George Barr McCutcheon (July 26, 1866 – October 23, 1928) was an American popular
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...
and
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
. His best known works include a series of novels set in
Graustark
Graustark is a fictional country in Eastern Europe used as a setting for several novels by George Barr McCutcheon. Graustark's neighbors, which also figure in the stories, are Axphain to the north and Dawsbergen to the south.
Description
Gra ...
, a fictional East European country, and the novel ''
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
'', which was adapted into a play and several films.
Life
McCutcheon was born in
Tippecanoe County Tippecanoe may refer to several places or things in the United States:
* The 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe in Indiana
* A nickname for William Henry Harrison (U.S. President March 1841–April 1841) from his role in the battle
** Tippecanoe and Tyler t ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
. His father, despite his own lack of formal education, stressed the value of literature and encouraged his sons to write. During McCutcheon's childhood, his father had a number of jobs that required travel around the county. McCutcheon studied at
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...
and was a roommate of future humorist
George Ade
George Ade (February 9, 1866 – May 16, 1944) was an American writer, syndicated newspaper columnist, and playwright who gained national notoriety at the turn of the 20th century with his "Stories of the Streets and of the Town", a column that ...
. During his college years, he was editor of the newspaper '' Lafayette Daily Courier'' and wrote a serial novel of satire about
Wabash River
The Wabash River (French: Ouabache) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana in the United States. It flows from ...
life.
Although McCutcheon became famous for the ''
Graustark
Graustark is a fictional country in Eastern Europe used as a setting for several novels by George Barr McCutcheon. Graustark's neighbors, which also figure in the stories, are Axphain to the north and Dawsbergen to the south.
Description
Gra ...
'' series (the first novel was published in 1901), he disliked the characterization of being a Romantic and preferred to be identified with his playwriting.
He was the older brother of noted cartoonist
John T. McCutcheon
John Tinney McCutcheon (May 6, 1870 – June 10, 1949) was an American newspaper political cartoonist, war correspondent, combat artist, and author who won a Pulitzer Prize for his 1931 editorial cartoon, "A Wise Economist Asks a Question," and ...
and died in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
McCutcheon, along with a number of other Indiana authors of the same period, is considered to be part of the
Golden Age of Indiana Literature
The Golden Age of Indiana Literature is a period between 1880 and 1920, when many nationally and internationally acclaimed literary works were created by natives of the state of Indiana. During this time, many of the United States' most popular au ...
* ''Graustark: The Story of a Love Behind a Throne'' (1901),
* ''Beverly of Graustark'' (1904),
* ''Truxton King: A Story of Graustark'' (1909),
* ''The Prince of Graustark'' (1914),
* ''East of the Setting Sun'' (1924),
* ''The Inn of the Hawk and the Raven'' (1927)
Other novels
* ''
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
'' (1902),
* ''Castle Craneycrow'' (1902)
* ''The Sherrods'' (1903)
* '' The Day of the Dog'' (1904)
* ''The Purple Parasol'' (1905)
* ''
Nedra
The National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA), a Special Chapter of the Electric Auto Association, and exists to increase public awareness of electric vehicle (EV) performance and to encourage through competition, advances in electric vehi ...
'' (1905)
* '' Jane Cable'' (1906)
* ''Cowardice Court'' (1906)
* ''The Flyers'' (1907)
* ''The Daughter of Anderson Crow'' (1907)
*''The Husbands of Edith'' (1908)
*''The Man from Brodney's'' (1908)
*''The Alternative'' (1909)
* ''The Butterfly Man'' (1910)
*''The Rose in the Ring'' (1910)
*''Mary Midthorne'' (1911)
*''What's-His-Name'' (1911)
*''The Hollow of Her Hand'' (1912)
*''A Fool and His Money'' (1913)
*''Black is White'' (1914)
*''Her Weight in Gold'' (1914)
' (1915)
*''From the Housetops'' (1916)
*''The Light that Lies'' (1916)
*''Green Fancy'' (1917)
*''Shot with Crimson'' (1918)
*''The City of Masks'' (1918)
*''Sherry'' (1919)
*''Anderson Crow, Detective'' (1920)
*''West Wind Drift'' (1920)
*''Quill's Window'' 1921
*''Viola Gwyn'' (1922)
*''Yollop'' (1922)
*''Oliver October'' (1923)
*''Romeo in Moon Village'' (1925)
*''Kindling and Ashes'' (1926)
*''Blades'' (1928)
*''The Merivales'' (1929)
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
The Circus Man
''The Circus Man'' is a 1914 silent film produced by Jesse Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Oscar Apfel and written by Cecil B. DeMille from a story based on the novel ''The Rose in the Ring'' by George Barr McCutc ...
'' (dir. Oscar Apfel, 1914)
*' (1915, short film)
*''
Graustark
Graustark is a fictional country in Eastern Europe used as a setting for several novels by George Barr McCutcheon. Graustark's neighbors, which also figure in the stories, are Axphain to the north and Dawsbergen to the south.
Description
Gra ...
Edward José
Edward José (5 July 1865 – 18 December 1930) was a Belgian film director and actor of the silent era. He directed 42 films between 1915 and 1925. He also performed in 12 films between 1910 and 1916.The Prince of Graustark'' (dir. Fred E. Wright, 1916)
*''
In the Hollow of Her Hand
contemporary advert
''In the Hollow of Her Hand'' is a lost 1918 American silent mystery drama film directed by Charles Maigne and starring Alice Brady. It was produced and distributed by the Select Pictures Corporation.
