The Original Footage of 1930s Broadway Shows — Page 2

Mrs. Patrick Campbell, the first Eliza Dolittle.

Okay, one more fun piece. For those of you who don't know, Claire Luce starred in "Gay Divorce" both on Broadway and in London, and was Curley's wife in the original "Of Mice and Men" (not bad of an ex-Ziegfeld Girl!). Charles Cochran was the David Merrick of London in the 20s and 30s. He often had half-a-dozen shows running at once. Every playbill had an ad screaming: "See a Cochran Show!"

Here's his list from Musicals 101

Cochran, Charles B.
Producer
b. Sept. 25, 1872 (Sussex, UK) - d. Jan. 31, 1951 (London, UK)
Often referred to as "The British Ziegfeld," Cochran could claim a far longer and more successful career. He championed many of Britain's finest musical comedians – including Gertrude Lawrence, Jack Buchanan, Hermoine Baddeley, Elisabeth Welch and Bea Lillie. Cochran also played a vital role in the career of Noel Coward, featuring his songs in several revues and producing many of his finest book musicals - including Bitter Sweet (1929) and Conversation Piece (1934). Cochran also produced Private Lives, Coward's most popular comedy. Along with the landmark revues On With the Dance (1925), This Year of Grace (192 and Words and Music (1932), Cochran produced the West End stagings of Rodgers & Hart's Ever Green (1930), as well as Cole Porter's Nymph Errant (1933) and Anything Goes (1935). Cochran remained active through the late 1940s, and published two autobiographies recalling his years in the theatre.

I seem to remember he was accidentally scaled to death in a hot bath in old age. Ouch.

And just to complete the story, the beautiful Claire Luce. You gotta love those Mabeline eye brows....