Undertakers from London to Broadway

Undertaker Song by Damon Runyon short story, published 1934 I encountered Damon Runyon’s stories when I was a teenager (the library again) and adored them, and read everything I could get my hands on – there was a huge omnibus called Runyon on Broadway, with his main collections in it. (Though yes of course I also read Runyon from First to Last, which was full of oddments and was my introduction to the idea ‘they will gather up any old stuff and put it together to make you buy it’) But On Broadway – what a collection. Most people may not even know the name, but they probably know the musical Guys and Dolls, which is based on two Runyon short stories. If you’ve seen Guys and Dolls (and if you haven’t, go and do so, or else find the film with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando doing some of their best work. Luck be a Lady Tonight…) you’ll know the general vibe of the work, the tone and the distinctive voice. The stories I loved (and this is probs 95% of them) were set in and around…