Mary Manning Howe Adams (30 June 1905 – 25 June 1999) was an Irish novelist, playwright and film critic. She lived and worked both in Dublin, Ireland and in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There she married and had a family. She was one of the founders in 1950 of The Poets' Theatre in Cambridge.

Biography

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Mary Manning got her theatre training in

Sara Allgood Sarah Ellen Allgood (30 October 1880 – 13 September 1950), known as Sara Allgood, was an Irish-American actress. She first studied drama with the Irish nationalist Daughters of Ireland and was at the opening of the Irish National Theatre So ...

's teaching class in the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre (), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland () is a theatre in Dublin, Ireland. First opening to the public on 27 December 1904, and moved from its original building after a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the p ...

. She had gone to school in Morehampton House and

Alexandra College Alexandra College () is an independent day and boarding school for girls in Milltown, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under a Church of Ireland ethos. History The school was founded in 1866 and takes its name from Princess Alexandra of ...

, Dublin. She also worked as a writer for the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

. She adapted the short story " Guests of the Nation" for a film directed by

Denis Johnston (William) Denis Johnston (18 June 1901 – 8 August 1984) was an Irish writer. Born in Dublin, he wrote mostly plays, but also works of literary criticism, a book-length biographical essay of Jonathan Swift, a memoir and an eccentric work on c ...

. Manning also helped found the Dublin Film Society in 1930. In this society she co-founded Irish Amateur Films. Mary led this group and they were able to produce four films in 1930. She worked as a film critic and co-founded the Gate Theatre arts magazine ''Motley'' in 1932. In 1935 Manning moved to Boston, Massachusetts. There she later met and married lawyer Mark De Wolfe Howe, who had clerked for Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. When married to him, Mary continued to work by writing plays and three novels. After World War II, Mark De Wolfe Howe became part of the faculty at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

, his alma mater, and the official biographer of Justice Holmes. The couple had three daughters:

Susan Susan is a feminine given name, the usual English version of Susanna or Susannah. All are versions of the Hebrew name Shoshana, which is derived from the Hebrew ''shoshan'', meaning ''lotus flower'' in Egyptian, original derivation, and severa ...

, Fanny, and Helen.

Susan Howe Susan Howe (born June 10, 1937) is an American poet, scholar, essayist, and critic, who has been closely associated with the Language poets, among other poetry movements.

became a poet, scholar and critic. In the summer of 1936, Mary Manning had a brief affair with Samuel Beckett, which led to a rumour that he was the biological father of her eldest daughter, Susan. Susan Howe herself has stated that DNA tests show Beckett was not her father.

Fanny Howe Fanny Howe (born October 15, 1940, in Buffalo, New York) is an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Howe has written more than 20 books of poetry and prose. Her major works include poetry ...

also achieved notability as a poet. Manning continued her creative activities beyond the family. During World War II, she worked as drama director at

Radcliffe College Radcliffe College was a Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1879. In 1999, it was fully incorporated into Harvard Colle ...

. In 1950 Manning was among the founders of The Poets' Theatre in Cambridge. Massachusetts. Others included poets and writers

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...

William Carlos Williams William Carlos Williams (September 17, 1883 – March 4, 1963) was an American poet and physician closely associated with modernism and imagism. His '' Spring and All'' (1923) was written in the wake of T. S. Eliot's '' The Waste Land'' (1922). ...

Edward Gorey Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925 – April 15, 2000) was an Americans, American writer, Tony Awards, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and artist, noted for his own illustrated books as well as cover art and illustration for book ...

, and

Alison Lurie Alison Stewart Lurie (September 3, 1926December 3, 2020) was an American novelist and academic. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1984 novel ''Foreign Affairs''. Although better known as a novelist, she wrote many non-fiction books ...

. It was one of the first places in the United States to host performances of poetry. In 1953 it held the premiere of

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...

's ''

Under Milkwood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The BBC commissioned the play, which was later adapted for the stage. The first public reading was in New York City in 1953. A film version of the same name, directed by ...

