Catherine Chisholm Cushing (April 15, 1874 — October 19, 1952) was an American writer of songs, librettos, and plays, best known for her 1916 stage adaptation of

Eleanor H. Porter Eleanor Emily Hodgman Porter (December 19, 1868 – May 21, 1920) was an American novelist, most known for ''Pollyanna'' (1913) and ''Just David'' (1916). Biography Eleanor Emily Hodgman was born in Littleton, New Hampshire, on December 19, 1 ...

's ''

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter's soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, known ...

''.

Early life

Catherine Chisholm was born in

Mount Perry, Ohio Mount Perry is an unincorporated community in northern Madison Township, Perry County, Ohio, United States, northeast of Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , esta ...

. She attended the

Pennsylvania College for Women Chatham University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally founded as a women's college, it began enrolling men in undergraduate programs in 2015. It enrolls about 2,110 students, including 1,002 undergraduate students an ...

in Pittsburgh."Mrs. C. C. Cushing, Author of Plays" ''New York Times'' (October 21, 1952): 29. via

ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...

Career

Cushing started her literary career as an editor at '' Harper's Bazaar'', before finding success as a writer on Broadway. Her first show, ''The Real Thing'' (1911), was a comedy that ran for sixty performances and starred Henrietta Crosman and Minnie Dupree. This was followed by her ''Widow by Proxy'' (1913) with

May Irwin May Irwin (born Georgina May Campbell; June 27, 1862 – October 22, 1938) was an actress, singer and star of vaudeville. Originally from Canada, she and her sister Flo Irwin found theater work after their father died. She was known for her per ...

, ''Kitty MacKay'' (1914), ''Sari'' (1914, book by Cushing and Eugene Percy Heath), ''Jerry'' (1914) starring

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

, ''Pollyanna'' (1916, based on the book by Eleanor H. Porter), ''Glorianna'' (1918-1919, a musical based on Cushing's own ''Widow by Proxy''), ''Lassie'' (1920, a musical version of ''Kitty MacKay''), ''Marjolaine'' (1922), ''Topsy and Eva'' (1924-1925, a burlesque based loosely on ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

''), ''Edgar Allan Poe'' (1925), and ''The Master of the Inn'' (1925-1926, based on a book by Robert Herrick). Film adaptations of plays or stories by Cushing include ''Kitty MacKay'' (1917), ''

Widow by Proxy ''Widow by Proxy'' is a 1919 American silent romantic comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on a 1913 Broadway play by Catherine Chisholm Cushing that starred May Irwin. Julia Crawford Iver ...

'' (1919) starring Marguerite Clark, ''Pollyanna'' (1920) starring

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

, '' Don't Call Me Little Girl'' (1921) starring Mary Miles Minter, '' Topsy and Eva'' (1927) starring

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and Vivian Duncan, and ''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547, ...

'' (1937, based on the book by

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

). Songs by Cushing included "L'amour, toujours, l'amour" (1922, music by Rudolf Friml), which was on several film soundtracks, and ""Love's Own Sweet Song (Sari Waltz)" (1947). Her ''Topsy and Eva'' was among the first American musicals adapted for early television; a one-hour version aired in July 1939. "Possibly because the program was so racist, history has chosen to forget this broadcast," commented one historian of television.

Personal life

Catherine Chisholm married Henry Howard Cushing in 1904. She was widowed in 1937 and died in New York in 1952, aged 78 years."Mrs. Catherine Cushing, Playwright, Lyricist Dies"
''Los Angeles Times'' (October 21, 1952): 18. via Newspapers.com

References

External links

* *
Sheet music for "Love, Love, Love!"
from ''Glorianna'' (1918), lyrics by Catherine Chisholm Cushing and music by Rudolf Friml; in the Digital Commons collection, University of Maine {{DEFAULTSORT:Cushing, Catherine Chisholm 1874 births 1952 deaths American women writers Chatham University alumni