Roi Cooper Megrue (June 12, 1882 – February 27, 1927) was an American playwright, producer, and director active on Broadway from 1914 to 1921.

Biography

Roi Cooper Megrue was born on June 12, 1882, in New York City, the son of the son of Frank Newton Megrue, a stockbroker, and Stella Georgiana Cooper. He attended

Trinity School (New York City) Trinity School (also known as Trinity) is a highly selective independent, preparatory, co-educational day school for grades K–12 located in the Upper West Side neighborhood in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, United States, a ...

and graduated (A.B.) in 1903 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 Manha ...

, where he engaged in college theatricals. He wrote the libretto for ''The Isle of Illusia'', an all-male operetta that included a caricature of

Clyde Fitch Clyde Fitch (May 2, 1865 – September 4, 1909) was an American dramatist, the most popular writer for the Broadway stage of his time (c. 1890–1909). Biography Born in Elmira, New York, and educated at Holderness School and Amherst College (c ...

, of whom Megrue became a close friend. At Columbia he met, and became a friend, of future Broadway actor

Ralph Morgan Raphael Kuhner Wuppermann (July 6, 1883 – June 11, 1956), known professionally as Ralph Morgan, was a Hollywood stage and film character actor, and the older brother of Frank Morgan. Early life Morgan was born in New York City, the ei ...

. Cooper worked with

Elisabeth Marbury Elisabeth "Bessie" Marbury (June 19, 1856 – January 22, 1933) was a pioneering American theatrical and literary agent and producer who helped shape business methods of the modern commercial theater, and encouraged women to enter that industry. ...

as a play broker before starting his career as playwright. He had a key role in the

Dramatists Guild The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market. Membership as an Associate Member is open to any person having written at least one stage play. Active Me ...

. In 1917 he co-produced the first Pulitzer Prize-winner, ''

Why Marry? ''Why Marry?'' is a 1917 play written by American playwright Jesse Lynch Williams. It won the first Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1918. Productions ''Why Marry?'' premiered on Broadway at the Astor Theatre on December 25, 1917 and closed on April ...

''. The 1921 play ''Honors Are Even'' is Megrue's final Broadway credit; the play was not well received by

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

, who said it was sweet, clean, wholesome and... dull. His last work was the 1925 adaptation of ''Venice for Two'' from the French play by

Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French actor, Lucien Guitry, and follo ...

. He never married and died on February 27, 1927, in New York City. According to the obituary on ''Variety'', his "affectionate relationship with his mother was epic" and they shared an artistically furnished apartment. He is buried at

Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and a designated National Historic Landmark. Located south of Woodlawn Heights, Bronx, New York City, it has the character of a rural cemetery. Woodlawn Cemetery opened during ...

with his mother. The Roi Cooper Megrue Scholarship is awarded annually to a self-supporting student in Columbia College who, in the opinion of the Trustees, merits the award because of qualities of industry, ambition and intelligence.

Career

The 1912 play ''White Magic'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and

David Graham Phillips David Graham Phillips (October 31, 1867 – January 24, 1911) was an American novelist and journalist of the muckraker tradition. Early life Phillips was born in Madison, Indiana. After graduating from high school, Phillips entered Asbury ...

and produced Liebler & Co. It opened at the

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...

on 24 January 1912. It closed in February 1912 after 21 performances. It starred Florence Brian, Ruth Chester, Charles Dowd,

Gertrude Elliott Gertrude Elliott (December 14, 1874 — December 24, 1950), later Lady Forbes-Robertson, was an American stage actress, part of an extended family of theatre professionals including her husband, Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, and her elder sist ...

, Ben Johnson,

George Le Guere George Le Guere (born George Le Guere Mullally; July 17, 1881 – November 21, 1947) was an American stage and screen actor, he was sometimes credited as George LeGuere. Biography Le Guere was a graduate of Georgetown University and later wo ...

Julian L'Estrange Julian L'Estrange (born Julian Boyle; 6 August 1880 – 22 October 1918) was an English-born stage actor who later made a handful of silent films for Paramount Pictures. He married fellow performer Constance Collier at All Saints Church in Lond ...

