BIFF! BING! BANG!
Composer: Various
Lyricist: Various
Opened: October 1, 1919, Grand Theatre, Toronto, Canada;
May 9, 1921, Ambassador Theatre, N.Y.C.
Performances: Unknown (Toronto); 73 (N.Y.C.)
Note: I have not attempted to compile discographical information for anything other than performances by members of The Dumbells. By the time the show opened in New York City, much of the material used in the First Edition had been replaced with new material. The Dumbells continued to perform until 1929, and certain recordings have not been traced to a particular edition.
And Her Mother Came Too (M: Ivor Novello; L: Dion Titheradge) (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Albert Plunkett)
Archibald (M/L: Philip Braham) (Edition
unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Stan Bennett)
Canada For Canadians (M/L: Weston; Lee)
(Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Red Newman)
Civvies (used in the First Edition):
1. 78/HMV 216366 (Red
Newman)
Darling I Love You (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Ross Hamilton)
Dirty Work (M/L: R.P. Weston; Bert Lee)
(Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Red Newman and Charlie McLean)
Good-Bye Broadway, Hello Montreal (M:
Harry Warren; L: Rose; Dixon) (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (“Sleepy” Hall’s Melody Boys)
Horsey! Keep Your Tail Up (M: Louis
Hirsch; L: Kaplan) (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Capt. M. W. Plunkett’s Dumbell Orchestra)
I Said Goodbye (used in the First
Edition):
1. 78/HMV 216365 (Albert
Plunkett and Fraser Allen)
I Would If I Could (M/L: Parsons;
Relsie; Tracey) (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (“Jock” (Arthur) Holland)
I’m A Daddy (Edition unclear):
1. 78/HMV 216363 (Red
Newman)
K-K-Kiss Me Again (M/L: Stanley; Allen) (Edition unclear):
1. 78/HMV 216363 (Albert
Plunkett)
A Little Cozy Corner (used in the First
Edition):
1. 78/HMV (Ross Hamilton)
Medals On My Chest (M/L: Waite) (added
after the New York opening):
1. 78/HMV 216398
(Red Newman) [reissued on The Original Dumbells, Aquitaine (M)
ALS-385]
My Old Dutch (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Red Newman)
My Word (M/L: Sterndale; Stan Bennett)
(Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Stan Bennett)
O-O-O-Ozone (M/L: Carlton; Carter)
(Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Red Newman)
O Gee! O Gosh! O Golly, I’m In Love (M/L: Breuer;
Olson; Johson) (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Al Plunkett)
Oh, Oh, Oh, It’s A Lovely War (M/L:
J.P. Long; M. Scott) (used in the New York production):
1. 78/HMV 216366 (Red
Newman) [reissued on The Original Dumbells, Aquitaine (M)
ALS-385]
(Way Down) Texas Way (used in the
New York production):
1. 78/HMV (Al Plunkett)
Where Do Flies Go? (aka I Know Where The Flies Go (On A Cold
And Frosty Morning)) (M: Sam Mayo; L: Sam Mayo; John
Harrington) (used in the New York production; also used in JUST FANCY):
1. 78/Columbia 2883
(Vaudeville Theatre Orchestra conducted by Albert Ketelbey)
2. 78/Columbia F3 (Ivy Tresmand)
3. 78/Edison Bell Winner 3408 (The Two Bobs with orchestral
accompaniment)
4. 78/HMV (Al Plunkett)
5 . Silly Songs On Seventy-Eights, CD/Historic Audio Project
(unknown performer)
Winter Will Come (M/L: Albert
Plunkett) (Edition unclear):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Capt. Plunkett’s Overseas Orchestra)
Yum-Yum-Yum-Yum (M/L: Weston; Lee;
Harris) (Edition unknown):
1. The Original Dumbells,
Aquitaine (M) ALS-385 (Al Plunkett)
Other Material:
All The Girls Are Lovely
By The Sea (used in the New York production)
Apple Dumplins (used in the New York production)
Behind The Lines (skit) (used in the New York production)
Black And White (used in the First Edition)
Commandeered (sketch) (used in the First Edition)
D.S.O. (cut after the New York opening)
Dance Eccentric (used in the First Edition)
Didn’t Know The Way To (used in the New York production)
Dreams Of Delight! (used in the New York production)
Drum Chorus (used in the First Edition)
The Duchess Entertains The Wounded Tommies Again (skit) (used in
the New York production)
Dumbell Rag (used in the First Edition)
Every Little While (used in the First Edition)
Farmer’s Boy (used in the First Edition)
Finale (Act 1) (used in the New York production)
Finale (Act 2) (used in the New York
production)
Floral Dance (used in the First Edition)
Gay Paree (used in the First Edition)
Goodbye Khaki! (Opening) (used in the New York production)
Grand Opera Rag (used in the First Edition)
H.M.S. Pinafore (a condensed version) (used in the New York
production)
Hans And Gretchen (used in the New York production)
Hi And Si’s (cut after the New York opening)
I Do Like Being In Love (used in the New York production)
Italian Song And Dance (used in the First Edition)
Just A Policeman (cut after the New York opening)
Keep Them Guessing (used in the New York production)
Khakiology (used in the First Edition)
Kit Inspection (sketch ) (added after the New York opening)
Let The Great Big World Keep Turning (used in the First Edition)
A Little (Bit Of) Scotch (used in the New York production)
A Little Nonsense (used in the New York production)
More Nonsense (used in the New York production)
The Morning After (sketch) (used in the First Edition)
A Naughty Twinkle (used in the First Edition)
O, Cherie - La La (added after the New York opening)
Oh, You Wild Women (used in the First Edition)
Old Home Town (used in the First Edition)
Over Here And Over There (used in the First Edition)
The Poor Old Cow (used in the First Edition)
Quartette (used in the New York production)
Someday I’ll Make You Love Me (used in the New York production)
A Spanish Cocktail (added after New York opening)
Take A Look At Me Now (cut after the New York opening)
What Of The Night (Watchman) (used in the New York production)
Would You Believe It (used in the First Edition)