''. The theatre flourished until 1962, when the building burned down. It was later revived in the 1980s, running to 2004; and has been revived again in the 21st century, with a non-profit set up in 2023 and the first performances held. After her husband Mark died in 1967, Manning returned to Dublin. She lived in

Monkstown, County Dublin Monkstown (), historically known as ''Carrickbrennan'' (), is a suburb on the southside, Dublin, southside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. It is on the coast, between Blackrock, Dublin, Blackrock an ...

for another ten years. During this time Manning wrote reviews, essays and criticism for various publications, such as ''Hibernia'', ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'', and ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

''. She returned to the US in the late 1970s to live again in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

s. After Manning returned to the US, she married Faneuil Adams of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Massachusetts in 1980. Manning died on 27 June 1999, at the age of 93 years old. She died at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ireland's two waves of silent film

From 1914 to 1926, Ireland had numerous new films being produced, largely in the genres of historical melodramas and romantic comedies. Following this, the period of 1930 to 1935 was when a second wave of silent films were produced that were intended to be less cliched. The films were more experimental and dealt less with the commercial appeals of the first wave. There's minimal information on how Manning contributed to the second wave, but she was said to have a role in producing five of the six films released during that period. Prior to her career as a writer and filmmaker, Mary Manning worked as a film critic throughout the 1920s and '30s. She worked as a film critic for the ''

Irish Statesman The ''Irish Statesman'' was a weekly journal promoting the views of the Irish Dominion League. It ran from 27 June 1919 to June 1930, edited by Warre B. Wells, assisted by James Winder Good, and with contributions from W. B. Yeats, George Bern ...

'' for a year until it went out of business. She was known to disapprove of Hollywood's "unimaginable stories and its stereotypical portrayal of Ireland and the Irish".

Bibliography

Writings

* Adams, Bernard. ''Denis Johnston: A Life''. Dublin: Lilliput, 2002. * Advertisement. ''Irish Times'' (20 August 1930): 6. * ''Irish Times'' (23 August 1930): 6. * ''Irish Times'' (26 August 1930): 6. * ''Irish Independent'' (23 August 1930): 8. * ''Irish Independent'' (26 August 1930): 6. * Barton, Ruth. ''Irish National Cinema''. New York: Routledge, 2004. * Casella, Donna R. “Women and Nationalism in Indigenous Irish Filmmaking of the Silent Period.” In ''Researching Women in Silent Cinema: New Findings and Perspectives''. Eds. Monica Dall’Asta, Victoria Duckett, and Lucia Tralli. Bologna: University of Bologna, 2013. 53–80. * “From Lantern to Slide Show.” ''Memories in Focus''. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Dublin. 27 April 1995. Television. IED, RTÉ. * Howe, Fanny. Personal Interview. 10 July 2015. * Howe, Susan. Personal Interview. 11 June 2015. * "Irish Amateur Films." ''Irish Times.'' (26 August 1930): 6. * “Irish Amateur Film Society.” ''Dublin Evening Mail'' (30 August 1930): 2. * “Irish Productions Find Their Feet.” ''Memories in Focus''. Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Dublin. 4 May 1995. Television. IED, RTÉ. * "Irish Girl Makes Film Name.” ''The Sunday Chronicle'' (6 July 1930): n.p. Norris Davidson file, Liam O’Laoghaire Archives. NLI * “Irish Playwright – Critic – Novelist Mary Manning Adams is Dead at 93. Obit. ''Playbill.'' 1 July 1999. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/irish-playwright-critic-novelist-mary-manning-adams-is-dead-at-93-82864 * Johnston, Denis. “3rd Omnibus X Book.” Denis Johnston Papers (MS 10066/181/95/194). TC * Manning, Mary. "Dublin-Cum-Elstree." ''Irish Statesman'' (30 November 1929): 254–56. * "The Fairchild Family at the Films.” ''Motley'' (November 1933): 12–14. * "Hail Veidt!" ''Motley'' (March 1933): 10–12. * “Mary Manning.” In ''Enter Certain Players'': ''Edwards-MacLiammóir and the Gate 1928-1978''. Ed. Peter Luke. Dublin: Dolmen Press 1978. 35–39. * "A Silent Interlude." ''Irish Statesman'' (28 September 1929): 72–73. * "The Voice of Ireland." ''Motley'' (February 1933): 14–15. * "What is the Wild West Saying?” ''Irish Statesman'' (22 February 1930): 496–98. * "Why Not a Repertory Cinema?" ''Motley'' (September 1932): 14–15. * “Mark de Wolfe Howe Dies; Lawyer, Historian Was 60.” Obit. ''The Harvard Crimson.'' (1 March 1967) http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1967/3/1/mark-de-wolfe-howe-dies-lawyer/ * “Mary M. Adams, 93; Irish Novelist and Playwright.” Obit. ''The Boston Globe'' (27 June 1999): 7. * “Mary Manning Howe Adams.” Obit. ''Irish Times'' (8 July 1999): 19. * “Producing Films in Ireland.” ''Irish Independent'' (26 August 1930): 10. * Programme, ''Guests of the Nation.'' 16 March 1960. ''Guests of the Nation'' clippings file. IED-TML * Rockett, Kevin. “Part One: History, Politics and Irish Cinema.” In Kevin Rockett, Luke Gibbons and John Hill, ''Cinema and Ireland''. London: Croom Helm, 1988. 1–126. * Rockett, Kevin and Emir Rockett. ''Irish Film and Television Research Online.'' 15 March 2012. http://www.tcd.ie/irishfilm/ * Trotter, Mary. ''Ireland’s National Theaters: Political Performance and the Origins of the Irish Dramatic Movement''. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2001.

