Walter Laurence Hackett (usually referred to as Walter Hackett, sometimes given as Walter L. Hackett or Walter Lawrence Hackett, and erroneously given as Walter C. Hackett) (November 10, 1876 – January 20, 1944) was an American playwright and theater manager. A native of

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

, California, Hackett attended grammar school in that city before continuing his education at a boarding school in Canada, the country of his father's birth. He ran away from that institution to become a sailor, and subsequently worked in a variety of professions including horse trainer and school teacher. By 1901, he was working as a journalist for the ''

Chicago American The ''Chicago American'' was an American newspaper published in Chicago under various names from 1900 until its dissolution in 1975. Its afternoon publication was known as the ''Chicago American'', while its evening publication was known as the ...

'', and that same year his first plays were staged with casts led by the actress Lillian Burkhart. His first significant play as a solo playwright was ''The Prince of Dreams,'' staged in Chicago in 1902. Hackett was primarily active as a journalist and a writer of short stories until he had three successful plays in succession, written with other writers: ''The Invader'' (1908, co-authored with Robert Hobart Davis); ''The Regeneration'' (1908, co-authored with Owen Kildare); and '' The White Sister'' (1909, co-authored with

Francis Marion Crawford Francis Marion Crawford (August 2, 1854 – April 9, 1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels, especially those set in Italy, and for his classic weird and fantastical stories. Early life Crawford was born in Bagni di Lucca, in th ...

). The latter two plays were his first works staged 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 ...

. His next two plays to reach Broadway, ''Our World'' (1911) and ''Don't Weaken'' (1914) were flops, but he rebounded with the hit play '' It Pays to Advertise'' (1914). In 1911, he married the actress

Marion Lorne Marion Lorne MacDougal or MacDougall (August 12, 1883 – May 9, 1968), known professionally as Marion Lorne, was an American actress on stage, film, and television. After a career in theatre in New York and London, Lorne made her first f ...

. Many of his plays were written with Lorne in mind, and she was often the star of his works. In 1914, the couple moved to London, England where they remained for more than 25 years. From this point on, most of his plays were staged in London's West End, and he earned the nickname Walter "Long Run" Hackett for his many plays that had lengthy runs in London. In Britain some of his most successful plays included ''

Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure ''Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure'' is a 1921 play written by Walter Hackett. It was a hit on the West End, where it ran for 18 months, and also on Broadway, where it was performed under the title ''Captain Applejack''. It has been adapted multip ...

'', ''The Fugitives'', and ''London After Dark''. Not long after the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Hackett and his wife returned to the United States and settled in New York City. He died in Manhattan in 1944.

Early life

Walter Laurence Hackett was born in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

, on November10, 1876.Walter Laurence Hackett in the ''U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards'', 1942 He was the son of Captain Edward Hackett, who lived in Oakland at a home at 1303 Jackson Street. Walter was listed as living at that address with his father and his mother, Mary Ann Hackett (née Haight), and as an attendee of public schools in Oakland, in the

1880 United States census The 1880 United States census, conducted by the Census Office during June 1880, was the tenth United States census.1880 United States Federal Census for Walter L. Hackett, California, Alameda County, Oakland, Supervisor District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 14, page number 27 Walter later attended boarding school in Canada, the nation of his father's birth. He ran away from that institution to obtain work as a sailor. He later attended the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

. In his young adulthood, Hackett worked in a variety of professions, including careers as a horse trainer, school teacher, journalist, and writer of short stories. By 1895 he was working in Oakland as a horse trainer. He was head of the planning committee for the horse races held at the 1895 Mayday fete of the Fabiola Hospital Association which took place at Oakland Trotting Park as a fund raiser for the hospital. This also included organizing a burro race for which he acquired ten donkeys. He also served as one of the judges for the horse races, and was praised for his work on the front page of ''The Oakland Times'' on May13, 1895. The following year he was appointed to the executive committee of the fete. His 1896 voter registration record indicates he was living in the Hackett family home on Jackson Street. In 1899, he performed in a show called ''Chirps'' put on by Oakland's Athenian Club of which he was a member. He had his first professional experiences in theatre working as a "corner-man" in a

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of theater developed in the early 19th century. The shows were performed by mostly white actors wearing blackface makeup for the purpose of portraying racial stereotypes of Afr ...

operated by

J. H. Haverly Christopher Haverly (June 30,1837– September 27,1901), better known as J. H. Haverly or John H. "Jack" Haverly, was an American theatre manager and promoter (entertainment), promoter of blackface minstrel shows. During the 1870s and 1880s, he c ...

Early writing career in the United States

Short story writer and journalist

Hackett began his writing career as a writer of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

. His short story "In the Service of the Czar" was published by the Short Story Publishing Company in 1899 under his full name, Walter Laurence Hackett. It was later republished in '' The Kansas Review'' on July29, 1904, and was subsequently picked up by other American newspapers. Hackett also worked as a journalist and by 1901 was in Chicago working as the city editor for the ''

''. He later became a dramatic editor at the paper, and succeeded A. P. Dunlap as lead drama critic and editor in 1903. He was present at the

First inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt The first inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt as the 26th president of the United States, took place on Saturday, September 14, 1901, at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, Ansley Wilcox House, at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffal ...

on September 14, 1901, in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, and his reporting on that event appeared as a special dispatch in newspapers nationally. In 1903, he was listed as a member of the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

's Auxiliary Committee. Hackett's short

ghost story A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature''. ...

"Bill Bowden, A.B. Sees Things" was published in American and Canadian newspapers in February 1906. This was followed by the short story "Bill Bowden on Hoodoos" the following month. On July29, 1906, several larger papers published his short story "In the Valley of the Shadow", including ''

The Washington Star ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the ''Washington'' ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday ...

