"Musical" is a general term that describes a play or a movie that tells a simple story with the use of dialogue as well as music and dance. "Musical Comedy" means the musical is funny.
George M. Cohan is generally given credit for introducing the musical comedy to the world. In the early 1900s, Cohan, with a touch of undeniable genius, combined the stage play and the operetta to create a new genre called the musical comedy.
Cohan used characters that were stereotypes of people that were easily recognized (a jockey, an ex-boxer, a U.S. Senator, a superpatriot, a manufacturer, etc.). Then he told a simple story in dialogue and song. His plays were set in a world where good always wins over evil and the boy always gets the girl. "Little Johnny Jones" and "45 Minutes from Broadway" are two good examples of the way that Cohan blended two distinct forms of entertainment to make an entirely new form, that was most definitely AMERICAN.
All of the Cohan plays have a touch of patriotism in them — some more than just a touch. Cohan loved to wrap an American flag around himself and run up and down the stage singing the praises of country and flag. National pride was always there alongside the brashness, high-energy, definitely sexist plots of the Cohan musical comedies.
Political correctness never entered Cohan's mind, and neither did relevancy or realism. Cohan lived in an era where America had high hopes and the future seemed bright. His musical comedies reflect that general attitude of the country at the time. They were light, airy, and just plain fun. They were certainly entertaining.
The musical comedy has, of course, changed over the years. Maybe it grew up, or maybe it just grew old. There hasn't been a musical comedy written in years that even comes close to the standards set by George M. Cohan.
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