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Garson Kanin

February 08, 2023

Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films.

Garson Kanin
Kanin and wife Ruth Gordon, 1946.
Born(1912-11-24)November 24, 1912
Rochester, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 13, 1999(1999-03-13) (aged 86)
New York City, U.S.[1]
Years active1939–1993
Spouse(s)Ruth Gordon
(1942–1985; her death)
Marian Seldes
(1990–1999; his death)
RelativesMichael Kanin (brother)

Early life

Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn, dropping out to take up a career on the theatre stage. He subsequently became a professional saxophone player and leader of his own band that went by the name Garson Kanin and His Red Hot Peppers. During this period, he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts pursuing an acting career. He was of Jewish descent.[2]

Stage career

Garson Kanin began his show-business career as a jazz musician, burlesque comedian, and actor. He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and made his Broadway debut in Little Ol' Boy (1933). In 1935, Kanin was cast in a George Abbott play and soon became Abbott's assistant. Kanin made his Broadway debut as a director in 1936, at the age of 24, with Hitch Your Wagon.

In 1945, Kanin directed Spencer Tracy in Tracy's first play in 15 years. Tracy had been through a dark patch personally, culminating with a stay in hospital, and Katharine Hepburn felt that a play would help restore his focus.[3] Tracy told a journalist in April, "I'm coming back to Broadway to see if I can still act." The play was The Rugged Path by Robert E. Sherwood, which first previewed in Providence, Rhode Island, on September 28, to a sold-out crowd and tepid response.[4]

The Rugged Path was a difficult production, with Kanin later writing, "In the ten days prior to the New York opening, all the important relationships had deteriorated. Spencer was tense and unbending, could not, or would not, take direction".[5] Tracy considered leaving the show before it even opened on Broadway,[6] and lasted there just six weeks before announcing his intention to close the show.[7] It closed on January 19, 1946, after 81 performances.[8] Tracy later explained to a friend: "I couldn't say those goddamn lines over and over and over again every night ... At least every day is a new day for me in films ... But this thing—every day, every day, over and over again."[9]

Kanin's 1946 play Born Yesterday, which he also directed, ran for 1,642 performances. After the draft turned in by the credited screenwriter, Albert Mannheimer proved unworkable an uncredited Kanin was brought in by Harry Cohn to adapt his play into the script used to shoot the 1950 film adaptation.[10] His other stage work includes directing The Diary of Anne Frank (1955), which ran for 717 performances, and the musical Funny Girl (1964), which ran for 1,348 performances. Kanin wrote and directed his last play, Peccadillo, in 1985, the same year he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.[11]

Film career

His first film as a director was A Man to Remember (1938), which The New York Times considered one of the 10 best films of 1938. Kanin was 26 at the time. His other directing credits include The Great Man Votes (1939), My Favorite Wife (1940), They Knew What They Wanted (1940), and Tom, Dick, and Harry (1941).

Kanin's Hollywood career was interrupted by the draft. He served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945. During this time, Kanin and Carol Reed co-directed General Dwight D. Eisenhower's official record of the Allied invasion, the Academy Award-winning documentary The True Glory (1945). During this time, he began writing what would become regarded by many as his greatest play, Born Yesterday.

Kanin's best-remembered screenplays, however, were written in collaboration with his wife, actress Ruth Gordon, whom he married in 1942. Together, they wrote many screenplays, including six that were directed by George Cukor. These included the Spencer Tracy - Katharine Hepburn film comedies Adam's Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952), as well as A Double Life (1947), starring Ronald Colman.

Television career

In the 1950s through the 1980s, Kanin adapted several of his stories and plays for television, most notably Mr. Broadway (1964), and Moviola (1980).

Kanin's best-selling novel Smash (1980), about the pre-Broadway tryout of a musical comedy, was inspired by his experience directing the 1964 musical Funny Girl and was adapted into the 2012 television series Smash.

Acquaintances and memorable sayings

He was a colleague of Thornton Wilder, who mentored him, and an admirer of the work of Frank Capra. Kanin said, "I'd rather be Capra than God, if there is a Capra." Kanin and Katharine Hepburn were the only witnesses to Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh's wedding in California on August 31, 1940. In 1941, Hepburn and he worked with his brother Michael Kanin and Ring Lardner, Jr., on the early drafts of what became Woman of the Year right before Garson enlisted in the army. He is also quoted as saying, "When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."

His most famous quote, from his hit play Born Yesterday, is on a New York City Public Library plaque on a 41st Street sidewalk: "I want everyone to be smart. As smart as they can be. A world of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in."

