American playwright, songwriter, and actor (1878-1942), widely regarded as the father of American musical comedy, who takes a place among the most beloved entertainers of his era. Among his scores of hits are such standards as 'You're a Grand Old Flag,' 'Give My Regards to Broadway,' and 'Over There.' Handwritten manuscript in pencil entitled "Hollywood," signed at the head, "George M. Cohan," four pages, 8 x 13, no date [circa 1930s?] A detailed and highly entertaining "tour" of Tinseltown, evidently intended as a draft for a song, stage sketch, or memoir. In part: "This way for a good time, boys. I've been here in Hollywood three weeks now—I can cheerfully recommend it as the Coney Island of the West…Hollywood is a beautiful spot. It's like a weekend of one night stands in Pennsylvania…All the little school girls talk and walk like Greta Garbo. All the little boys in short pants looking forward to the day when they'll have their own motion picture companies…Marion Davies' home looks like Buckingham Palace. Although they claim out here that Buckingham Palace looks like Marion Davies' home…Screamingly funny trees and laughing oranges growing all over the place…The actors start acting at nine o'clock in the morning—the baseball games start at nine o'clock at night…Song writers on every set—and not a transposing keyboard piano on the lot. The big shots all go to the Blonde Derby…What a reading these boys give 'Variety' during the lunch hour…Some of these folks never even heard of me. They haven't said so but I can tell…I thought my Jap valet was pretty fast but they stopped him the first day…The directors are the babies I like best of all…I haven't done much of anything yet. Made two tests. One in white face, one in black face. After seeing them both I imagine they'll use the black face…Many a laugh out here boys, they really ought to put them in the pictures." In fine condition.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$35.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
