Vincent Bryan

Vincent Patrick Bryan was a composer, lyricist, and book writer born on June 22, 1878, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. He died on April 27, 1937, in Los Angeles, California.

Bryan contributed to the Broadway stage as both a composer and writer, with credits that include Gaby, Hell, Temptations, the musical The Man from Now, and the musical The Queen of the Moulin Rouge. His work in the theater extended beyond original productions to include interpolated material for existing shows. During the extended 1903–1909 run of The Wizard of Oz, Bryan was brought in to write new songs for multiple revisions of the production. These contributions were created in collaboration with several composers. With Theodore F. Morse, he wrote Nautical Nonsense (Hurrah for Baffin's Bay!), performed by the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. Working with J.B. Mullen, he produced Down on the Brandywine for the characters Trixie Tryfle and Pastoria, 'Twas Enough to Make a Perfect Lady Mad for Cynthia Cynch, Under a Panama for Dorothy Gale, and The Nightmare for the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. His collaborations with Charles Zimmerman yielded Marching Thro' Georgia, Football, Marching Through Port Arthur, and Sitting Bull, the last written solely for the Scarecrow. With Leo Edwards, Bryan wrote The Tale of the Monkey for Cynthia Cynch and My Own Girl for Sir Dashemoff Daily.

Beyond the stage, Bryan worked in early motion pictures. From 1915 to 1917 he served as a close behind-the-scenes collaborator of Charlie Chaplin. In 1919, alongside Hal Roach, he directed three Harold Lloyd films: He Leads, Others Follow, Soft Money, and Pay Your Dues. An addiction to heroin brought his career in motion pictures to a premature end.