Mary Cohan
{{Short description|American composer (1909–1983)}}
{{distinguish|Mary Cohen (disambiguation){{!}}Mary Cohen}}
Mary Cohan (1909–1983), also known as Mary Cohan Ronkin, was an American Broadway composer and lyricist, and the middle daughter of vaudeville and Broadway entertainer George M. Cohan. George's mother's middle name was Mary, and it is believed that his daughter was named after her. (Mary's mother was named Agnes Mary Nolan.)
Following a brief career as a cabaret singer, Mary Cohan established herself as a Broadway talent in 1930, when she composed a score for her father's non-musical play The Tavern.
Working with writers John Pascal, Francine Pascal, and Michael Stewart, Mary Cohan supervised the musical and lyrical revisions of her father's songs for the hit 1968 Broadway musical, George M!.[http://www.tams-witmark.com/musicals/georgem.html George M!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001144525/http://www.tams-witmark.com/musicals/georgem.html |date=2011-10-01 }} Tams-witmark.com, accessed January 30, 2010
Personal life
Like most of the Cohans, Mary was guarded about her private life. She married Neil Litt, an orchestra leader, in September 1927; they had one daughter; they were divorced in 1936.{{Cite web |title=26 Mar 1940, 13 - The Los Angeles Southwest Wave at Newspapers.com |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/732606017/?terms=%22mary%20cohan%22%20%22neil%20litt%22&match=1 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}} In 1940, she shocked her family by eloping with accordion player George Ronkin (aka Ranken), with whom she had three children.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19400307&id=NbsKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R00DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2286,1214371 "Mary Cohan Finally Elopes And Marries George Ranken"] St. Petersburg Times, March 7, 1940[https://web.archive.org/web/20101125033214/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,736871,00.html "Milestones:Sep. 12, 1927"] Time.com, September 12, 1927{{Cite web |title=21 Feb 1982, 70 - Springfield Leader and Press at Newspapers.com |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/307841752/?terms=%22george%20ronkin%22%20cohan&match=1 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}} They remained married until Ronkin's death in 1967. In 1970, Mary married Eugene O. Fosdick, a native of Liberty, IN, in Florida.{{Cite web |title=16 Apr 1970, 5 - Palladium-Item at Newspapers.com |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/247741061/?terms=%22mary%20cohan%20ronkin%22&match=1 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}} Fosdick died in 1976; Mary is not listed as a survivor in his various obituaries, implying they, too, divorced.{{Cite web |title=21 Feb 1976, Page 7 - Palladium-Item at Newspapers.com |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/248153993/?terms=%22eugene%20fosdick%22&match=1 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}} Not much more is known about her personal life.
What is known is that Mary Cohan was adored by her larger-than-life father. The song "Mary's a Grand Old Name," written by George M. Cohan for the Broadway musical Only 45 Minutes from Broadway and featured in the 1942 film Yankee Doodle Dandy, was reportedly written by Cohan for his daughter, Mary.[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKS8/ref=cm_rdp_product_img Yankee Doodle Dandy (Two-Disc Special Edition)] narrated by Rudy Behlmer, Warner Home Video, 2003
Mary Cohan Ronkin died in 1983.
References
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External links
- {{IBDB name|12817}}
- {{Find a Grave|48200823}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohan, Mary}}
Category:American musical theatre composers
Category:American musical theatre lyricists
Category:Place of birth missing