Preservation

The Academy Film Archive preserved Ring of Steel and Salut a La France (French-language version) by Garson Kanin.[12]

Personal life

Kanin was married to his frequent collaborator, Academy Award-winning actress Ruth Gordon from 1942 to her death in 1985. In 1990, he married stage actress Marian Seldes. Kanin died in 1999, age 86, of undisclosed causes.[13]

Selected publications

  • Remembering Mr. Maugham, with an introduction by Noël Coward, 1966.
  • Hollywood: Stars and Starlets, Tycoons, Moviemakers, Frauds, Hopefuls, Great Lovers. New York: Viking, 1974.
  • Tracy and Hepburn: An Intimate Memoir. New York: Viking, 1971.
  • It Takes a Long Time to Become Young. New York: Berkley, 1978

Novels

  • Blow Up a Storm
  • Do Re Mi
  • Moviola
  • Smash
  • The Rat Race
  • Where It's At
  • A Thousand Summers

Plays

  • Born Yesterday
  • The Smile of the World
  • The Rat Race
  • The Live Wire
  • Come on Strong

Musicals

Filmography

Bibliography

  • Curtis, James (2011). Spencer Tracy: A Biography. London: Hutchinson. ISBN 978-0-09-178524-6.

References

  1. ^ Garson Kanin, a Writer and Director of Classic Movies and Plays, Is Dead at 86
  2. ^ "KANIN, GARSON (1912–1999), U.S. playwright and director". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Curtis (2011) p. 517 for hospital stay; p. 512 for "Hepburn's strategy".
  4. ^ Curtis (2011) pp. 525–256.
  5. ^ Kanin (1971) p. 97.
  6. ^ Curtis (2011) p. 528.
  7. ^ Curtis (2011) p. 531.
  8. ^ Deschner (1972) p. 51.
  9. ^ Curtis (2011) p. 530.
  10. ^ Garson Kanin's Hollywood, p.326
  11. ^ "Broadway's Best". New York Times.
  12. ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
  13. ^ "Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon Agree That Disagreeing Keeps Them Together as Man and Wife." Levin, Eric. www.people.com. People Magazine. Published October 13, 1980. Accessed June 15, 2017.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garson Kanin.

