Monuments to George M. Cohen

Photo by Rory Raven

Restored to Travalanche from an earlier posting.

It being July the 4th and all, I thought it might be fitting to do an appendix type post celebrating some of George M. Cohan’s material (as opposed to musical) legacy. Especially because no one ever looks at these things. People walk by them every day, they could stub their toe on them, and somehow statues and signs and such (at least ones in the city) tend not to do what they’re supposed to do — make you contemplate or remember their subject. Hopefully, pictures will make you do that.

The street sign above is in Providence, George M. Cohan’s birthplace. The statue below, photographed by me, is nearby:

A very strange impulse, to cut off this great dancer’s legs! Makes him look more like Johnny Eck!

And here’s the one millions of people walk by and never look at, the one in Times Square (technically it’s Father Duffy Square, the literal Times Square is a couple of blocks south). If this statue were to come to life and pick up a machine gun and shoot it in all directions, he could hit about 100,000 people — all day, every day. But until it did that, I don’t think anyone would know that it was there. Yet, look at it. It’s right in the middle of everything. Don’t worry, George M! Columbus has the same problem.

Lastly, George M. Cohan’s house still stands. It’s right on the water in the Kings Point section of Great Neck, next to a park:

For much more on George M. Cohan, peruse this dedicated section on Travalanche.