''Mary'' (originally titled ''The house that Jack built'') is a 1920 musical comedy with book and lyrics by

Frank Mandel Frank Mandel (1884 – April 20, 1958) was an American playwright and producer. He co-wrote several productions. Some of his works were adapted by others. Several of his collaborations were adapted into films. UCLA's libraries have a collection of ...

and

Otto Harbach Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach (August 18, 1873 – January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist of nearly 50 musical comedies and operettas. Harbach collaborated as lyricist or librettist with many of the leading B ...

and music by

Louis Hirsch Louis Achille Hirsch, also known as Louis A. Hirsch and Lou Hirsch (November 28, 1887 – May 13, 1924), was an American composer of songs and musicals in the early 20th century. Life and career Hirsch was born in New York City. In his senior ...

. Among its songs was "Love Nest", Hirsch's most successful, later the theme song for the

Burns and Allen Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. They worked together as a successful comedy team that entertained vaudeville, film, radio, and television audiences for over forty years. The ...

radio show.

Story

A young man, Jack Keene, invents a portable house, expecting to make his fortune, but fails in the attempt. He strikes oil accidentally, thereby becoming wealthy, so is able to marry his sweetheart, the "Mary" of the title.

Productions

''Mary'' was originally titled ''The house that Jack built'', and it was only when the musical reached Broadway that its name was changed to ''Mary (Isn't It A Grand Old Name!)''; although usually the title is simplified further to ''Mary''. The musical was first performed at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...

in Philadelphia on April 5, 1920. After this, the musical toured the United States prior to reaching the New York stage. The musical was mounted by producer

George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...

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 ...

at the Knickerbocker Theatre where it opened on October 18, 1920. It ran at the Knickerbocker for a total of 220 performances; closing on April 23, 1921. The Broadway production was co-directed by

Julian Mitchell Charles Julian Humphrey Mitchell, FRSL (born 1 May 1935) is an English playwright, screenwriter and occasional novelist. He is best known as the writer of the play and film '' Another Country'', and as a screenwriter for TV, producing many origi ...

and Sam Forrest. It starred Janet Velie as Mary Howells, Jack McGowan as Jack Keene, Frederic Graham as Huggins, James Marlowe as Mr. Goddard, Florrie Millership as Madeline Francis,

Georgia Caine Georgiana Caine (October 30, 1876 – April 4, 1964) was an American actress who performed both on Broadway and in more than 80 films in her 51-year career. Early career Born in San Francisco, California in 1876, the daughter of two Sha ...

as Mrs. Keene,

Charles Judels Charles Judels (August 17, 1882 – February 14, 1969) was a Dutch-born American actor. Early years Judels was born on August 17, 1882, in Amsterdam as a third generation in a family of actors. His grandfather owned several theatres throughout ...

as Gaston Marceau, Helen Kling as Toddling Tessie, Lou Lockett as Two-Step Tom, Si Layman as Whirlwind Willie, and Edna Pierre as Waltzing Winnie. ''Mary'' was staged in London's West End at the Queen's Theatre the following year where it ran for a total of 93 performances from April 27, 1921, through July 9, 1921. The West End production was directed by William J. Wilson and starred

Evelyn Laye Evelyn Laye (''née'' Elsie Evelyn Lay; 10 July 1900 – 17 February 1996) was an English actress and singer known for her performances in operettas and musical theatre, musicals. Born into a theatrical family, she made her professional dé ...

as Mary Howells, Alec Regan as Jack Keene,

Percy Parsons Edward Percy Parsons (1878–1944) was an American actor and singer who worked largely in the British film industry. Selected filmography * ''Suspense'' (1930) * ''Beyond the Cities'' (1930) * ''Creeping Shadows'' (1931) * '' Strictly Business'' ...

as Huggins, Ambrose Manning as Mr. Goddard, Mabel Sealby as Madeline Francis, Maidie Hope as Mrs. Keene, Margaret Lawrence as Smith, Decima McLean as Toddling Tessie, Guy Magley as Two-step Tom,

Bernard Granville Bernard R. Granville (July 4, 1888 - October 5, 1936) was an American actor, singer and minstrel show performer who was discovered by Florenz Ziegfeld and was known as "the twentieth century comedian". Biography He was born on July 4, 1888, in We ...

as Boyde,

Ralph Lynn Ralph Clifford Lynn (8 March 1882 – 8 August 1962) was an English actor who had a 60-year career, and is best remembered for playing comedy parts in the Aldwych farces first on stage and then in film. Lynn became an actor at the age of 1 ...

as Gaston Marceau, Clive Leslie as Deakon, Eddie McLean as Whirlwind Willie, and

Maggie Dickinson Margaret Esme Dickinson (1894 – 16 June 1949) was an Australian ballet dancer, a popular performer in J. C. Williamson's pantomimes. She married a dancing partner, who was already engaged to his previous dancing partner, creating a scandal. His ...

as Waltzing Winnie. The first Australian production of 'Mary'' starred W. S. Percy and

Ethel Morrison Ethel Morrison (c. 1880 – 11 May 1951), nicknamed "Morry" or "Molly" and described as a "large lady with a large voice", was a contralto singer from New Zealand who began her career in Gilbert and Sullivan operas and Edwardian musical comedies in ...

. It was staged at the

Theatre Royal, Adelaide The Theatre Royal on Hindley Street, Adelaide was a significant venue in the history of the stage and movie theater, cinema in South Australia. After a small predecessor of the same name on Franklin Street, Adelaide, Franklin Street (built 1838), ...

J. C. Williamson's J. C. Williamson's, formerly Williamson, Garner, & Musgrove and Williamson and Musgrove, was an Australian theatrical management company and theatre owner. With its beginnings in the theatrical productions of J. C. Williamson and his p ...

"Night Out" company on 23 September 1922.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Mary
at the

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

1920 musicals American musicals Broadway musicals West End musicals Musicals by Frank Mandel Musicals by Otto Harbach Musicals by Louis Hirsch