Part 533: George Cohan’s “45 Minutes from Broadway”
In 1905 Thomas G. Moses designed and created the models for George M. Cohan’s new show “45 Minutes from Broadway.”
Abraham Erlanger had just lured Fay Templeton away from Weber & Fields, convincing her to sign a contract with the Theatrical Syndicate. Erlanger approached Cohen to create a play for his new star. This was to be a vehicle for Templeton that would possibly boost her career into stardom. Temple played the role Mary Jenkins for two seasons before leaving the stage to marry William J. Patterson, a Pittsburg Millionaire. “45 Minutes from Broadway” also starred “Kid” Burns as Victor Moore, Donald Brian as Tom Bennett, Julia Ralph as Mrs. David Dean, and James H. Manning as Daniel Krohman. Cohan created a show with only eight chorus girls, a new concept that concerned Erlanger in the beginning.
According to railroad timetables, New Rochelle, New York, is 45 minutes from Broadway. The plot began with Tom Bennett’s arrival to New Rochelle after the death of his millionaire Uncle Castleton, who presumably did not leave a will. Bennett’s wisecracking secretary, “Kid” Burns, accompanies him to New Rochelle, “Kid” is a retired prize-fighter. Bennett’s fiancée, Floradora Dean, follows him to New Rochelle with her mother, Mrs. David Dean.
“Kid” Burns discovers that Bennett’s uncle left all of his possessions to Mary Jenkins, the favorite servant of the millionaire. Jenkins, engaged to be married to Dan Cornin, is the most popular servant girl in New Rochelle. Cornin is a promoter of bucket shops; his business thrives in the first two acts. By the way, in a bucket shop “trades” were carried out instantly according to the prices listed on the board; the prices came from Wall Street by telephone or tickertape.
A scandal arises at the announcement of Jenkins and Cornin’s engagement; the girl is accused of being in league with Cornin, who it is soon discovered, has robbed the girl’s employer by selling him bogus shares in the Montana Copper Mine.
This information is only discovered at the death of Cornelious Castleton, for whom Mary has been working for thirteen years. Upon the arrival of the heir, Thomas Bennett, Jenkins is asked to leave town. She is upheld, however, by the citizens and asked to stay until proven innocent. The arrival upon the scene of young Bennett’s fiancée starts another scandal. Bennett’s fiancée is retiring from a musical comedy chorus to become the wife of the millionaire. It is only through the diplomacy of Mary Jenkins that the actress is accepted by the so-called New Rochelle society. Through methods that he employs, he accidentally discovers that Mrs. Dean is an old friend of Cornin. Finally he drives the woman and her daughter back to Broadway. He asks Mary to marry him, and having spent 24 hours in New Rochelle, starts back to New York, declaring that “the little town is 45 Minutes from Broadway isn’t any more civilized than Providence, R.I.”
“Kid” Burns goes to his employer and implores him not to marry the actress, whom he knows is one of the mercenary maidens. Meanwhile, Mrs. Dean plots to have both Jenkins and Burns discharges from Bennett’s employ. Enter, Daniel Krohman, the unscrupulous stock broker and con man who swindled the millionaire uncle with phony mine stocks. Krohman also knows Mrs. Dean and threatens to reveal her true identity unless she divulges the combination to Bennett’s safe. Although she concedes, Krohman is caught red-handed with attempting to steal back the phony bonds in New York. As the police close in, Mrs. Dean and Floradora flee to the city. Burns confesses to Jenkins that he is in love with her, but is unable to marry such a wealthy woman, handing her the millionaire’s will to which she is the recipient. Determined to make her own fate and happiness, she rips up the will.
The show went on to become the largest grossing musical since the “Black Crook” in 1866. During the show’s first eight weeks, it grossed $104,851.50 (The Scranton Republican, 24 Dec. 1905, page 6). Side note: For the “Black Crook,” it was Moses’ colleague and friend, David Austin Strong who was one of the original scenic artists for the 1866 “Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden. In 1905 Moses and Strong were still working together at Sosman & Landis’ studio. Both the “Black Crook” and “45 Minutes from Broadway” had spectacular scenic effects. For the third act in “45 Minutes from Broadway,” Moses designed a life-size replica of a train car pulling out of the station.
After an exceptional run in Chicago during the fall of 1905 at the Colonial Theatre, the production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on January 1906 where it played a limited 90 performances before returning to Chicago for several months. Ad’s in Chicago included, “Yes, sweetheart, I’ve seen it a dozen times and, like old wine, it gets better as it lives on” (Chicago Tribune 19, November 1905, page 70. By November 5, 1906, “45 Minutes from Broadway” returned to Broadway at the New York Theater on November 5, 1906 for another 32 performances.
To be continued…
