''Kissing Time'', and an earlier version titled ''The Girl Behind the Gun'', are musical comedies with music by

Ivan Caryll Félix Marie Henri Tilkin (12 May 1861 – 29 November 1921), better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian-born composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language, who made his career in London and later N ...

, book and lyrics by

Guy Bolton Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical theatre, musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. B ...

and

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse ( ; 15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English writer and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Je ...

, and additional lyrics by Clifford Grey. The story is based on the 1910 play, ''Madame et son Filleul'' ("Madame and her Godson") by

Maurice Hennequin Maurice Hennequin (10 December 1863 – 3 September 1926) was a French-naturalized Belgian playwright. Biography A great-grandson of the painter Philippe-Auguste Hennequin, Maurice Hennequin was the son of Alfred Hennequin (1842–1887), himse ...

, Pierre Véber and

Henry de Gorsse Auguste Joseph Henry de Gorsse (19 March 1868 – 7 March 1936) was a French writer, playwright, screenwriter and lyricist. A prolific writer, Henry de Gorsse has authored many plays, comedy, comedies, operettas and vaudevilles, often in collabo ...

. The story is set in contemporary France, with a glamorous actress at the centre of a farcical plot of imposture, intrigue and mistaken identity. The piece ran for 160 performances 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 Stre ...

in 1918 with its former name, and, after substantial revision, for 430 performances in London in 1919–20 as ''Kissing Time'', to catch the post-war mood.Jasen, David A
''P. G. Wodehouse: a portrait of a master''
Music Sales Group, 2002, pp. 78–82 This was followed by a touring production. The New York cast included

Donald Brian Donald Brian (February 17, 1877 – December 22, 1948) was an actor, dancer and singer born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Colony of Newfoundland, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). In 1907, he sta ...

. The star-studded London cast included

Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...

Yvonne Arnaud Germaine Yvonne Arnaud (20 December 1890 – 20 September 1958) was a French-born pianist, singer and actress, who was well known for her career in Britain, as well as her native land. After beginning a career as a concert pianist as a child, Ar ...

, Leslie Henson,

George Grossmith, Jr. George Grossmith Jr. (11 May 1874 – 6 June 1935) was an English actor, theatre producer and Actor-manager, manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was also a ...

and Phyllis Dare.

History

The plot of the musical was adapted by Bolton and Wodehouse from the 1910 play, ''Madame et son Filleul'' ("Madame and her Godson") by

, Pierre Véber and

.Findon, B. H., "Kissing Time", ''

The Play Pictorial ''The Play Pictorial'' was an English theatrical magazine that was published in London between 1902 and 1939. ''The Play Pictorial'' provided pictorial records of West End theatrical productions. Each issue described a single show, with descrip ...

'', May 1919, p. 82 ''The Girl Behind the Gun'' opened at the

New Amsterdam Theatre The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 214 West 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Manhattan in New York City, New Yor ...

in New York 16 September 1918, starring

, and running until 1 February 1919. It then was rewritten and opened as ''Kissing Time'' at the

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Originally designed by architect William Albert Swasey, it opened in 1911. The Winter Garden's current des ...

, London, on 20 May 1919, running until 3 July 1920. ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' calculated that a million people saw the show during the 13 months of its run. A touring company took the production to the British provinces, led by George Gregory and Maidie Adams. The J.C. Williamson company toured the piece in Australia in 1920 with a company headed by Gladys Moncrieff. In October 1920, a musical called ''Kissing Time'', with mostly the same music by Caryll, played in New York beginning at the Lyric Theatre, but the book was by George V. Hobart, and the lyrics were by Hobart, Philander Johnson, Clifford Grey and

Irving Caesar Irving Caesar (born Isidor Keiser, July 4, 1895 – December 17, 1996) was an American lyricist and composer primarily for theater who wrote lyrics for numerous song standards, including " Swanee", " Sometimes I'm Happy", " Crazy Rhythm", ...

. It starred Edith Taliaferro.

Roles and London cast

*Captain Wentworth –

*Georgette St. Pol –

*Lady Mercia Merivale – Isabel Jeans *Zelie – *Bibi St. Pol – Leslie Henson *Brichoux – George Barrett *Max Touquet –

*Lucienne Touquet – Phyllis Dare *Colonel Bolinger –

Tom Walls Thomas Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the 1920s and for starring in and directing the film adapt ...

Synopsis

Four people are separately travelling to visit the glamorous actress Georgette St. Pol at her country house at

Fontainebleau Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...