, Suzanne Perry, Alexander Scott-Gatty, Suzanne Sheldon. File:David Graham Phillips.jpg,

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The 1912 play ''An Unlucky Star'' (1-act) was written by Roi Cooper Megrue. The 1913 play ''The Neglected Lady'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced on Broadway. The 1914 farce '' It Pays to Advertise'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and

Walter Hackett Walter C. Hackett (November 10, 1876 – January 20, 1944) was an American-British playwright. Biography Several of his stage works (such as ''Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure'', ''The Freedom of the Seas'', ''The Regeneration'', ''Hyde Park Corne ...

. It opened at the Cohan Theatre on 8 September 1914Megrue and Hackett (1917), p. 3 and ran for nearly a year. It opened at the

Bronx Opera House The Bronx Opera House is a former theater, part of the Subway Circuit, now converted into a boutique hotel in the Bronx, New York It was designed by George M. Keister and built in 1913 at 436 East 149th Street on the site of Frederick Schnaufer's ...

on 20 September 1915 produced by Cohan & Harris. The playwrights substantially rewrote the play for a new production in London by the actor-manager

Tom Walls Thomas Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the 1920s and for starring in and directing the film adapt ...

, at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in the ...

. It opened on 2 February 1924 and closed on 10 July 1925, a total of 598 performances. The 1919 (now lost) silent drama movie '' It Pays to Advertise'' was directed by

Donald Crisp Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ...

and written by

Elmer Blaney Harris Elmer Blaney Harris (January 11, 1878 – September 6, 1966) was an American author, dramatist, and playwright. Biography Harris was born in Chicago, Illinois as the youngest of eight children. He moved with his family to Oakland, Califor ...

. The film stars

Bryant Washburn Franklin Bryant Washburn III (April 28, 1889 – April 30, 1963) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 370 films between 1911 and 1947. Washburn's parents were Franklin Bryant Washburn II and Metha Catherine Johnson Washburn. He a ...

, Lois Wilson,

Frank Currier Frank Currier (September 4, 1857 – April 22, 1928) was an American film and stage actor and director of the silent era. Career Similar to Theodore Roberts, Kate Lester, Ida Waterman, and William H. Crane, Currier had a long and suc ...

Walter Hiers Walter Hiers (July 18, 1893 – February 27, 1933) was an American silent film actor. Biography Born in 1893, during his two decade-long acting career spanning from 1912 to 1932, Hiers acted in 101 films. He was a particularly prolific actor w ...

, Clarence Geldart, and

Julia Faye Julia Faye Maloney (September 24, 1892 – April 6, 1966), known professionally as Julia Faye, was an American actress of silent and sound films. She was known for her appearances in more than 30 Cecil B. DeMille productions. Her various roles ...

. The film was released on November 23, 1919, by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. It was remade in 1931 starring

Norman Foster Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

and

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard ...

, and directed by

Frank Tuttle Frank Wright Tuttle (August 6, 1892 – January 6, 1963) was a Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 (''The Cradle Buster'') to 1959 (''Island of Lost Women''). Biography Frank Tuttle was educated at Yale University ...

. File:Donald Crisp as Grant 1915.jpg,

File:Bryant Washburn.lowrey.jpg,

File:LoisWilson.jpg, Lois Wilson File:Frank Currier 1921.jpg,

File:Walter_Hiers.jpg,

The 1915 play ''Under Cover'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by Selwyn & Co. It opened at the

Cort Theatre The James Earl Jones Theatre, originally the Cort Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 138 West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. It was built in ...

on 26 August 1914 directed by Roi Cooper Megrue and closed in June 1915 after 349 performances. It starred

Lily Cahill Lily Cahill (July 17, 1888 – July 20, 1955) was an American stage and screen actress. Early life Lily Cahill was born July 17, 1888 in San Antonio, Texas. She was the granddaughter of Confederate Army Colonel John Jacob Myers. Career She bega ...

William Courtenay William Courtenay ( 134231 July 1396) was Archbishop of Canterbury (1381–1396), having previously been Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London. Early life and education Courtenay was a younger son of Hugh de Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devo ...

, Harry Crosby, Wilfred Draycott, Lola Fisher,

Phoebe Foster Phoebe Foster (born Angeline Egar; July 9, 1896 – June 1975) was an American theater and film actress. Career Foster studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She began appearing on Broadway in 1914, starting with a production of Roi ...

