The Shooting of Dan McGrew

The Shooting of Dan McGrew is a short, narrative poem by Robert W. Service, first published in "The Songs of a Sourdough" in 1907 in Canada. [ ]

The tale takes place in a Yukon saloon during the Yukon Gold Rush of the late 1890s. It tells of three characters: Dan McGrew, a rough-neck prospector; McGrew's sweetheart "Lou", a formidable pioneer woman; and a mysterious, weather-worn stranger who wanders into the saloon where the former are among a crowd of drinkers. The stranger buys drinks for the crowd, and then proceeds to the piano, where he plays a song that is alternately robust and then plaintively sad. He appears to have had a past with both McGrew and Lou, and has come to settle a grudge. Gunshots break out, and the reader is left to wonder if justice has been achieved.

The poet was a Scots-Englishman who came to Canada as a young adult, and was fascinated with the lives and landscapes of the Canadian Northwest where he went to work. Along with The Cremation of Sam McGee, this poem was arguably his best known. It was the basis of a 1998 novel, "The Man From the Creeks", by Robert Kroetsch, [cite book |last=Kroetsch |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Kroetsch |title=The Man From the Creeks |publisher=New Canadian Library |year=2008 |isbn=0771095813] a longtime admirer of Service's works. It was also the inspiration for the 1949 song "Dangerous Dan McGrew" by Guy Lombardo & his Royal Canadians.

Trivia

* The poem inspired two cartoons directed by Tex Avery a Merrie Melodies cartoon "Dangerous Dan McFoo" (1939, released by Warner Bros.) and a Droopy cartoon: "The Shooting of Dan McGoo" (1945, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
**Both cartoons today are owned by Turner Entertainment, with WB (a fellow Time Warner division) handling distribution
**The former cartoon featured the voice that would later be used for Elmer Fudd
* The poem is referenced in the Red Dwarf episode Gunmen of the Apocalypse. When the crew choose their alter egos to enter Kryten's dream, Rimmer chooses "Dangerous" Dan McGrew.
* In the movie Gilda, the title character sings an episodic song that brings new details to light: They once had a shootin' up in the Klondike when they got Dan McGrew Folks were puttin' the blame on the lady known as Lu That's the story that went around but here's the real lowdown Put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on mame Mame did a dance called the Hitchy-koo, That's the thing that slew McGrew So you can put the blame on Mame, boys Put the blame on Mame

Notes