February 08, 2023
garson, kanin, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, lead, section, short, adequately, summarize, points, please, consider, expanding, lead, pr. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article October 2014 This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Garson Kanin news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Garson Kanin November 24 1912 March 13 1999 was an American writer and director of plays and films Garson KaninKanin and wife Ruth Gordon 1946 Born 1912 11 24 November 24 1912Rochester New York U S DiedMarch 13 1999 1999 03 13 aged 86 New York City U S 1 Years active1939 1993Spouse s Ruth Gordon 1942 1985 her death Marian Seldes 1990 1999 his death RelativesMichael Kanin brother Contents 1 Early life 2 Stage career 3 Film career 4 Television career 5 Acquaintances and memorable sayings 6 Preservation 7 Personal life 8 Selected publications 9 Filmography 10 Bibliography 11 References 12 External linksEarly life EditGarson Kanin was born in Rochester New York his family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City He attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn dropping out to take up a career on the theatre stage He subsequently became a professional saxophone player and leader of his own band that went by the name Garson Kanin and His Red Hot Peppers During this period he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts pursuing an acting career He was of Jewish descent 2 Stage career EditGarson Kanin began his show business career as a jazz musician burlesque comedian and actor He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and made his Broadway debut in Little Ol Boy 1933 In 1935 Kanin was cast in a George Abbott play and soon became Abbott s assistant Kanin made his Broadway debut as a director in 1936 at the age of 24 with Hitch Your Wagon In 1945 Kanin directed Spencer Tracy in Tracy s first play in 15 years Tracy had been through a dark patch personally culminating with a stay in hospital and Katharine Hepburn felt that a play would help restore his focus 3 Tracy told a journalist in April I m coming back to Broadway to see if I can still act The play was The Rugged Path by Robert E Sherwood which first previewed in Providence Rhode Island on September 28 to a sold out crowd and tepid response 4 The Rugged Path was a difficult production with Kanin later writing In the ten days prior to the New York opening all the important relationships had deteriorated Spencer was tense and unbending could not or would not take direction 5 Tracy considered leaving the show before it even opened on Broadway 6 and lasted there just six weeks before announcing his intention to close the show 7 It closed on January 19 1946 after 81 performances 8 Tracy later explained to a friend I couldn t say those goddamn lines over and over and over again every night At least every day is a new day for me in films But this thing every day every day over and over again 9 Kanin s 1946 play Born Yesterday which he also directed ran for 1 642 performances After the draft turned in by the credited screenwriter Albert Mannheimer proved unworkable an uncredited Kanin was brought in by Harry Cohn to adapt his play into the script used to shoot the 1950 film adaptation 10 His other stage work includes directing The Diary of Anne Frank 1955 which ran for 717 performances and the musical Funny Girl 1964 which ran for 1 348 performances Kanin wrote and directed his last play Peccadillo in 1985 the same year he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame 11 Film career EditHis first film as a director was A Man to Remember 1938 which The New York Times considered one of the 10 best films of 1938 Kanin was 26 at the time His other directing credits include The Great Man Votes 1939 My Favorite Wife 1940 They Knew What They Wanted 1940 and Tom Dick and Harry 1941 Kanin s Hollywood career was interrupted by the draft He served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945 During this time Kanin and Carol Reed co directed General Dwight D Eisenhower s official record of the Allied invasion the Academy Award winning documentary The True Glory 1945 During this time he began writing what would become regarded by many as his greatest play Born Yesterday Kanin s best remembered screenplays however were written in collaboration with his wife actress Ruth Gordon whom he married in 1942 Together they wrote many screenplays including six that were directed by George Cukor These included the Spencer Tracy Katharine Hepburn film comedies Adam s Rib 1949 and Pat and Mike 1952 as well as A Double Life 1947 starring Ronald Colman Television career EditIn the 1950s through the 1980s Kanin adapted several of his stories and plays for television most notably Mr Broadway 1964 and Moviola 1980 Kanin s best selling novel Smash 1980 about the pre Broadway tryout of a musical comedy was inspired by his experience directing the 1964 musical Funny Girl and was adapted into the 2012 television series Smash Acquaintances and memorable sayings EditHe was a colleague of Thornton Wilder who mentored him and an admirer of the work of Frank Capra Kanin said I d rather be Capra than God if there is a Capra Kanin and Katharine Hepburn were the only witnesses to Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh s wedding in California on August 31 1940 In 1941 Hepburn and he worked with his brother Michael Kanin and Ring Lardner Jr on the early drafts of what became Woman of the Year right before Garson enlisted in the army He is also quoted as saying When your work speaks for itself don t interrupt His most famous quote from his hit play Born Yesterday is on a New York City Public Library plaque on a 41st Street sidewalk I want everyone to be smart As smart as they can be A world of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in Preservation EditThe Academy Film Archive preserved Ring of Steel and Salut a La France French language version by Garson Kanin 12 Personal life EditKanin was married to his frequent collaborator Academy Award winning actress Ruth Gordon from 1942 to her death in 1985 In 1990 he married stage actress Marian Seldes Kanin died in 1999 age 86 of undisclosed causes 13 Selected publications EditRemembering Mr Maugham with an introduction by Noel Coward 1966 Hollywood Stars and Starlets Tycoons Moviemakers Frauds Hopefuls Great Lovers New York Viking 1974 Tracy and Hepburn An Intimate Memoir New York Viking 1971 It Takes a Long Time to Become Young New York Berkley 1978Novels Blow Up a Storm Do Re Mi Moviola Smash The Rat Race Where It s At A Thousand SummersPlays Born Yesterday The Smile of the World The Rat Race The Live Wire Come on StrongMusicals Fledermaus Do Re MiFilmography EditThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items June 2019 A Man to Remember 1938 director Next Time I Marry 1938 director The Great Man Votes 1939 director Bachelor Mother 1939 director They Knew What They Wanted 1940 director My Favorite Wife 1940 director Tom Dick and Harry 1941 director The More the Merrier 1942 writer The True Glory 1945 director From This Day Forward 1946 writer A Double Life 1947 writer Adam s Rib 1949 writer Pat and Mike 1952 writer The Marrying Kind 1952 writer It Should Happen to You 1954 writer The Girl Can t Help It 1956 original story High Time 1960 original story The Rat Race 1960 writer Some Kind of a Nut 1968 writer director Where It s At 1969 writer directorBibliography EditCurtis James 2011 Spencer Tracy A Biography London Hutchinson ISBN 978 0 09 178524 6 References Edit Garson Kanin a Writer and Director of Classic Movies and Plays Is Dead at 86 KANIN GARSON 1912 1999 U S playwright and director Jewish Virtual Library Retrieved November 20 2020 Curtis 2011 p 517 for hospital stay p 512 for Hepburn s strategy Curtis 2011 pp 525 256 Kanin 1971 p 97 Curtis 2011 p 528 Curtis 2011 p 531 Deschner 1972 p 51 Curtis 2011 p 530 Garson Kanin s Hollywood p 326 Broadway s Best New York Times Preserved Projects Academy Film Archive Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon Agree That Disagreeing Keeps Them Together as Man and Wife Levin Eric www people com People Magazine Published October 13 1980 Accessed June 15 2017 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garson Kanin Biography portalGarson Kanin at IMDb Garson Kanin at the Internet Broadway Database Garson Kanin Official Website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Garson Kanin amp oldid 1137339273, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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