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Avery Hopwood

March 13, 2023

James Avery Hopwood (May 28, 1882 – July 1, 1928) was an American playwright of the Jazz Age. He had four plays running simultaneously on Broadway in 1920.

Avery Hopwood
Hopwood in 1922
Born(1882-05-28)May 28, 1882
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
DiedJuly 1, 1928(1928-07-01) (aged 46)
Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, France
OccupationPlaywright
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Michigan
GenreTheatre

Early life

Hopwood was born to James and Jule Pendergast Hopwood on May 28, 1882, in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] He graduated from Cleveland's West High School in 1900.[2] In 1901, he began attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. However, his family experienced financial difficulties, so for his second year he transferred to Adelbert College. He returned to the University of Michigan in the fall of 1903, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1905.[3]

Career

Hopwood started out as a journalist for the Cleveland Leader as its New York correspondent, but within a year had his first play, Clothes (1906), produced on Broadway, with the aid of playwright Channing Pollock. Hopwood eventually became known as "The Playboy Playwright"[4] and specialized in comedies and farces, some of them with material considered risqué at the time. One play, The Demi-Virgin in 1921, prompted a court case because of its suggestive subject matter, including a risque game of cards, "Stripping Cupid". The case was dismissed.

His many plays included Nobody's Widow (1910), starring Blanche Bates; Fair and Warmer (1915), starring Madge Kennedy (filmed in 1919); The Gold Diggers (1919), starring Ina Claire in New York and Tallulah Bankhead in London; (filmed in 1923 as The Gold Diggers, in 1928 as Gold Diggers of Broadway and also as Gold Diggers of 1933); Ladies' Night, 1920, starring Charlie Ruggles (filmed in 1928); the famous mystery play The Bat (with Mary Roberts Rinehart), 1920 (filmed in 1926 as The Bat, in 1930 as The Bat Whispers, and in 1959 as The Bat); Getting Gertie's Garter (with Wilson Collison), 1921, starring Hazel Dawn (filmed in 1927 and 1945); The Demi-Virgin, 1921, also starring Dawn; The Alarm Clock, 1923, translated from the French; The Best People (with David Gray), 1924 (filmed in 1925 and as Fast and Loose in 1930 with Clara Bow); the song-farce Naughty Cinderella, 1925, starring Irene Bordoni and The Garden of Eden in 1927, with Tallulah Bankhead in London and Miriam Hopkins in New York; (filmed in 1928 as The Garden of Eden).

Personal life

 
Avery Hopwood with dancer Rosa Rolanda, 1924

In 1906, Hopwood was introduced to writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten. The two became close friends and were sometimes sexual partners.[5] In the 1920s Hopwood had a tumultuous and abusive romantic relationship with fellow Cleveland-born playwright John Floyd.[6] Although Hopwood announced to the press in 1924 that he was engaged to vaudeville dancer and choreographer Rosa Rolanda, Van Vechten confirmed in later years that it was a publicity stunt. Rolanda would later marry caricaturist Miguel Covarrubias.

On the evening of July 1, 1928, at Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera, Hopwood suffered a fatal heart attack while swimming. He was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland.[7] His mother, Jule Hopwood, inherited a large trust from him, but he had not made arrangements for the disposition of other items, including literary rights. While she was working through the legal issues with his estate, Jule Hopwood fell ill and died on March 1, 1929. She was buried next to her son.[8]

Legacy

Hopwood's plays were very successful commercially, but they did not have the lasting literary significance he hoped to achieve.[9]

Hopwood Award

The terms of Hopwood's will left a substantial portion of his estate to his alma mater, the University of Michigan, for the establishment of the Avery Hopwood and Jule Hopwood Creative Writing Awards. The bequest stipulated: "It is especially desired that students competing for prizes shall be allowed the widest possible latitude, and that the new, the unusual, and the radical shall be especially encouraged." Famous Hopwood award winners include Robert Hayden, Marge Piercy, Arthur Miller, Betty Smith, Lawrence Kasdan, John Ciardi, Mary Gaitskill, Edmund White, Nancy Willard, Frank O'Hara, and Steve Hamilton.

The Great Bordello

Throughout his life, Hopwood worked on a novel that he hoped would "expose" the strictures the commercial theater machine imposed on playwrights, but the manuscript was never published. Jack Sharrar recovered the manuscript for this novel in 1982 during his research for Avery Hopwood, His Life and Plays. The novel was published in July 2011 by Mondial Books (New York) as The Great Bordello, a Story of the Theatre.

