Louis Gilrod

Louis Gilrod (1879-1930), was an actor and lyricist for the Yiddish theater.

Louis Gilrod was born in the village of Ruizana, near Ulanov, Podolia/Poltava region of the Ukraine. At 12 his father brought him to the United States and left him with an uncle in Newark, New Jersey who engaged him in the hairdressing business. He was, however, drawn to the stage; at 17 he founded a drama club and began to write lyrics. Actors started to notice him and brought him to New York where he became a professional lyricist. The Yehudah Katzenelenbogen Company (later absorbed into the Hebrew Publishing Company) and other music publishers paid him to write Yiddish parodies of currently popular American songs of Tin Pan Alley.

Two of his early successes were Got un zayn mishpet iz gerekht and Kum, Yisrolikl, aheym. He wrote the libretto to the operetta Dos pintele yud (The essential Jew) (New York, 1909), and for The Golden Bride in 1923. He also played small roles at the Thalia and Windsor Theatres and in vaudeville, for which he wrote one-acters. He worked regularly at the National, the Irving Place Theatre, the Lyric Theater in Brooklyn and in 1926 at the public theater. After that ill health forced him to retire from the stage. The last show for which he wrote lyrics was Dos freylekhe yesoymele of 1930.

His wife, Paula Weiss, played in Yiddish vaudeville.

He died in New York March 12, 1930.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 10, 1879 (Ukraine), Died March 12, 1930

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1904 - 1927

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer, speaker, author, baritone vocal, translator

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 154 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-25423 10-in. 6/3/1921 Mendel Kolboinik receives a letter from America Anna Hoffman ; Jacob Jacobs Comic dialogue author  
Victor B-25424 10-in. 6/3/1921 Chana Pesel biam telefone Anna Hoffman ; Jacob Jacobs Comic dialogue author  
Victor B-25425 10-in. 6/3/1921 De karger chusin un kalle Anna Hoffman ; Jacob Jacobs Comic dialogue author  
Victor B-25435 10-in. 6/10/1921 Latest improvements Joseph Feldman Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-25436 10-in. 6/10/1921 Fin anfang gait is shwerlich Joseph Feldman Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-26256 10-in. 3/17/1922 Eil rachem S. Birnzweig ; William Robyn Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-26257 10-in. 3/17/1922 Der siderel S. Birnzweig Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-26281 10-in. 3/29/1922 Yente Telebende chapt a schwim Anna Hoffman ; Jacob Jacobs Comic dialogue, with traps author  
Victor B-26975 10-in. 10/19/1922 Die griene Lena Joseph Feldman Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-27100 10-in. 10/26/1922 Wie azoy laibt a keinik? Joseph Feldman Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor B-27101 10-in. 10/26/1922 Der Galitzianer batchen Joseph Feldman Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal, lyricist  
Victor B-27150 10-in. 11/14/1922 Yenta mit dame radio phone Anna Hoffman ; Jacob Jacobs Dialogue, with traps author  
Victor B-27271 10-in. 12/29/1922 A gris fun neuer Russland William Robyn Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-27578 10-in. 2/27/1923 Dudky-brat Michal Michalesko Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-27781 10-in. 4/25/1923 Shemdriks kalle Joseph Feldman Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-28144 10-in. 6/22/1923 Der lachendiker Joseph Feldman Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-28237 10-in. 7/2/1923 An orem yosoimele Anna Hoffman Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-28769 10-in. 10/24/1923 Nit bei motien Jacob Jacobs Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-28771 10-in. 10/24/1923 Roumanaeish feferlach Anna Hoffman ; Jacob Jacobs Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-29399 10-in. 2/11/1924 'Sis a kurtzer vehg Le'on Blanḳ Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-29975 10-in. 5/7/1924 Blimelach zwei Dmitri Dobkin ; Lucy Finkle Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-30028 10-in. 4/28/1924 Blimelach zwei Dmitri Dobkin Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-31353 10-in. 11/25/1924 Lost die zorgen of morgen Shloimele Rothstein Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-31464 10-in. 12/1/1924 Kavkaz Shloimele Rothstein Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-31934 10-in. 2/10/1925 Naches fun kinder Le'on Blanḳ Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra lyricist  
(Results 26-50 of 154 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gilrod, Louis," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/112944.

Gilrod, Louis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/112944.

"Gilrod, Louis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/112944

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