Gallagher and Shean
'Statue of Liberty, Mr. Gallagher?'
'Coney Island, Mr. Shean!'
And now for another fabulous, but obscure vaudeville duo, Gallagher and Shean. They seemed like a really charming pair! Some of their records were really cute and funny too! They both had single careers before teaming up, but they were practically unknown then. After they became a hit, however, they were known as one of the most successful vaudeville duos of the early twentieth century.
Al Shean was born Abraham Eliseser Adolph Schoenberg on May 12, 1868, in Dorum, Germany to Fanny and Louis Schoenberg. His father was a popular stage magician in Europe and his sister was Minnie Schoenberg, mother of the Marx Brothers. Originally, his success prompted Minnie to put her boys on the stage. Al may not be as popular today as his nephews, but he was just as successful with his teammate Ed Gallagher in his heyday.
Before becoming a performer, he had been an errand boy and butcher boy. In 1888, he formed the "Manhattan Quartette" with Charley Davis, George Brennan, and Sam Curtis. Al didn't establish himself until he got a part in Apple Orchid Farm, which opened at the Windsor Theatre in 1891. The play closed after two weeks but his next play, The County Fair, ran for the next three years. The Manhattan Quartette rebranded into the Manhattan Comedy Four in 1895 and up until 1900, the troupe performed many songs and did several comedy sketches, touring the country together. Eventually, the group fell apart but things weren't exactly over yet for Uncle Al.
Enter Ed Gallagher.
Not even his date of birth is known, but he was born on some mysterious day in 1873 in San Francisco. One of these days I hope to find out when. Ed wasn't much of a comic, he was actually known as one of the finest straight men in the business, which was what led to his partnership with Al Shean. Before teaming up with Al, he had been the other half of another comedy act with a man named Joe Barrett. Despite being relatively unknown before launching Gallagher and Shean, he and his former partner were known for their burlesque act "The Battle of Too Soon" during the First World War.
Gallagher and Shean teamed up in 1912 and debuted in the operetta, The Rose Maid, at the Globe Theatre in New York. In 1914, the pair broke up and for some reason, they didn't speak to one another for the next six years. Rumor had it that the two men were not very fond of each other, which was quite plain to see. However, they revived their act again in 1920 after Minnie convinced them to, and guess what? They turned out to be an even bigger hit! They rejoined to star in Cinderella on Broadway and it was a smash hit. Their biggest success came when they appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922, where they performed their hit song, "Positively, Mr. Gallagher? Absolutely, Mr. Shean!" In fact, their popularity was so immense at the time that they had several imitators.
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| Original 1922 music sheet featuring Gallagher and Shean's hit song |
After splitting up a second time in 1925, they would no longer work together again. Gallagher found a new teammate in Fifi D'Orsay, with whom he performed for two years. Unfortunately, they weren't very successful and Ed struggled with numerous problems for the rest of his life. He suffered a nervous breakdown in 1925 and was institutionalized at the River Crest Sanitarium in Astoria, Queens two years later. He would spend the remainder of his life there until he passed away on March 28, 1929.
As for Al, he continued to act and even transitioned into films. He appeared in 25 films from 1934-1943 including Ziegfeld Girl (1941), where he performed his famed song alongside Charles Winniger. He and Gallagher actually made an early sound film in 1925, but it is reported to be lost. Luckily, many records still exist.
Al Shean passed away on August 12, 1949, from natural causes. He was outlived by his wife and son, who years later worked on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.