Alice Blue Gown (meaning)

04 Jan 03 - 03:42 PM (#858662)
Subject: Alice Blue Gown
From: Seonac

Song "Alice Blue Gown", composed in 1917 for the stage play Irene. Can anyone VERIFY meaning behind song and for what specific purpose it was composed. btw any reference to Roosevelt is a hoax. Thanks. John Seonac
[e-mail]

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04 Jan 03 - 04:02 PM (#858678)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown
From: nutty

The information on the net is this ..........

Alice Blue Gown

This old song, 1919, by J. McCarthy and H. Tierney, was written for the Broadway musical "Irene," produced the same year.
The song was dedicated to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, President Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, when she was very young.

Later the show was made into a motion picture of the same name starring Ann Neagle and Ray Milland. Ann sang the song in
the motion picture.


Words and tune can be found here for anyone who does not know the song.

Alice Blue Gown

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04 Jan 03 - 06:12 PM (#858778)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown
From: mack/misophist

My mother-in-law, who is of that era, says there was a special shade of blue associated with Alice Longworth. That made the link irresistable. A quote from Alice: "If you can't say anything good about anybody, come sit here by me." Mom-in-law also says Alice was considered racy in those days.

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04 Jan 03 - 11:58 PM (#858990)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown
From: Ebbie

When Alice Roosevelt's father was asked by a reporter why he didn't rein in his daughter a bit more (paraphrased); he said, "I can either run the country or I can handle my daughter; I can't do both."

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05 Jan 03 - 07:15 AM (#859095)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown
From: Sandra in Sydney

I have a 1920's print that belonged to my mother's cousin.

The title of the print is Alice Blue Gown, printed in the U.S.A. copywrite K Co Inc, Sendix Paper Company N.Y. The young lady wears a skirt which is the same shade as her eyes - Alice blue. Her buttery yellow shawl also has flowers of the same blue. Her hair is pinned up loosely around her ears, so it was either painted in the early 20's or she was still at school. It's one of my favourite pictures.

Another Alice story - she hated teddy bears!! Legend has it that teddy bears were named after her father, but I won't go into the legends of the origins of teddy bears in 1902, however he did use them in his campaigning. One persistant legend was that Alice had bears decorating her wedding, but she very emphaically told a bear collector near the end of her life that this was not true & she hated them.

Imagine someone hating teddies.

sandra (collector & maker of teddies)

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02 Dec 03 - 05:44 PM (#1064697)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,RCorder91

When I was a young boy, I became acquainted with a woman who, in her youth, had acted on the Broadway stage and in some movies. She told me that she sang the song "Alice Blue Gown" in a play titled
"Irene." The lady's name was Helen Shipman. She later married to Edward J. Pawley who was also an actor in Broadway plays, movies, and on radio. He played the role of "Steve Wilson" on one of radio's biggest shows of the 1930s and 1940s. The show was called "Big Town."

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03 Dec 03 - 02:36 PM (#1064936)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Cool Beans

Helen Shipman was the mother of actor Brian Keith, according to the Internet Broadway Database. www.ibdb.com. Weird how things connect.

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03 Dec 03 - 06:09 PM (#1065081)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Uncle_DaveO

A Google search on "Alice Blue" as a connected phrase gave me, among A LOT of other things, a definition: "Al' iss Blue: A pale grayish blue".

Another site had color samples, and Alice Blue turned out to be so pale as to be almost white.

Dave Oesterreich

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04 Dec 03 - 09:17 AM (#1065439)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Sandra in Sydney

Uncle DaveO - definitely a different colour to my Alice. I wonder if someone used this (different) name for another blue as a kind of wordplay.

I've just had a quick look in several Dictionaries/Encyclopedias of Costume/Fashion & cannot find any entries for colours. I have 2 books on colour theory but can't get at them at the moment. I might look into this further cos I have always "known" my print shows the colour Alice Blue.

sandra

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19 Dec 03 - 06:27 PM (#1076459)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,RICHARD ASTLEY-CLEMAS

The most famous Alice is usually portrayed in a blue dress:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND

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29 Apr 04 - 08:12 PM (#1174518)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST

Does anyone here know of a take off...done
in the 70s (I might be a decade off)
of the original Alice Blue Gown tune?
I remember the song was similar but not the same....
maybe by a group like The Four Seasons????

Katy from minnesota

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01 May 05 - 08:20 AM (#1475593)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST

A year later I am looking for this too. There is a mention of Alice Blue Gown by the Byrds (I think) in one of the songs in the album "Farther ALong" or "sweethearts of the Rodeo" but damned if I can find it. Anyone? (Anyone, Ferris?)

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01 May 05 - 08:26 AM (#1475598)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: George Papavgeris

I seem to remember a performer (I think it was Vin Garbutt) telling a story about ABG linked to his family - his mother, I think, used to sing the song on stage or something. Does anyone remember the story?

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01 May 05 - 10:22 AM (#1475667)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Flash Company

I remember the atom blew down,
All the foreign relations in town.

Never knew the rest of this!

FC

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01 May 05 - 11:37 AM (#1475706)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: frogprince

That shade of blue was traditionally worn by women of the "holy grail", which is to say the bloodline descended from Jesus of Nazareth and secretely protected for centuries by the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, the Papacy, and the Roosevelt and Disney families.

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01 May 05 - 03:48 PM (#1475918)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Gee Wlillikers!!

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01 May 05 - 04:30 PM (#1475947)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Peace

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:kV3l4-sN-aEJ:www.geocities.com/dferg5493/alicebluegown.htm+%22alice+blue+gown%22&hl=en

Please note that the link above gives a second stanza and a bridge. The song lyrics posted in the DT has only a single stanza. FYI.

