George S. Kaufman
| George S. Kaufman | |
|---|---|
Kaufman c. 1915
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| Born | George Simon Kaufman November 16, 1889 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Died | June 2, 1961 (aged 71) New York City, New York |
| Spouse |
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| Information | |
| Debut works |
Some One in the House (1918) Someone Must Pay (1919) |
| Notable work(s) |
Of Thee I Sing You Can't Take It with You |
| Works with | |
| Awards |
Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1932 and 1937) Tony Award Best Director (1951) |
George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889 – June 2, 1961) was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals, notably for the Marx Brothers. One play and one musical that he wrote won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama: You Can't Take It with You (1937, with Moss Hart), and Of Thee I Sing (1932, with Morrie Ryskind and Ira Gershwin). He also won the Tony Award as a Director, for the musical Guys and Dolls.
Born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he graduated from high school in 1907 and "tried law school for three months" but grew disenchanted and took on a series of odd jobs, including "selling hatbands". Kaufman then began his career as a journalist and drama critic; he was the drama editor for The New York Times from 1917 through 1930. Kaufman took his editorial responsibilities very seriously. According to legend, on one occasion a press agent asked: "How do I get our leading lady's name in the Times?" Kaufman: "Shoot her."
He worked with Moss Hart in 1930 on the Broadway hit "Once in a Lifetime" and also with Hart, wrote "You Can't Take it With You" and "The Man Who Came to Dinner".
Kaufman's Broadway debut was September 4, 1918 at the Knickerbocker Theatre, with the premiere of the melodrama Someone in the House. He coauthored the play with Walter C. Percival, based on a magazine story written by Larry Evans. The play opened on Broadway (running for only 32 performances) during that year's serious flu epidemic, when people were being advised to avoid crowds. With "dour glee", Kaufman suggested that the best way to avoid crowds in New York City was to attend his play.
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