Origins: Looking for info on 'Dolan's Poker Party

Subject: Origins: Looking for info on 'Dolan's Poker Party
From: jfukuro
Date: 26 May 23 - 07:25 PM

"Dolan's Poker Party" was recorded in 1928 by Frank Crumit, but as "Jack Pot," the same song was recorded c.1899 by Will F. Denney. Both of these recordings can be found at 178s.org - the song sounds like an Irish street ballad of the same stripe as "Finnigan's Wake." Can anyone give me more information?

Subject: ADD: Dolan's Poker Party
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 May 23 - 12:16 AM

Here's the Frank Crumit recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z13__M5NioU

Take a look at this page:

https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/800019883/BVE-45825-Dolans_poker_party

The page says Frank Crumit is the composer of the song, recorded 25 June 1928 as Victor #21579.

DOLAN'S POKER PARTY
(Frank Crumit?)

Four aces and a joker is a lovely hand at poker,
All the money in the pot is yours, according to the law.
Though I never like to gamble, let me say without preamble,
That I am a trifle partial to a quiet game of draw.

On Thursday night McCarty organized a poker party.
There was Dolan, Martin, Doyle, and Reilly -- six of us in all.
Oh the game was very quiet, but it ended in a riot
Sure they overturned the stove and smashed the pictures on the wall.

Listen and I’ll tell ye how the trouble did begin:
Dolan opened up a pot and three of us went in.
’Twas opened for a quarter and when Dolan won the pot
He counted it and found that sixty cents was all he got
-- ho ho ho ho ho.

Oh, Dolan got excited and declared that he would right it.
He got up and intimated he was ready for a bout.
Then he reached for Reilly’s Galways which he carried with him always
And before we could prevent it he had plucked a handful out.

Just to keep the ball a-rollin’ I declared meself for Dolan
Sure they threw me on the floor an’ slammed the stove upon me back,
You should have seen the lot of noses, they looked like a bunch of roses,
That's the luck I had the night that Dolan opened up the jack.

All o’ the furniture was broken and I carry yet a token
Of the luck I had the night that Dolan opened up the jack.

See this page: https://podbay.fm/p/the-hard-boiled-poker-radio-show/e/1219281900

And this NPR program: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/7702392

And the song was featured on an episode of Fibber McGee and Molly:

https://www.podcasts.com/the_hard-boiled_poker_radio_show/episode/episode-7-fibber-mcgee-and-molly

The Roud Index only lists the Crumit recording. Nothing in the Traditional Ballad Index.

Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for info on 'Dolan's Poker Party
From: jfukuro
Date: 27 May 23 - 10:11 PM

Denney was no longer around in 1928 to complain to Crumit! Crumit sings the exact same words that were sung by Will F. Denney 29 years earlier. Here's the link to Denney's Columbia Grand cylinder from 1899 (or 1900): https://i78s.org/preview/4bf2ed764742e2a83c55bbd0bf351fe4 I'm hoping it can be found in a chapbook of Irish Street songs.

Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for info on 'Dolan's Poker Party
From: GUEST
Date: 27 May 23 - 10:41 PM

Please extrapolate on ...

Reilly’s Galways

Subject: RE: Origins: Looking for info on 'Dolan's Poker Party
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 May 23 - 05:54 PM

Back when I posted these lyrics on April 1, 2013, I speculated that "Galways" might refer to "Gauloises." It's still my best guess.