DeWitt Jennings DeWitt Clarke Jennings (June 21, 1871 – March 1, 1937) was an American film and stage actor. He appeared in 17 Broadway plays between 1906 and 1920, and in more than 150 films between 1915 and 1937. Biography He was born in Cameron, Miss ...

, John May,

, Rae Selwyn, George Stevens,

Lucile Watson Lucile Watson (May 27, 1879 – June 24, 1962) was a Canadian actress, long based in the United States. She was "famous for her roles of formidable dowagers." Early years Watson was born in Quebec and raised in Ottawa, the daughter of an offi ...

, Jay Wilson. It opened at the

on 27 September 1915. The 1916 (now lost) silent drama movie ''

Under Cover ''Under Cover'' is the ninth solo studio album by English heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. The album consists entirely of cover songs, with an emphasis on rock music from the 1960s and 1970s. This is Osbourne's first and only album to fe ...

'' was directed by

Robert G. Vignola Robert G. Vignola (born Rocco Giuseppe Vignola, August 7, 1882 – October 25, 1953) was an Italian- American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later mo ...

and written by Doty Hobart and Roi Cooper Megrue. The film stars

Hazel Dawn Hazel Dawn (born Henrietta Hazel Tout; March 23, 1890 – August 28, 1988) was an American stage, film and television actress, and violinist. She was born to a Mormon family in Utah, and studied music in Europe where her father was a missionary. ...

Owen Moore Owen Moore (12 December 1886 – 9 June 1939) was an Irish-born American actor, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937. Early life and career Moore was born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland. Along with his ...

William Courtleigh Jr. William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. (March 8, 1892 – March 13, 1918) was an American silent film actor whose career was cut short after he fell victim to the 1918 flu pandemic. Early years William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York ...

, Ethel Fleming,

Frank Losee Frank Losee (June 12, 1856 – November 14, 1937) was an American stage and screen actor. A veteran of the Broadway stage he began in silent films in 1915. Often he played the father of Mary Pickford, Pauline Frederick and Marguerite Clark. Car ...

, and

Ida Darling Ida Darling (February 23, 1880 – June 5, 1936) was an American actress of the stage and in silent motion pictures. Biography Darling was born in New York City. She performed on the New York stage for 40 years. During the 10 years she re ...

. The film was released on July 20, 1916, by

. File:Lily Cahill 1.jpg,

File:The Hunting of the Hawk.jpg,

File:Phoebe Foster in Vanity Fair March 1916.jpg,

File:DeWitt Jennings.jpg,

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The 1915 play ''Abe and Mawruss'' (or ''Potash and Perlmutter in Society'') was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and

Montague Glass Montague Marsden Glass (July 23, 1877 – February 3, 1934) was a British-American Jewish lawyer and writer of short stories, plays and film scripts. His greatest success came with the creation of his fictional duo Abe Potash and Morris ("Mawrus ...

and produced by

Albert H. Woods Albert Herman Woods (born Aladore Herman; January 3, 1870 – April 24, 1951) was a Hungarian-born theatrical producer who spent much of his life in the USA. He produced over 140 plays on Broadway, including some of the most successful sho ...

. It opened at the Lyric Theatre on 21 October 1915 and closed in April 1916.Kaufman, Julian M. (2003). "A. H. Woods, Producer: A Thrill a Minute, A Laugh a Second!". In Gewirtz, Arthur & Kolb, James J. (eds.). Art, Glitter, and Glitz: Mainstream Playwrights and Popular Theatre in 1920s America. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. p. 209–210. . OCLC 834126701 The 1915 play ''Under Fire'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by Selwyn & Co. It opened at the

Hudson Theatre The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built ...

on 11 September 1915 co-directed by

and Roi Cooper Megrue and closed in January 1916 after 129 performances. It starred Dorothy Abbott, Sydney Chon,

Frank Craven Frank Craven (August 24, 1875September 1, 1945) was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's ''Our Town''. Early years Craven's parents, John T ...

, Robert Fischer,

Violet Heming Violet Heming (27 January 1895 – 4 July 1981) was an English stage and screen actress. Her name sometimes appeared as Violet Hemming in newspapers. Biography Born Violet Hemming in Leeds, Yorkshire, she was the daughter of Alfred Hemmin ...

