JUST A MINUTE
1919
Just a Minute is a musical in two acts with music by Harold Orlob, book and lyrics by Harry L. Cort, George E. Stoddard and Harold Orlob. The original production was staged by Robert Marks and produced by John Cort at New York’s Cort Theatre where it ran 40 performances.
Harry Orlob wrote musical comedies such as Listen Lester, which ran for 272 performances in 1918 and 1919. His one great melody, “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now?” was attributed for many years to Joe Howard, who had bought the song. Orlob was a Mormon, born on June 3, 1883. He died at the age of 99.
The musical is set on the Boardwalk at Atlantic City (Act One)...
...and a private yacht named Sweet Stuff (Act Two).
Prior to Broadway, the play premiered in Atlantic City on August 25, 1919, followed by Baltimore and Wilmington. In AC, the show played at the Cort, another theatre named after the producer. It was formerly known as the Savoy (above). Just a few months after Minute, impresario A.H. Woods announced that he had purchased the Boardwalk Cort, and would rename it the Woods Theatre starting in 1920.
Prohibition Humor from ‘Just A Minute’:
“Did your husband have much of an estate?” “Oh, yes. Nearly a gallon.”
~ The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals by Dan Dietz
The critics were not kind to Just A Minute. Its failure was Orlob’s second flop in less than two weeks, followed by the rapid shuttering of Nothing But Love after just 64 performances. Nine years later, another musical titled Just a Minute hit the Rialto, but was unrelated to the Cort / Orlob show.
In 1947 "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" was used as the title song of a movie about Joseph E. Howard, leading to renewed popularity for the song. Orlob brought suit to declare himself the composer, eventually reaching an out-of-court settlement with Howard for the two of them to receive joint credit. Orlob did not claim royalties.
John Cort’s Broadway theatre on 48th Street (built in 1912) is still in operation today.