Works

 
WPA poster for Hopwood's 1922 play Why Men Leave Home
 
WPA poster for Hopwood's 1923 play The Alarm Clock

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Sharrar 1998, pp. 8–9
  2. ^ Sharrar 1998, p. 1
  3. ^ Sharrar 1998, pp. 12–17
  4. ^ Jim Beaver Biography for Avery Hopwood at Internet Movie Database
  5. ^ White 2014, pp. 71–73
  6. ^ Sharrar 2005, p. 201
  7. ^ Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Location 22102). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition
  8. ^ Vigil, Vicki Blum (2007). Cemeteries of Northeast Ohio: Stones, Symbols & Stories. Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company. ISBN 978-1-59851-025-6
  9. ^ Bader 1959, p. 68
  10. ^ "Comedy at His Majesty's". Geelong Advertiser. No. 24855. Victoria, Australia. February 10, 1927. p. 9. Retrieved May 21, 2022 – via National Library of Australia.

Works cited

  • Bader, Arno L. (December 5, 1959). "Avery Hopwood, dramatist". Quarterly Review: A Journal of University Perspectives. 66 (10): 60–68.
  • Sharrar, Jack F. (1998) [1989]. Avery Hopwood: His Life and Plays. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-10963-4. OCLC 924828273.
  • Sharrar, Jack F. (2005). "Hopwood, Avery". In Harbin, Billy J.; Marra, Kim & Schanke, Robert A. (eds.). The Gay & Lesbian Theatrical Legacy: A Biographical Dictionary of Major Figures in American Stage History in the Pre-Stonewall Era. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. pp. 199–203. ISBN 0-472-09858-6. OCLC 56481825.
  • White, Edward (2014). The Tastemaker: Carl Van Vechten and the Birth of Modern America. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-70881-8. OCLC 846545238.

Further reading

  • Broadway, by Brooks Atkinson. NY: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1974.
  • Matinee Tomorrow, by Ward Morehouse. NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1948.
  • Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s, by Angela Latham. Hanover and London: Wesleyan University Press, 2000.
  • The Splendid Drunken Twenties: Carl Van Vechten Selections from the Daybooks, 1922–1930. Edited by Bruce Kellner. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2003.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avery Hopwood.