, Edward Hicks, Felix Krembs,

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

, McKay Morris,

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films durin ...

, Malise Sheridan,

Henry Stephenson Henry Stephenson (born Harry Stephenson Garraway; 16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956) was a British actor. He portrayed friendly and wise gentlemen in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles were Sir Joseph Banks in ''Mutiny on the Bou ...

, Norman Tharp, Harland Tucker, Jack Wessel. File:William Courtleigh, Jr..JPG,

File:Frank Craven.jpg,

File:Phoebe Foster in Vanity Fair March 1916.jpg,

File:Violet Heming.jpg,

File:Frank Morgan-publicity.JPG,

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The 1916 play ''

Seven Chances ''Seven Chances'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton, based on the play of the same name by Roi Cooper Megrue, produced in 1916 by David Belasco. Additional cast members include T. Roy Barnes, Snitz ...

'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by

David Belasco David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story '' Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of ...

. It opened at the George M. Cohan's Theatre on 8 August 1916. It moved to the

Belasco Theatre The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 and d ...

on 23 October 1916 and closed in December 1916 after 151 performances. It starred Marion Abbott, Charles Brokate, Emily Callaway, Alice Carroll,

Florence Deshon Florence Deshon (born Florence Danks; July 19, 1893February 4, 1922) was an American motion picture actress in silent films. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Tacoma, Washington (state), Washington, Deshon began her film career in 1915, appearing in ...

, Hayward Ginn,

Otto Kruger Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor, originally a Broadway matinee idol, who established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as Hitchcock's '' Saboteur''. He also appeared in CBS's '' Perry Mason'' ...

Rowland V. Lee Rowland Vance Lee (September 6, 1891 – December 21, 1975) was an American film director, actor, writer, and producer. Biography Early life Born in Findlay, Ohio, Lee was the son of a suffragette who founded a newspaper. He studied at Columbi ...

, Harry Leighton, Helen MacKellar,

Carroll McComas Carroll McComas (June 27, 1886 – November 9, 1962) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Biography Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory, McComas was the daughter of Judge Charles Carroll McComas and his wife, Ellen M ...

, Anne Meredith, Lillian Spencer, Allen Thomas, Beverly West. It was adapted for the screen in 1925 as ''

'' and in 1999 as '' The Bachelor''. The 1925 silent comedy movie ''

'' was directed by and starring Buster Keaton. Additional cast members include

T. Roy Barnes Thomas Roy Barnes (August 11, 1880 – March 30, 1937) was a British-American actor. Biography Barnes appeared in over 50 films between 1920 and 1935, primarily in comedies. Although born in England, he lived in the United States from early chil ...

Snitz Edwards Snitz Edwards (born Edward Neumann, 1 January 1868 – 1 May 1937) was a stage and character actor of the early years of the silent film era into the 1930s. Biography Born into a Jewish household on New Year's Day 1868 in Budapest, Hungary ...

and Ruth Dwyer.

Jean Arthur Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s. Arthur had feature roles in three F ...

, a future star, has an uncredited supporting role. The 1999 romantic comedy movie '' The Bachelor'' was directed by

Gary Sinyor Gary Sinyor (born Manchester, England, 1962) is an English film director, producer, and writer. Sinyor was raised in a Sephardic Jewish upbringing, before going on to the National Film and Television School. As the co-writer, co-producer, and ...

and written by Steve Cohen. It stars

Chris O'Donnell Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He played Charlie Sims in '' Scent of a Woman'', Chris Reece in '' School Ties'', D'Artagnan in '' The Three Musketeers'', Jack Foley in the drama film ' ...

and

Renée Zellweger Renée Kathleen Zellweger (; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, she was one of the world's highest-paid ...

. The film was also the debut of

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the ...

as an actress. File:David Belasco circa 1915 oval portrait.jpg,

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The 1916 play ''Under Sentence'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and

Irvin S. Cobb Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb (June 23, 1876 – March 11, 1944) was an American author, humorist, editor and columnist from Paducah, Kentucky, who relocated to New York in 1904, living there for the remainder of his life. He wrote for the ''New York Worl ...

and produced by Selwyn & Co. It opened at the Harris Theatre on 3 October 1916 directed by Roi Cooper Megrue and closed in November 1916 after 55 performances. It starred

Janet Beecher Janet Beecher (born Janet Meysenberg; October 21, 1884 – August 6, 1955) was an American stage and screen actress. Early years The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Von Meysenburg, Beecher was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. Her sister was ...