Also, the sheet music for the song is shown on pgs 2 and 3.

BM

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01 May 05 - 04:32 PM (#1475949)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Peace

I screwed up the pagination. Look at all three and you'll see what I mean since I seem singularly unable to express myself.

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11 May 05 - 10:19 PM (#1482940)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,linda

I would like to purchase a copy of the print "Alice Blue Gown". Do you know where it was printed?
Thanks!!!

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11 May 05 - 10:23 PM (#1482943)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Peace

This might be the place to look, Linda.

http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/

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14 May 05 - 08:35 PM (#1485039)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

Someone mentioned on this site that Helen Shipman, who played the leading role in the Broadway musical IRENE (as well as many other Broadway shows) was the mother of Brian Keith, the late TV and movie actor. This is incorrect. Brian Keith's mother was HELENA Shipman from Aberdeen, Washington. She was a stage actor at one time, but never acheived the stardom of Helen Shipman who was from Pennsylvania and married Broadway/movie/radio star, Edward Pawley. I know this to be true, because I was a friend of Edward and Helen Pawley (now deceased). IMDb and other sites had it wrong, but are making corrections based upon the proof I presented to them. Thank you....
Bob Corder

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14 May 05 - 10:51 PM (#1485109)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Sorcha

And, Thank YOU Bob!

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15 May 05 - 02:21 AM (#1485182)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

You are certainly WELCOME, Sorcha!!!

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03 Jun 05 - 02:52 PM (#1499427)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,Robert G. Corder

Further research indicates that Helen Shipman played the lead role of "Irene" (in the 1919 Broadway play, IRENE) after the role was first played (for a few months) by Edith Day. After Edith Day left the show, Helen Shipman evidently replaced her in the role of "Irene." Miss Shipman later took the play on the road to the mid-west and played to packed houses along the way. To most people of the time, she was regarded as the original "Irene" because she played the role for so long. In a 1921 New York fashion magazine, Helen is shown modeling some expensive dresses and was referred to as..." the youthful leading lady in "Irene." Mention was also made that Helen liked the frock she was modeling and compared it to her little "Alice Blue Gown."

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16 Jun 05 - 03:56 PM (#1502437)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,vickie castle

I have two alice blue gown pictures very old is any one inrested in them dont know much about them please give information about them

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21 Jun 05 - 04:18 AM (#1505777)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,GUEST

Hi All,

I was wondering if any of you have heard a version of 'Alice Blue gown' that starts off slow (like the original) and then goes into a faster part. The words are something like, 'with my sweet cut off Alice blue jeans.

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31 Jul 05 - 05:08 PM (#1532229)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,Lynette England

There is a picture of that name of my grandmother she was about 17 years old, it was commissioned by a paper company to go on their boxes.

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13 Jun 06 - 05:21 PM (#1759183)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,marquita 6-13-2006

I have a picture for sell of Alice Blue Gown.

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17 Jun 06 - 01:50 PM (#1762305)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

Someone mentioned that they have a picture for sale of Alice Blue Gown. I would be interested in learning more about this picture. Thanks,
Bob Corder

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22 May 08 - 05:16 AM (#2346701)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,Philip, North East England

Having just come into possession only yesterday of a framed print titled 'Alice Blue Gown' I have found this thread very interesting. The print is one of those that captures your heart immediately & I find it hard to comprehend how one could be so myopic to of donated it to the charity shop from where I purchased it. It was framed by Mawson, Swan & Morgan. Newcastle upon Tyne, Grainger St West, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Highly fascinating that the granddaughter of the model should also post on this thread.   

NB. My print is copyrighted to: K. Co., Bendix Print Co. N. Y.

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22 May 08 - 09:47 AM (#2346836)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: Sandra in Sydney

looks like we have the same print! Tho as mine is in an inaccessible spot on my wall I can't take it down to look at the label to see if I mis-typed.

sandra

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22 May 08 - 11:14 AM (#2346885)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego

Alice Roosevelt Longworth, until the end of her life, was the "enfant terrible" of Washington society. A striking beauty, she definitely walked her own path and was often at odds with her family, especially her father.

Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth (February 12, 1884 – February 20, 1980) was the oldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. She was the only child of Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee.

Alice led an unconventional and controversial life. Despite her love for her legendary father, she proved to be almost nothing like him. Her marriage to Representative Nicholas Longworth (Republican-Ohio), a party leader, was shaky. She spurned Christianity. She was alleged to be unfaithful in marriage. In the late 1960s, she considered becoming "an honorary homosexual" . She temporarily became a Democrat during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and proudly boasted in a 60 Minutes interview with Eric Sevareid broadcast February 17, 1974, that she was a "hedonist".

Alice was a "party animal" her entire life and was a subject of gossip until the end. She led color and spark to an often drab social scene in the nation's Capitol and loved every minute of it.

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13 Oct 08 - 04:11 PM (#2464689)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: GUEST,mothernature

To get back to the dress: When I was younger I had an "Alice Blue Gown" That is what it said on the label. My sister's said "Alice Green Gown" and was green of course. They were both piped in black. We had a fire and lost everything when I was in 4th grade so the dresses had to date beforethen (abt 1949). I loved my dress and would sing the song when I wore it.

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13 Oct 08 - 04:17 PM (#2464698)
Subject: RE: Alice Blue Gown (meaning)
From: SINSULL

When I was in college there was a batty professor named Alice who insisted that all term papers be handed in in blue folders. It was known as Alice Blue in the bookstore. The proper blue cover got you an A.

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