March 13, 2023
avery, hopwood, james, 1882, july, 1928, american, playwright, jazz, four, plays, running, simultaneously, broadway, 1920, hopwood, 1922born, 1882, 1882cleveland, ohio, united, statesdiedjuly, 1928, 1928, aged, juan, pins, antibes, franceoccupationplaywrightna. James Avery Hopwood May 28 1882 July 1 1928 was an American playwright of the Jazz Age He had four plays running simultaneously on Broadway in 1920 Avery HopwoodHopwood in 1922Born 1882 05 28 May 28 1882Cleveland Ohio United StatesDiedJuly 1 1928 1928 07 01 aged 46 Juan les Pins Antibes FranceOccupationPlaywrightNationalityAmericanEducationUniversity of MichiganGenreTheatre Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Legacy 4 1 Hopwood Award 4 2 The Great Bordello 5 Works 6 Filmography 7 References 7 1 Works cited 8 Further reading 9 External linksEarly life EditHopwood was born to James and Jule Pendergast Hopwood on May 28 1882 in Cleveland Ohio 1 He graduated from Cleveland s West High School in 1900 2 In 1901 he began attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor However his family experienced financial difficulties so for his second year he transferred to Adelbert College He returned to the University of Michigan in the fall of 1903 and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1905 3 Career EditHopwood started out as a journalist for the Cleveland Leader as its New York correspondent but within a year had his first play Clothes 1906 produced on Broadway with the aid of playwright Channing Pollock Hopwood eventually became known as The Playboy Playwright 4 and specialized in comedies and farces some of them with material considered risque at the time One play The Demi Virgin in 1921 prompted a court case because of its suggestive subject matter including a risque game of cards Stripping Cupid The case was dismissed His many plays included Nobody s Widow 1910 starring Blanche Bates Fair and Warmer 1915 starring Madge Kennedy filmed in 1919 The Gold Diggers 1919 starring Ina Claire in New York and Tallulah Bankhead in London filmed in 1923 as The Gold Diggers in 1928 as Gold Diggers of Broadway and also as Gold Diggers of 1933 Ladies Night 1920 starring Charlie Ruggles filmed in 1928 the famous mystery play The Bat with Mary Roberts Rinehart 1920 filmed in 1926 as The Bat in 1930 as The Bat Whispers and in 1959 as The Bat Getting Gertie s Garter with Wilson Collison 1921 starring Hazel Dawn filmed in 1927 and 1945 The Demi Virgin 1921 also starring Dawn The Alarm Clock 1923 translated from the French The Best People with David Gray 1924 filmed in 1925 and as Fast and Loose in 1930 with Clara Bow the song farce Naughty Cinderella 1925 starring Irene Bordoni and The Garden of Eden in 1927 with Tallulah Bankhead in London and Miriam Hopkins in New York filmed in 1928 as The Garden of Eden Personal life Edit Avery Hopwood with dancer Rosa Rolanda 1924 In 1906 Hopwood was introduced to writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten The two became close friends and were sometimes sexual partners 5 In the 1920s Hopwood had a tumultuous and abusive romantic relationship with fellow Cleveland born playwright John Floyd 6 Although Hopwood announced to the press in 1924 that he was engaged to vaudeville dancer and choreographer Rosa Rolanda Van Vechten confirmed in later years that it was a publicity stunt Rolanda would later marry caricaturist Miguel Covarrubias On the evening of July 1 1928 at Juan les Pins on the French Riviera Hopwood suffered a fatal heart attack while swimming He was buried in Riverside Cemetery Cleveland 7 His mother Jule Hopwood inherited a large trust from him but he had not made arrangements for the disposition of other items including literary rights While she was working through the legal issues with his estate Jule Hopwood fell ill and died on March 1 1929 She was buried next to her son 8 Legacy EditHopwood s plays were very successful commercially but they did not have the lasting literary significance he hoped to achieve 9 Hopwood Award Edit The terms of Hopwood s will left a substantial portion of his estate to his alma mater the University of Michigan for the establishment of the Avery Hopwood and Jule Hopwood Creative Writing Awards The bequest stipulated It is especially desired that students competing for prizes shall be allowed the widest possible latitude and that the new the unusual and the radical shall be especially encouraged Famous Hopwood award winners include Robert Hayden Marge Piercy Arthur Miller Betty Smith Lawrence Kasdan John Ciardi Mary Gaitskill Edmund White Nancy Willard Frank O Hara and Steve Hamilton The Great Bordello Edit Throughout his life Hopwood worked on a novel that he hoped would expose the strictures the commercial theater machine imposed on playwrights but the manuscript was never published Jack Sharrar recovered the manuscript for this novel in 1982 during his research for Avery Hopwood His Life and Plays The novel was published in July 2011 by Mondial Books New York as The Great Bordello a Story of the Theatre Works Edit WPA poster for Hopwood s 1922 play Why Men Leave Home WPA poster for Hopwood s 1923 play The Alarm Clock Clothes 1906 with Channing Pollock This Woman and This Man 1909 Seven Days 1909 with Mary Roberts Rinehart Judy Forgot 1910 Nobody s Widow 1910 Somewhere Else 1913 Fair and Warmer 1915 Remains popular in Germany Der Mustergatte and Scandinavia Grona hissen Sadie Love 1915 Our Little Wife 1916 Double Exposure 