, John A. Boone, Harry Crosby, Stephen Denbeigh, E.H. Dresser, Laurence Eddinger, Thomas P. Gunn, Felix Krembs,

George MacQuarrie George MacQuarrie (born as George Donald MacQuarrie; June 2, 1873 – April 1951), was an American actor of the silent era. Biography MacQuarrie was born in San Francisco, California in 1873 as George Donald MacQuarrie. He appeared in more ...

, Thomas Mitchell,

, George Nash,

, Joseph Slaytor,

Gerald Oliver Smith Gerald Wilson Oliver Smith (June 26, 1892 – May 28, 1974) was an English-born actor who spent most of his career in the United States, both in New York City as a stage actor and in the Hollywood film industry. Born in Sidcup, Kent, England, Smi ...

, George Wright Jr. The 1917 silent drama movie ''

Fighting Odds ''Fighting Odds'' is a 1917 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures and starring stage beauty Maxine Elliott. The film is based on the play ''Under Sentence'' by Irvin S. Cobb and Roi Cooper Megrue. The picture wa ...

'' was based upon ''Under Sentence'' and was produced and distributed by

Goldwyn Pictures Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was an American motion picture production company that operated from 1916 to 1924 when it was merged with two other production companies to form the major studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was founded on November 19, 1 ...

and starring

Maxine Elliott Maxine Elliott (February 5, 1868 – March 5, 1940) was an American actress and businesswoman. Early life Born Jessie Dermott on February 5, 1868, to Thomas Dermott, a sea captain and Adelaide Hill Dermott, she had a younger sister, actress G ...

. The picture was amongst Goldwyn's first productions as an independent producer. It was directed by veteran

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, was ...

and is a surviving film at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, ...

, New York, and Gosfilmofond in Russia. File:Irvin S. Cobb cph.3a42965.jpg,

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File:Thomas Mitchell (actor).jpg,

Thomas Mitchell (actor) Thomas John Mitchell (July 11, 1892 – December 17, 1962) was an American actor and writer. Among his most famous roles in a long career are those of Gerald O'Hara in '' Gone with the Wind'', Doc Boone in ''Stagecoach'', Uncle Billy in ''It's a ...

File:Frank Morgan-publicity.JPG,

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The 1917 play ''

'' was written by

Jesse Lynch Williams Jesse Lynch Williams (August 17, 1871 – September 14, 1929) was an American author and dramatist. He won the first Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play ''Why Marry?'' (1917). He was a journalist for three New York publications and co-founded ...

. It won the first

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were ...

, in 1918. It opened at the Astor Theatre on 25 December 1917 directed by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by Selwyn & Co. in arrangement with Roi Cooper Megrue. It closed in April 1918 after 120 performances. It starred Beatrice Beckley,

Edmund Breese Edmund Breese (June 18, 1871 – April 6, 1936) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Breese was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Renshaw Breese and Josephine Busby. The Opera House in Eureka Springs ...

, Walter Goodson,

Nat C. Goodwin Nathaniel Carl "Nat" Goodwin (July 25, 1857 – January 31, 1919) was an American actor and vaudevillian born in Boston. Life and career While clerk in a large shop Goodwin studied for the stage and made his first appearance in 1874 at the ...

Shelly Hull Shelley Vaughan Hull (June 17, 1884 – January 14, 1919) was an American stage actor who also appeared in two silent motion pictures. His Broadway popularity as a suave handsome leading man was continually on the rise until his early death a ...

, Ernest Lawford, Richard Pitman, Lotus Robb, Harold West,

Estelle Winwood Estelle Winwood (born Estelle Ruth Goodwin, 24 January 1883 – 20 June 1984) was an English actress who moved to the United States in mid-career and became celebrated for her wit and longevity. Early life and early career Born Estelle Ruth Go ...

