George M. Cohan's Theatre

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George M. Cohan's Theatre
George M. Cohan Theatre, Manhattan.jpg
View of house from the stage, 1911
George M. Cohan's Theatre
Address1482 Broadway (Broadway and West 43rd Street)
New York City
United States of America
Coordinates 40°45′23″N73°59′9″W / 40.75639°N 73.98583°W / 40.75639; -73.98583
Capacity 1,086
Current useDemolished
Opened1911
Closed1938

George M. Cohan's Theatre was a Broadway theatre at Broadway and West 43rd Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It was built in 1911 and demolished in 1938.

Contents

History

The theatre was designed by George Keister, and opened on February 13, 1911, starting with George M. Cohan's Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, which moved from the Gaiety Theatre which Cohan also owned. [1] [2] [3] [4]

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 (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. [5] 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 affecting Broadway significantly. The entire Fitzgerald Building and the theatre in which it was housed was demolished in late 1938. [6] It is currently the site of 4 Times Square.

Select productions

The below list includes most if not all of the theatre's productions which exceeded 100 performances:

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References

  1. "New Cohan Theatre's Play". The New York Times . 29 January 1911.
  2. "Times Sq. Landmark Will Be Auctioned". The New York Times . 1 June 1938.
  3. "Another Times Sq. Corner to Be Modernized; Fitzgerald Building at 43d St. to be Razed". The New York Times . 26 June 1938.
  4. "To Raze Landmark in Times Square". The New York Times . 13 December 1938.
  5. Bloom, Ken (2013). The Routledge Guide to Broadway. pp. 154–56. ISBN   9781135871161.
  6. "Geo. M. Cohan Theatre". Cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 3 November 2020.