Rudolf Wilhelm Besier (2 July 1878 – 16 June 1942) was a Dutch/English dramatist and translator best known for his play ''

The Barretts of Wimpole Street ''The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' is a 1930 play by the Dutch/English dramatist Rudolf Besier, based on the romance between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, and her domineering father's unwillingness to allow them to marry. Presented f ...

'' (1930). He worked with

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

Hugh Walpole Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (13 March 18841 June 1941) was an English novelist. He was the son of an Anglican clergyman, intended for a career in the church but drawn instead to writing. Among ...

and May Edginton on dramatisations.

Early life and career

Besier was born in

Blitar Blitar is a landlocked city in East Java, Indonesia, about 73 km from Malang and 167 km from Surabaya. The area lies within longitude 111° 40' – 112° 09' East and its latitude is 8° 06' South. The city of Blitar lies at an altitude ...

East Java East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...

(

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

), in 1878 as the son of an English mother, Margaret Ann Collinson, and the Dutch soldier Rudolf Wilhelm Besier, who died six months before he was born and after whom he was named. He had some limited success early in his career in England, which began with ''The Virgin Goddess'' (1906) produced by

Otho Stuart Otho Stuart (9 August 1863 – 1 May 1930) was a British actor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who specialised in performing in the plays of Shakespeare. Stuart played the range of Shakespearean leading men, both with the Company of ...

and with music by Christopher Wilson. Then followed a series of plays, mainly dramas, but including some satires and comedies. In 1912 he collaborated with

on dramatising Wells's ''

Kipps ''Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul'' is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. It was reportedly Wells's own favourite among his works, and it has been adapted for stage, cinema and television productions, including the musical '' ...

''; he also worked with

on ''Robin's Father'' (1918). ''Secrets'' (1922) was written with May Edginton (1883–1957).The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English
/ref>

Major success

Besier's major success came with ''

'' (1930), based on

Elizabeth Barrett Elizabeth Barrett Browning (née Moulton-Barrett; 6 March 1806 – 29 June 1861) was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime and frequently anthologised after her death. Her work receiv ...

and

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian literature, Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentar ...

's courtship. After being rejected by two London producers, it premièred at the Malvern Festival of 1930, directed by Sir Barry Jackson. Besier failed to interest American producers, 27 of whom rejected his play, but the actress

Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893 – June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by cri ...

took a personal interest in it. She had it staged in Cleveland in 1931, and then in New York.Stanley Hochman, McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama
/ref> It was revived and produced in many countries, and was made into two films and a musical. Rudolf Besier died in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

in 1942, aged 63.

Selected list of works

*''The Virgin Goddess: a tragedy'' (1906) *''Don: a comedy in three acts'', 1908 (produced 1909) *''Olive Latimer's Husband'', 1909 (produced 1910) *''The Foolish Virgin'' (produced 1910-11) *''Lady Patricia: a comedy in three acts'', 1911 (produced 1912) *''

'' (1912; with

, based on his book) *''Her Country'' (produced 1918) *''Robin's Father'' (1918; with

) *'' Secrets'', 1922 (with May Edginton; produced 1922–23; filmed

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

) *''A Lesson in Love'', 1922 (prod, 1923) *''Prude's Fall'' (filmed 1924) *''

: a comedy in five acts'' (produced 1930, Malvern; 1931, Cleveland; Broadway; revived 1935, 1945; filmed

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

); the ultimate basis of the 1964 musical '' Robert and Elizabeth'')

Sources

*
doolee.com
*

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Besier, Rudolf 1878 births 1942 deaths Dutch male dramatists and playwrights English dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights English male poets People from Blitar 20th-century Dutch dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Dutch male writers Dutch people of the Dutch East Indies Dutch emigrants to the United Kingdom