Joan Kelsey
Do you have any memories of Sam Cohen, General Manager (good bad or otherwise?)
For additional information Liz Goldwyne had a PBS program and companion book called Pretty Things. She goes into detail about the in-house Choreographer and Costume designer for many of the performers.
As a correction to my earlier memories of stories recounted by my Father, the stories about the fights were from the Hollywood Arena in Bayonne. I do not believe that there were fights staged at the Hudson Theater, just Burlesque. There was also a second club around the corner called the Show Spot.
The Colony was where my family went to see all the big big box office pictures and movie spectaculars. Dinner at Stouffers and then the movie. As a kid, we always drove through Shaker Square to go downtown and I seem to remember commenting that movies such as the Sound of Music, King and I and My Fair Lady played there for months if not for years. The last time I was there was a family get together over winter holidays in the mid 70’s for the screening of the restored silent classic “Napolean”.
Sam Cohen (aka Sam Cohen the Horse Thief) was the Manager of the Hudson Theater and my Great Uncle. I grew up with a number of stories about Uncle Sam. My father described him as a “Damon Runyan Character”. My Great Grandfather Meyer would work the box office. My Grandfather brought my father to see the fights one evening. Meyer asked, “Where do you think your going? You have to buy a ticket” My Grandfather said, “Dad its me, your son, Sam’s brother!” Meyer said in his broken english, “Sam says nobody gets in for free!” When Sam walked into the Hudson Theater, his cronies would start to chant, “Sam, Sam the Horse Thief”. Of couse my Great Grandfather would scream back, “Sam Never Stole a Horse Once.” Sam married one of the Burlesque Queens who’s claim to fame other than the stage was a bit role in Abbott & Costello’s “Pardon My Sarong”. I met this aging blond bombshell in California in 1967 a number of years after Sam had passed away. According to my father, it was Sam who suggested the “Cinderella Man fighter to go up against Max Baer.
Joan Kelsey
Do you have any memories of Sam Cohen, General Manager (good bad or otherwise?)
For additional information Liz Goldwyne had a PBS program and companion book called Pretty Things. She goes into detail about the in-house Choreographer and Costume designer for many of the performers.
As a correction to my earlier memories of stories recounted by my Father, the stories about the fights were from the Hollywood Arena in Bayonne. I do not believe that there were fights staged at the Hudson Theater, just Burlesque. There was also a second club around the corner called the Show Spot.
Doug Cohen
The Colony was where my family went to see all the big big box office pictures and movie spectaculars. Dinner at Stouffers and then the movie. As a kid, we always drove through Shaker Square to go downtown and I seem to remember commenting that movies such as the Sound of Music, King and I and My Fair Lady played there for months if not for years. The last time I was there was a family get together over winter holidays in the mid 70’s for the screening of the restored silent classic “Napolean”.
Sam Cohen (aka Sam Cohen the Horse Thief) was the Manager of the Hudson Theater and my Great Uncle. I grew up with a number of stories about Uncle Sam. My father described him as a “Damon Runyan Character”. My Great Grandfather Meyer would work the box office. My Grandfather brought my father to see the fights one evening. Meyer asked, “Where do you think your going? You have to buy a ticket” My Grandfather said, “Dad its me, your son, Sam’s brother!” Meyer said in his broken english, “Sam says nobody gets in for free!” When Sam walked into the Hudson Theater, his cronies would start to chant, “Sam, Sam the Horse Thief”. Of couse my Great Grandfather would scream back, “Sam Never Stole a Horse Once.” Sam married one of the Burlesque Queens who’s claim to fame other than the stage was a bit role in Abbott & Costello’s “Pardon My Sarong”. I met this aging blond bombshell in California in 1967 a number of years after Sam had passed away. According to my father, it was Sam who suggested the “Cinderella Man fighter to go up against Max Baer.