. First, her godson, Brichoux, whom she has not seen for many years; he is now the cook to a regiment of the French army. Second, her friend Lucienne Touquet. Third, Georgette's former guardian, Colonel Bolinger. Fourth, Lucienne's husband, Max Touquet, temporarily absenting himself from his military service; he is unaware that his wife is to visit Georgette, whom he hopes to interest in a play that he has written. Max and Brichoux meet as they approach the house. To gain access, Max persuades his comrade to exchange army papers, and Georgette allows him in, believing him to be her godson. Partly in revenge for her husband's roving eye and partly because she finds Max attractive, she does not discourage his evident interest in her. The sudden arrival of Max's wife sets off a series of impersonations and swapped identities. Max, to avoid discovery by Lucienne, shaves off his moustache and beard and continues to maintain that he is Brichoux. Lucienne is not deceived, and she retaliates by a vigorous flirtation with Colonel Bolinger. To prevent the embarrassment of Georgette's exposure, her husband, Bibi, finds himself having to pose as a servant in his own house, while the Colonel assumes Max is Georgette's husband. Max, meanwhile, has to keep silent while his real wife receives the attentions of the Colonel. The real Brichoux intermittently appears and has to be explained away. Max, still unaware of Bibi's real identity, finds himself attending an evening event in his company. Bibi's indignation at his position breaks out continually. Eventually, Max confesses to Georgette that he is not her godson, and the chain of imposture unravels. The Colonel, finding that he has been flirting with Max's wife, hastily overlooks Max's deception and breach of military rules, and all ends happily.

Musical numbers

The musical numbers in the London production were as follows: ;Act I * No. 1 – Chorus of Girls, with Capt. Wentworth – "Here's another godson, girls, we found him in the street; he belongs to us." * No. 2 – Georgette and Chorus – "Godmothers who are as young and fair as you must be circumspect" * No. 3 – Bibi and Chorus – "Ever since I owned a car, with the girls I'm popular" * No. 4 – Georgette, Max and Bibi – "When far from the din of the battle, our heroes come home for a rest" * No. 5 – Lucienne and Chorus – "Tho' weary and dreary life seems today, and tho' the man I love is far away" * No. 6 – Max – "You wouldn't call me fickle, I've too much sense of duty, but corn before the sickle is my attitude to beauty." * No. 7 – Georgette, Colonel, Max and Bibi – "So many, who have married unhappily, you meet, that when you see a couple so devoted, it's a treat..." * No. 8 – Lucienne and Bibi – "Love I fear is very complex, most find once they begin it." * No. 9 – Finale Act I – "I've just come back from Paris to spend a week at home" ;Act II * No. 10 – Chorus – "Wouldn't you like us all to help you?" * No. 11 – Georgette, Colonel and Max – "Oh, how wonderful 'twould be, you must agree" * No. 12 – Bibi – "Gosh! women are the hardest propositions!" * No. 13 – Lucienne and Max – "Joan and Peter met one night and thought they'd take the floor." * No. 14 – Company – "Some day never forget I may marry you yet" * No. 15 – Lucienne – "Won't you tell me 'love' in your realm above" * No. 16 – Dance – "The Hudson Belle" * No. 17 – Georgette and Chorus – "When I play in Paris the fellows I know, all are crazy, don't know why" * No. 18 – Lucienne and Max – "Since first, my dear, I met you" * No. 19 – Finale Act II – "There's a light in your eyes, on your lips there's a smile" A new song composed by William Merrigan Daly, called "The Nicest Sort of Feeling", was added in the 1920 New York production.

Critical reception

For the London opening at the new Winter Garden Theatre, reviewers devoted up to half their allotted column-space to remarks about the interior of the new building. Moreover, the two male leads, Grossmith and Henson, had both been away from the West End on wartime service in the navy and army respectively, and reviewers devoted further space to welcoming them back. As to the show itself, ''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' commented, "''Kissing Time'' has a story, so that the old reproach of musical comedy cannot be made here. … Mr. Caryll's music was reminiscent of Mr. Caryll. And very nice too." ''

'' wrote of "a constant state of merriment", and praised all the principal performers, remarking on Henson's "inexhaustible humour", and describing Grossmith as "cheery, good natured, as in the old days", Phyllis Dare as "wholly delightful", and the other female leads as "charming"."At the Play", ''The Observer'', 25 May 1919, p. 9

Notes

External links

* *
Links to midi files and cast list of ''Kissing Time'' in London
{{P. G. Wodehouse 1919 musicals West End musicals Musicals set in Paris Musicals set in country houses Musicals by Clifford Grey Musicals by George V. Hobart Musicals by Ivan Caryll Musicals based on plays Musicals based on works by Maurice Hennequin