One of Irving Berlin's
most immortal phrases
is, there's no business like show
business.
And certainly nothing
represents show business
more than the Palace Theater in
New York.
As George M. Cohan once said
to Mrs. Minnie Madden Fitts,
Listen, kid, you haven't lived
until you've played the palace.
It's like being wed without
a wedding ring.
Though you've climbed to the heights
with your name up in lights.
Until you've played the palace,
it don't mean a thing.
Television's just a passing fancy,
and movie fame is but an empty thrill.
Though you're on top of the heap,
you are only a creep,
until you've played the palace
at the bottom of the bill.
One word of warning or
you will be sunk.
You've got to tell the people
you were born in a trunk.
Oh, you may be the darling of the critics
And star in Noel Coward's latest play
On the stage you're a hit,
but you still are illegit
Until you've played the palace,
the dirty, drafty palace
The palace theater on Old Be
longs to me.
Well, that was the palace of yesterday,
but the palace of today
may not be quite as active
as it once was.
But every now and then,
we get the tremendously
successful entertainers
who re -open the palace.
They bring us the one man or
one woman show,
and their act generally ends
something like this.
Thank you, dear,
thank you.
Somewhere, I don't know where
Dear, friend, stop.
I cannot go on without telling you thank
you from the bottom of my heart
for letting me appear
before you tonight.
Thank you.
It makes me feel so humble.
All All during my 22 record
-breaking weeks
at the Palladium in London, England,
my 31 weeks at Monsignor's in Paris,
France,
and my six days at Schlachtenhafter's
Rathskeller
in Berlin.
Stupid krauts.
My one thought has been,
next comes the Palace Theater on
Old Broadway.
It's like a dream come true.
You know, I've been trooping
ever since I was four years old.
I never had a childhood.
no dolls and games
and little girls to play with only little boys
which isn't quite the same
do you know what it is like to look for love you and you and you
an d you you you well I do and it's not good
I suppose it was because I was so pretty, clever,
sweet, dainty, and talented.
Such a little doll.
No one would touch me
with a 10 -foot pole.
All I had was money, fame,
a large annuity,
and real estate holdings in Beverly Hills.
A mighty poor substitute for
affection.
But let's leave sleeping dogs lay.
Tonight, you wonderful audience,
in answer to thousands and thousands
and thousands of requests,
here is little me trying to sing for you
my song of inspiration,
Somewhere There's a Little Blue Bird.
you