. File:Edmund Breese.jpeg,

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The 1918 play ''Where Poppies Bloom'' was adapted from Henry Kistemaeckers' ''Un Soir, au Front'' by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by

. It opened at the

Theatre Republic The New Victory Theater is a theater at 209 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, near Times Square. Built in 1900 as the Republic Theatre (also Theatre Republic), it was designed by Albert Westover and ...

on 26 August 1918 directed by Roi Cooper Megrue and closed in November 1918 after 104 performances. It starred Pedro de Cordoba, Will Deming, Paul Doucet, Laurence Eddinger, Jean Gautier, Alfred Hesse, Percival Knight, Frank Nelson,

Marjorie Rambeau Marjorie Burnet Rambeau (July 15, 1889 – July 6, 1970) was an American film and stage actress. She began her stage career at age 12, and appeared in several silent films before debuting in her first sound film, '' Her Man'' (1930). She was t ...

, Marcel Rousseau,

Lewis Stone Lewis Shepard Stone (November 15, 1879 – September 12, 1953) was an American film actor. He spent 29 years as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was best known for his portrayal of Judge James Hardy in the studio's popular '' Andy ...

, Roy Walling. File:Pedro de Cordoba 04.JPG, Pedro de Cordoba File:Marjorie Rambeau 1915.jpg,

File:Lewis Stone.jpg,

The 1918 play ''Tea for Three'' was directed by Roi Cooper Megrue. The 1927 (now lost) silent comedy movie ''

Tea for Three "Tea for Three" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, ''Only Fools and Horses''. It was the fourth episode of series 5, and was first broadcast on 21 September 1986. In the episode, Del and Rodney find themselves battling for the affections of Trigge ...

'' was directed by

Robert Z. Leonard Robert Zigler Leonard (October 7, 1889 – August 27, 1968) was an American film director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to silent star Mae Murray with the two formin ...

and written by Garrett Graham,

F. Hugh Herbert Frederick Hugh Herbert (May 29, 1897 - May 17, 1958) was a playwright, screenwriter, novelist, short story writer, and infrequent film director. Biography Born in Vienna, Austria, Herbert was educated at the University of London. He emigrated in ...

, Roi Cooper Megrue and Lucille Newmark. The film stars

Lew Cody Lew Cody (born Louis Joseph Côté; February 22, 1884 – May 31, 1934) was an American stage and film actor whose career spanned the silent film and early sound film age. He gained notoriety in the late 1910s for playing "male vamps" in films ...

Aileen Pringle Aileen Pringle (born Aileen Bisbee; July 23, 1895 – December 16, 1989) was an American stage and film actress during the silent film era. Biography Early life Born into a prominent and wealthy San Francisco family and educated in Europe, ...

Phillips Smalley Wendell Phillips Smalley (August 7, 1865 – May 2, 1939) was an American silent film director and actor. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was the grandson of Wendell Phillips; he was the son of George Washburn Smalley, a war correspo ...

Dorothy Sebastian Dorothy Sebastian (born Stella Dorothy Sabiston; April 26, 1903The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Sebastian's date of birth as April 26, 1907. – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress. Ear ...

and Edward Thomas. The film was released on October 29, 1927, by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

. File:Robert Z Leonard 1915.jpg,

File:Lew Cody.jpg,

File:Aileenpringle.jpg,

File:Owen Moore in High Voltage.jpg,

File:Phillips-Smalley.jpg,

File:Dorothysebastian.jpg,

The 1921 comedy ''Honors Are Even'' was written by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by Selwyn & Co. It opened at the

Times Square Theatre The Times Square Theater is a former Broadway and movie theater at 217 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, near Times Square. Built in 1920, it was designed by Eugene De Rosa and developed by brothe ...

on 10 August 1921 directed by Roi Cooper Megrue and closed in October 1921 after 70 performances. It starred

, Clifford Dempsey, Lola Fisher, Paul Kelly, Ambrose Martin, Henry Mowray, Horace Pollock, Laurence Redmond, Ralph Simone, Horace Sinclair, Mabel Stanton, Eleanor Woodruff, Boots Wooster. File:The Hunting of the Hawk.jpg,

File:Mary Miles Minter Paul Kelly 1919.jpg, Paul Kelly The 1925 play ''Venice for Two'' (from the French of

) was written by Roi Cooper Megrue.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Megrue, Roi Cooper 1882 births 1927 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male dramatists and playwrights Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Writers from New York City Trinity School (New York City) alumni Columbia University alumni 20th-century American male writers