''The First Year'' is a 1920 American comedic play written by
Frank Craven, and produced by
John Golden
John Lionel Golden (June 27, 1874 – June 17, 1955) was an American actor, songwriter, author, and theatrical producer. As a songwriter, he is best-known as lyricist for " Poor Butterfly" (1916). He produced many Broadway shows and four film ...
and directed by
Winchell Smith
Winchell Smith (5 April 1871 – 10 June 1933) was an American playwright, known for big hit works such as ''Brewster's Millions'' (1906) and '' Lightnin' '' (1918). Many of his plays were made into movies. He spent freely but left a large fortun ...
on Broadway.
[ Underhill, Harriette (February 1921)]
Writing "The First Year"
'' Shadowland'' It was a hit on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
, running for 729 performances.
Background
The three-act play, which centers on the first year of married life, ran on Broadway at the
Little Theatre for 729 performances from Wednesday, October 20, 1920 through June 17, 1922.
[(21 October 1922)]
The First Year Is Joyous
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''[(18 June 1922)]
Advertisement
''New York Herald
The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the '' New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''.
Hi ...
'' (advertisement for 722-729th performances)[(7 June 1922)]
"The First Year" Closing
''New York Clipper''[(21 June 1922)]
"The First Year" Closes
''New York Clipper''[Fisher, James and Felicia Hardison Londre]
Historical Dictionary of American Theater: Modernism
p. 237 (2d ed. 2018) (Prior to opening on Broadway, a warm-up performance was put on at the
Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a listed building, Grade II listed West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London. in
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
on October 7, 1920.
[(8 October 1920)]
The Stage Door
''New-York Tribune'', p. 8, col. 3.[(10 October 1920)]
New Productions Open Out of Town, Ready for Showing on Broadway
''New-York Tribune'', p. 11, col. 1.[(11 October 1920)]
The Stage Door
p. 6, col. 3 (the prior day's ''Tribune'' said no New York debut date had yet been set; today, an October 20 opening at the Little Theatre is reported))
It was the biggest Broadway show of the season, and when it finally closed, it was the third-longest run in Broadway history to that time.
[Bordman, Gerald and Thomas S. Hischak]
The Concise Oxford Companion to American Theatre
pp. 228-29 (3d ed. 2004) It received positive reviews upon its release.
[(21 October 1920)]
"The First Year" Equals "Lightnin'" In Dramatic Value
''New-York Tribune'', p. 8 col. 3[(21 October 1920)]
"The First Year" Gives Its Audience Night of Laughter
''New York Herald'', p. 11, col. 6.[ Broun, Heywood (24 October 1920)]
As We Were Saying
''New York Tribune''[ Broun, Heywood (20 November 1920)]
On the New York Stage
''Collier's
}
''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...
'', p. 16.[ Woollcott, Alexander (February 1921)]
An Emergency Masterpiece
''Everybody's Magazine
''Everybody's Magazine'' was an American magazine published from 1899 to 1929. The magazine was headquartered in New York City.
History and profile
The magazine was founded by Philadelphia merchant John Wanamaker in 1899, though he had little r ...
'', pp. 54-55[ Mantle, Burns]
The Best Plays of 1920-21
pp. 63-97 (1921) Critic
Alexander Woollcott
Alexander Humphreys Woollcott (January 19, 1887 – January 23, 1943) was an American drama critic for The New York Times and the New York Herald, critic and commentator for ''The New Yorker'' magazine, a member of the Algonquin Round Table, an ...
even called it "one of the best, if not the best
omedy ever written by an American."
After closing in New York, the company went on tour.
[Hickman, Walter D. (7 August 1923)]
Newlyweds Have Matrimonial Measles
''Indianapolis Times''
A London production was mounted in 1926-27, which opened at the
Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a listed building, Grade II listed West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London. on November 26, 1926, and moved to the
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
on March 27, 1927, with a total run of 180 performances.
[Wearing, J.P]
The London Stage 1920-1929
p. 480 (2d ed. 2014)
The
Equity Library Theatre staged a revival in New York in 1947.
[Library Theater](_blank)
''Billboard'' (May 10, 1947, p. 47)
Film adaptations
It was adapted to films of the same name in
1926
In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
and
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
.
Original Broadway cast
*
Roberta Arnold as Grace Livingston
* William Sampson as Mr. Livingston
*
Maude Granger as Mrs. Livingston
* Tim Murphy as Dr. Anderson
* Lyster Chambers as Dick Loring
*
Frank Craven as Thomas Tucker
*
Leila Bennett
Leila Bennett (November 17, 1892 – January 5, 1965) was an American film actress who primarily appeared in supporting roles as either slapstick sidekicks, mousy maids, and scatterbrains.
Early life
Bennett was born in Newark, New Jerse ...
as Hattie
* Hale Norcross as Mr. Barstow
* Merceita Esmonde as Mrs. Barstow
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Year, The
1920 plays