In 1910, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did an odd set for Gallagher in vaudeville – three drops set to represent a battleship from any angle of the theatre, very effective.”
Sosman & Landis created a naval-themed olio setting for Gallagher and Shean, the vaudeville comedy team. Their olio sketch was written by Edward Gallagher and called “Battle of Bay Run” (Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 Aug. 1910, page 5). The use of the term “olio” is referring to a musical number, one that is independent from the featured performance.
In 1910, Gallagher and Shean partnered to present “Big Banner Show,” and toured across the country (The Buffalo Enquirer, 27 Dec. 1910, page 10).
The program was composed of a two-act musical comedy, “The Girl from Paris,” olios, and several high-end vaudeville acts. Gallagher’s olio “The Battle of Bay Run” featured a naval travesty, in used the setting created by Sosman & Landis (St. Louis Star and times, 31 Oct. 1910, page 3). Another olio for the show featured Shean as “The Dandy Little Dutchman.” Of the vaudeville acts, the Potter-Hartwell Trio, an acrobatic team, in “The Man with Two Heads,” Annette Goldie singing Southern songs, and a “Hokey-Pokey” girl chorus. (The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Maryland, 3 Sept. 1910, page 7).
“The Baltimore Sun” commented on the production, “[It] is really a clever concoction, more of a musical comedy than a burlesque. At times it is very pretentious, both in musical numbers and scenery. Mr. Gallagher, as an American in Paris, is ‘roped in’ by one of those French maidens who conveniently faints, is clever in his manner of handling the comedy and the plot, and has a good voice. Mr. Shean’s droll German dialect is not introduced until the closing number, as the proprietor of a hotel in Switzerland. The girls are some numbers above the average and sing and dance well. With ‘Money,’ a novelty march song, and ‘Three Jolly Scotchmen,’ in which they are seen in the regulation Scotch attire, decided hits are made. Edna Davenport, as the girl from Paris, carried the house with her ‘Espanola Prance.’ The best olio feature was Gallagher and Shean’s naval travesty” (6 Sept, 1910, page 9).
Edward Gallagher partnered with Al Shean early in his career. Shean’s birth name was Abraham Elieser Adolph Schönberg. He was born in Dornum, Germany, the son of ventriloquist Levy Schönberg, and yodeling harpist Fanny Salomons. The couple immigrated to New York City in approximately 1880 with Shean and his sister Miene. Miene, nicknamed “Minnie,” married Samuel “Frenchie” Marx in 1884; they were the parents of the later well-known Marx Brothers.
Moses would also work with the Marx Brothers on a project in 1926, although he was not impressed with the famous performers at all. Of them, Moses wrote, “Made several sketches for Marks Brothers. I have no faith in them. I think them very cheap.”
Gallagher and Shean partnered in 1910, the same year that Moses was hired to create the battleship scene. Each had begun their career as a small-time performer in burlesque and variety shows. Shean initially made a reputation for himself performing in “Quo Vadis Upside Down.”
Gallagher and Shean were later featured in the “Ziegfeld Follies” and other reviews, associated with the popular patter song “Mister Gallagher and Mister Shean.” That song included the lyrics: “Absolutely Mr. Gallagher? Positively Mr. Shean!” and was recorded after their 1922 Ziegfeld Follies performance. The lyrics were credited to Brian Foy with music by Shean.
Here is a 1922 recording of their song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bBvYO5FigI
From 1914-1920, the duo briefly parted, but reunited after the urging of Minnie Marx. Their reunion would not last long, however, with the partnership ending in 1925. The dissolution of their partnership was one in a series of challenges that Gallagher faced during the 1920s. Other obstacles included a prolonged dispute with Foy over song writes to “Mister Gallagher and Mister Shean,” difficulties with the Schubert Brothers, and a divorce from his third wife. Gallagher finally suffered a nervous breakdown and later died in a sanatorium in 1929.
Shean, on the other hand, went onto enjoy a successful career on both the stage and screen, appearing in 25 Hollywood films from 1934 to 1943. He would continue performing the patter song, partnering with Charles Einninger for the 1941 Ziegfeld Follies. Here is their performance in front of an Egyptian setting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkzAEGarl9Q).
To be continued…
