George Middleton (October 27, 1880, in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Paul Kester and the novel's author,

George W. Cable George Washington Cable (October 12, 1844 – January 31, 1925) was an American novelist notable for the realism of his portrayals of Creole life in his native New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been called "the most important southern artist wor ...

. In 1911 he published ''Embers: And Other One-Act Plays''; it was among the earliest such collections published by an American. Middleton authored many one-act plays and was a known proponent of the form. He collaborated with

Guy Bolton Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred ...

several times. The comedy '' Polly With a Past'' (1917) was one of their successes, running for 315 performances and making a star of

Ina Claire Ina Claire (born Ina Fagan; October 15, 1893February 21, 1985) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Ina Fagan was born October 15, 1893 in Washington, D.C. After the death of her father, Claire began doing imitations of fellow bo ...

. A

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

was made in 1920, and in 1929 the stage musical ''Polly'' was based on it. In 1919 they had another success with ''Adam and Eva'', selected by theater critic

Burns Mantle Robert Burns Mantle (December 23, 1873February 9, 1948) was an American theater critic. He founded the ''Best Plays'' annual publication in 1920.Chansky, Dorothy (2011)"Burns Mantle and the American Theatregoing Public" in ''Theatre History Stu ...

as one of the best plays of 1919–1920. This play was also made into a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

. In addition to his original work, Middleton also translated French plays, and dramatized novels. He was an early crusader for the rights of playwrights and was instrumental in the creation of the Minimum Basic Agreement and the subsequent 1926 battle to get theatrical managers to agree to its terms. From 1927 to 1929 he was president of the Dramatists Guild of America. In 1947, he published a well-reviewed memoir, ''These Things are Mine''.

Personal

Middleton graduated from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1902. On October 29, 1911, Middleton married actress and suffragette Flora Dodge 'Fola' La Follette, the oldest child of U.S. Senator Robert Marion La Follette, Sr. of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

and

Belle Case La Follette Isabelle Case La Follette (April 21, 1859 – August 18, 1931) was a women's suffrage, peace, and civil rights activist in Wisconsin, United States. She worked with the Woman's Peace Party during World War I. At the time of her death in 19 ...

. His wife was the inspiration for his one-act play ''Tradition''.

References

External links

* * * * *
"The Neglected One-Act Play"pg. 2
Middleton's 1912 article in the ''New York Dramatic Mirror'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Middleton, George 1880 births 1967 deaths La Follette family Writers from Paterson, New Jersey Writers from New York City History of Wisconsin 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Columbia College (New York) alumni

Personal

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External links