Saki / Anita Elson / June Roberts *Ambrose Swift, a society detective – Mercer Templeton / Frank Masters / Melbourne Ward *Wellesly, the butler – Harold Vizard /

Clifford Heatherley Clifford Heatherley Lamb (8 October 1888 in Preston, Lancashire – 15 September 1937 in London) was an English stage and film actor. Filmography * ''Henry VIII'' (1911) * ''Bleak House'' (1920) * ''The Tavern Knight'' (1920) * '' The Myst ...

/ Alex. McPherson *Matilda, the housekeeper – Edna Whistler / Dorothy Monkman / Maudie Vera * Specialty Dancers – Aileen Hamilton, Carl Hemmer, James Templeton, the Lorraine Sisters / Terri Storri, Santry & Norton, the Forde Sisters / Hazel Harris & Westley Pierce Sources – Broadway:Little Nellie Kelly – 1922 Broadway
at broadwayworld.com, Retrieved 24 January 2012, West End: and MelbourneOriginal theatre programme for the 1923-24 Melbourne season at the New Princess Theatre in the possession of Theatre Heritage Australia

Film adaptation

The 1940 musical film ''

Little Nellie Kelly ''Little Nellie Kelly'' is a 1940 American musical-comedy film based on the stage musical of the same title by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog. It ...

'', starring

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

, was broadly based on the stage production, and some songs from it were repeated in the film. However, there was a new script, and the story was changed.

Notes

External links

Cohan's Broadway Shows
at musicals101.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Little Nellie Kelly 1922 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals set in the Roaring Twenties West End musicals Musicals by George M. Cohan