1918 Tumble In 1919 musical version of Seven Days The Gold Diggers 1919 The Girl in the Limousine 1919 with Wilson Collison Ladies Night 1920 with Charlton Andrews Spanish Love 1920 Adaptation of Maria del Carmen by Josep Feliu i Codina with Mary Roberts Rinehart The Bat 1920 with Mary Roberts Rinehart Getting Gertie s Garter 1921 with Wilson Collison The Demi Virgin 1921 Why Men Leave Home 1922 Little Miss Bluebeard 1923 Adaptation of Kisasszony ferje by Gabor Dregely The Alarm Clock 1923 Adaptation of La Sonnette d alarme by Maurice Hennequin and Romain Coolus 10 The Best People 1924 with David Gray The Harem 1924 with Ernest Vajda Naughty Cinderella 1925 Adaptation of Pouche by Rene Peter and Henri Falk fr The Garden of Eden 1927 Adaptation of Der Garten Eden by Rudolf Bernauer and Rudolf Osterreicher Filmography EditClothes 1914 based on Clothes Judy Forgot 1915 based on Judy Forgot Our Little Wife 1918 based on Our Little Wife Sadie Love 1919 based on Sadie Love Fair and Warmer 1919 based on Fair and Warmer Guilty of Love 1920 based on This Woman and This Man Clothes 1920 based on Clothes The Little Clown 1921 based on The Little Clown The Gold Diggers 1923 based on The Gold Diggers Why Men Leave Home 1924 based on Why Men Leave Home The Girl in the Limousine 1924 based on The Girl in the Limousine Miss Bluebeard 1925 based on Little Miss Bluebeard The Best People 1925 based on The Best People The Bat 1926 based on The Bat Good and Naughty 1926 based on Naughty Cinderella Nobody s Widow 1927 based on Nobody s Widow Getting Gertie s Garter 1927 based on Getting Gertie s Garter The Garden of Eden 1928 based on The Garden of Eden Ladies Night in a Turkish Bath 1928 based on Ladies Night Gold Diggers of Broadway 1929 based on The Gold Diggers Her Wedding Night 1930 based on Little Miss Bluebeard Let s Get Married France 1931 based on Little Miss Bluebeard Su noche de bodas Spain 1931 based on Little Miss Bluebeard Ich heirate meinen Mann Germany 1931 based on Little Miss Bluebeard A Minha Noite de Nupcias Portugal 1931 based on Little Miss Bluebeard Fast and Loose 1930 based on The Best People The Bat Whispers 1930 based on The Bat This Is the Night 1932 based on Naughty Cinderella Gold Diggers of 1933 1933 based on The Gold Diggers Night of the Garter UK 1933 based on Getting Gertie s Garter The Model Husband Germany 1937 based on Fair and Warmer Unsere kleine Frau Germany 1938 based on Our Little Wife Mia moglie si diverte Italy 1938 based on Our Little Wife Grona hissen sv Sweden 1944 based on Fair and Warmer Getting Gertie s Garter 1945 based on Getting Gertie s Garter Painting the Clouds with Sunshine 1951 based on The Gold Diggers Oppat med Grona Hissen sv Sweden 1952 based on Fair and Warmer The Model Husband West Germany 1956 based on Fair and Warmer The Bat 1959 based on The Bat The Model Husband Switzerland 1959 based on Fair and Warmer Den gronne elevator da Denmark 1961 based on Fair and Warmer Den gronne heisen Norway 1981 based on Fair and Warmer References Edit Sharrar 1998 pp 8 9 Sharrar 1998 p 1 Sharrar 1998 pp 12 17 Jim Beaver Biography for Avery Hopwood at Internet Movie Database White 2014 pp 71 73 Sharrar 2005 p 201 Wilson Scott Resting Places The Burial Sites of More Than 14 000 Famous Persons 3d ed 2 Kindle Location 22102 McFarland amp Company Inc Publishers Kindle Edition Vigil Vicki Blum 2007 Cemeteries of Northeast Ohio Stones Symbols amp Stories Cleveland OH Gray amp Company ISBN 978 1 59851 025 6 Bader 1959 p 68 Comedy at His Majesty s Geelong Advertiser No 24855 Victoria Australia February 10 1927 p 9 Retrieved May 21 2022 via National Library of Australia Works cited Edit Bader Arno L December 5 1959 Avery Hopwood dramatist Quarterly Review A Journal of University Perspectives 66 10 60 68 Sharrar Jack F 1998 1989 Avery Hopwood His Life and Plays Ann Arbor Michigan University of Michigan Press ISBN 0 472 10963 4 OCLC 924828273 Sharrar Jack F 2005 Hopwood Avery In Harbin Billy J Marra Kim amp Schanke Robert A eds The Gay amp Lesbian Theatrical Legacy A Biographical Dictionary of Major Figures in American Stage History in the Pre Stonewall Era Ann Arbor Michigan University of Michigan Press pp 199 203 ISBN 0 472 09858 6 OCLC 56481825 White Edward 2014 The Tastemaker Carl Van Vechten and the Birth of Modern America New York Farrar Straus and Giroux ISBN 978 0 374 70881 8 OCLC 846545238 Further reading EditBroadway by Brooks Atkinson NY Macmillan Publishing Co 1974 Matinee Tomorrow by Ward Morehouse NY McGraw Hill Book Company 1948 Posing a Threat Flappers Chorus Girls and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s by Angela Latham Hanover and London Wesleyan University Press 2000 The Splendid Drunken Twenties Carl Van Vechten Selections from the Daybooks 1922 1930 Edited by Bruce Kellner Urbana and Chicago University of Illinois Press 2003 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avery Hopwood Works by Avery Hopwood at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Avery Hopwood at Internet Archive Works by Avery Hopwood at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Avery Hopwood at the Internet Broadway Database Avery Hopwood at IMDb Mary Roberts Rinehart at University of Pittsburgh digital library includes material on her collaboration with Hopwood Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Avery Hopwood amp oldid 1137894598, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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