Filmography

* A. Archival Filmography: Extant Film Titles: * 1. Mary Manning as Actress, Adapter, Company Co-founder, and Miscellaneous Crew ''By Accident''. Dir.: J. N. G. (Norris) Davidson, asst. dir./casting: Mary Manning, sc.: Norris Davidson (Irish Amateur Films IE 1930) cas.: C. Clarke-Clifford, Olive Purcell, Mary Manning, Paul Farrell, si, b&w, 16mm. Archive: IED, RTÉ. * 2. Mary Manning as Adapter, Company Co-founder and Miscellaneous Crew ''Guests of the Nation''. Dir.: Denis Johnston, adp./props: Mary Manning (Denis Johnston Productions IE 1935) cas.: Barry Fitzgerald, Frank Toolin, Cyril Jackson, Charles Maher, Georgina Roper, Fred Johnson, Shelah Richards, Cyril Cusack, Hilton Edwards, si, b&w, 35mm. Archive: IED, GBB. * 3. Mary Manning as Company Co-founder and Miscellaneous Crew ''Screening in the Rain''. Cam.: J. N. G. (Norris) Davidson, misc. crew: Mary Manning (Irish Amateur Films IE 1930) cas.: Mary O’Moore, Grace McLoughlin, Judge Johnston, Lord Longford, Hilton Edwards, Micheál MacLiamóir, si, b&w (tinted), 16mm. Archive: IED, RTÉ. * B. Filmography: Not Extant Film Titles: * 1. Mary Manning as Director and Company Co-founder ''Bank Holiday,'' 1930. * 2. Mary Manning as Company Co-founder and Miscellaneous Crew ''Pathetic Gazette,'' 1930.

Plays

* ''Go, Lovely Rose'' * ''Youth's The Season...?'' (Published in ''Plays of Changing Ireland'', edited by Curtis Canfield ew York: Macmillan, 1936) * ''Storm over Wicklow'' * ''Happy Family'' * ''The Voice of Shem: Passages from Finnegans Wake Freely Adapted for the Theatre'' (London: Faber & Faber, 1958)

Books

* ''Mount Venus'' * ''Lovely People'' * ''The Last Chronicles of Ballyfungus''