Cast
* Alice Brady as ...
'' (dir.
Charles Maigne
Charles Maigne (November 11, 1879 – November 28, 1929) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era. He wrote for 32 films between 1916 and 1928. He also directed 18 films between 1918 and 1923. He was born in Richmon ...
, 1918)
*''
The Mystery Girl
''The Mystery Girl'' is a lost 1918 American drama silent film directed by William C. deMille and written by Marion Fairfax and George Barr McCutcheon. The film stars Ethel Clayton, Henry Woodward, Clarence Burton, Charles West, Winter Hall a ...
'' (dir.
William C. deMille
William Churchill deMille (July 25, 1878 – March 5, 1955), also spelled de Mille or De Mille, was an American screenwriter and film director from the silent film era through the early 1930s. He was also a noted playwright prior to moving into ...
Black Is White
''Black Is White'' is a 1920 American silent drama film starring Dorothy Dalton and directed by Charles Giblyn. It was produced by Thomas H. Ince and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The movie is based on a novel, ''Black is White'', by Geor ...
'' (dir.
Charles Giblyn
Charles Giblyn (September 6, 1871 – March 14, 1934) was an American film director and actor of the silent era. He directed nearly 100 films between 1912 and 1927. He also appeared in 23 films between 1914 and 1934. He was one of the found ...
The Butterfly Man
''The Butterfly Man'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Ida May Park, starring Lew Cody, Louise Lovely, and Lila Leslie, and produced by Louis J. Gasnier.Codori, p. 116.
Cast
* Lew Cody as Sedgewick Blynn
* Louise Lovely as Be ...
'' (dir.
Ida May Park
Ida May Park (December 28, 1879 – June 13, 1954) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era, in the early 20th century. She wrote for more than 50 films between 1914 and 1930, and directed 14 films between 1917 and 192 ...
, 1920)
*''Sherry'' (dir.
Edgar Lewis
Edgar Henry Mead Lewis (12 February 1902 – 26 April 1992) was an Australian politician who was a Country Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1958 to 1974, representing the seat of Moore.
Lewis was born in Fr ...
, 1920)
*''
The City of Masks
''The City of Masks'' is a lost 1920 silent film comedy drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Thomas N. Heffron and starred stage star Robert Warwick.
Cast
*Robert Warwick as Tommy ...
'' (dir.
Thomas N. Heffron
Thomas N. Heffron (June 13, 1872 – May 24, 1951) was a screenwriter, actor, and a director. He was born in Nevada, He worked as an attorney and danced in vaudeville before he began his career in film with Thanhousr in 1911, eventually landing ...
, 1920)
*''
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
'' (dir.
Joseph Henabery
Joseph Henabery (January 15, 1888 – February 18, 1976) of Omaha, Nebraska, was a film actor, screenplay writer, and director in the United States. He is best known for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in D.W. Griffith's controversial 1915 sile ...
Jerome Storm
Jerome Storm (November 11, 1890 – July 10, 1958) was an American film director, actor, and writer. He acted in 48 films between 1914 and 1941 and directed 47 films between 1918 and 1932. He was born in Denver, Colorado, and died in Desert ...
, 1923)
*''
The Prisoner
''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
The Man from Brodney's
''The Man from Brodney's'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by David Smith and starring J. Warren Kerrigan, Alice Calhoun, and Wanda Hawley. It was produced and released by the Vitagraph Company of America.
Plot
As described in a ...
Erle C. Kenton
Erle C. Kenton (August 1, 1896 – January 28, 1980) was an American film director. Kenton was director of B films, with his most famous film being '' Island of Lost Souls'' starring Charles Laughton.
Biography
Prior to filmwork, Kenton wa ...
, 1925)
*''
Graustark
Graustark is a fictional country in Eastern Europe used as a setting for several novels by George Barr McCutcheon. Graustark's neighbors, which also figure in the stories, are Axphain to the north and Dawsbergen to the south.
Description
Gra ...
Clarence G. Badger
Clarence G. Badger (June 9, 1880 – June 17, 1964) was an American film director of feature films in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. His films include '' It'' and ''Red Hair'', more than a dozen features and shorts starring Will Rogers, and two feat ...
, 1926)
*''
Beverly of Graustark
''Beverly of Graustark'' is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin and starring Marion Davies, Antonio Moreno, and Creighton Hale. The film's screenplay was written by Agnes Christine Johnston based on the nove ...
Erle C. Kenton
Erle C. Kenton (August 1, 1896 – January 28, 1980) was an American film director. Kenton was director of B films, with his most famous film being '' Island of Lost Souls'' starring Charles Laughton.
Biography
Prior to filmwork, Kenton wa ...
, 1930), uncredited
*''
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
'' (dir.
Thornton Freeland
Thornton Freeland (February 10, 1898 – May 22, 1987) was an American film director who directed 26 British and American films in a career that lasted from 1924 to 1949.
Early success
He was born in Hope, North Dakota in 1898 and originally wor ...
, UK, 1935)
*''
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
'' (dir.
Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, wa ...
, 1945)
*''
Three on a Spree
''Three on a Spree'' is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Jack Watling, Carole Lesley and John Slater. It is based on the 1902 novel ''Brewster's Millions'' by George Barr McCutcheon, which became the hit 19 ...
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
'' (dir.
Walter Hill
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...