'' and the ''

New-York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' (from 1914: ''New York Tribune'') was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s ...

''. These papers also published his short stories "The Governors Decision" (1906), "His Father's Son" (1907), "The Cardinal's Decision" (1907), "The Derelict" (1907), "Winchester and Company" (1907), "The Oasis in the Desert" (1907), "The District Attorney" (1907), "A Life for a Life" (1907), "Sonia" (1908), and "Pardners" (1908). He also contributed work as a journalist to ''The Washington Star'' and ''New-York Tribune''. Hackett's short story "The Society Dinner" was published in ''Broadway Magazine'' in June 1907. Other short stories written by Hackett that were published in periodicals included "Captain Arthur's Bride" (1907) "Pie" (1907), "The Electric Light Bill" (1907), "Rodman's Ambition" (1907), "The Name She Whispered" (1907), "In Deep Waters" (1908), "Mr Garfield's Matrimonial Experiment" (1908), "Miss Lowell's Lover" (1908), "The Theft of the Dudley Diamonds" (1908), "The Wheel of Fortune" (1909), "The Gazebrook Necklace" (1909), and "Otto Schmalz, Hypnotist" (1909). In addition to working as a writer, Hackett also worked on the business staff of producers

Klaw and Erlanger Klaw and Erlanger was an entertainment management and production partnership of Marc Klaw and Abraham Lincoln Erlanger based in New York City from 1888 through 1919. While running their own considerable and multi-faceted theatrical businesses on ...

in the first decade of the 20th century.

Playwright

Early plays

Hackett's first stage work, the musical "playlet" ''Jessie's Jack and Jerry'' was given its premiere at Keith's Theatre in Philadelphia on March11, 1901. He co-wrote this work with playwright Francis Livingston, and the production starred Camille D'Arville and Lillian Burkhart. The production toured in 1901–1902, including performances at Chicago's Olympic Theater and Shea's Garden Theatre in Buffalo, New York. Hackett collaborated with Livingston again on a second play, the one-act farce ''The Way to Win a Husband'' , which they wrote specifically for Burkhart. Burkhart toured in this play in 1901–1902, including performances in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. In 1902, the actor

Emmett Corrigan Emmett Corrigan (born Antoine Zilles; June 5, 1867 – October 29, 1932) was a Dutch-born American stage and screen actor. Various sources give his birth year as 1867, 1868 and 1871. Corrigon was born as Antoine Zilles in Amsterdam, Holland, and ...

acquired the rights to Hackett's first full length play, the three act comedy ''The Prince of Dreams''. It premiered at the Grand Opera House in

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the largest city in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is k ...

, on November17, 1902, in a performance by the Player's Stock Company of Chicago. It then transferred to the Bush Temple of Music in Chicago.

Hit plays of 1908: ''The Regeneration'' and ''The Invader''

Hackett spent the next several years focused on writing short stories, and his next play, ''My Mamie Rose'', did not reach the stage until 1908. It was co-written with Owen Kildare and premiered at Poli's Theater in

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Waterbury had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. The city is southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury i ...

, on January27, 1908, in a cast led by

Arnold Daly Arnold Daly (October 4, 1875 – January 13, 1927) was an United States, American actor, playwright, and producer. He was the father of actress and Algonquin Round Table personality Blyth Daly. Biography He was born Peter Christopher Arnold D ...

Chrystal Herne Katherine Chrystal Herne (June 16, 1883 – September 19, 1950) was an American stage actress. She was the daughter of actor/playwright James A. Herne and the younger sister of actress and Hollywood talent scout Julie Herne. Her stage credit ...

Helen Ware Helen Ware ( Remer; October 15, 1877 – January 25, 1939) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Born to the architect John August Remer and Elinor Maria (née Ware), Ware adopted her mother's maiden name as her professional ...

, and

Holbrook Blinn Holbrook Blinn (January 23, 1872 – June 24, 1928) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Blinn was the son of American Civil War veteran Col. Charles Blinn and actress Nellie Holbrook-Blinn. He was born in San Francisco and attende ...

. The production toured the United States, including a stop at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago where it opened in March 1908. In Chicago the play was reworked and re-titled ''The Regeneration''. Daly brought the play to Broadway later in the year but with some cast alterations. It opened at

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater as the successive homes of the stock company managed by actors James W. Wallack and his son, Lester Wallack. During its 35-year ...

on September1, 1908, to a glowing review in ''

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 ...

'' which predicted a long run for the play. Hackett co-wrote his next play, ''The Invader'', with Robert Hobart Davis. It was given its premiere in Milwaukee by the Pabst Theatre English Stock Company on May18, 1908, with a cast led by

Christine Norman Anna Christine Norman (1886/87-1930) was an American stage actress and playwright. Early years Norman was the daughter of Andrew G. Norman and his wife Minnie. She studied acting in New York, winning a medal for her work, and then studied music ...

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 ...

, Jack Standing, and Robert Conness. The play was based on the real life events of the

Panic of 1907 The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic or Knickerbocker Crisis, was a financial crisis that took place in the United States over a three-week period starting in mid-October, when the New York Stock Exchange suddenly fell almost ...

and the role F. Augustus Heinze played in that financial crises. The play was then staged at McVicker's Theater in Chicago. The Chicago production was with a completely different cast which included the actors Florence Rockwell,

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 Sprin ...

Thomas A. Wise Thomas Alfred Wise (March 23, 1865 - March 21, 1928) was an American actor and Shepherd (president) of The Lambs The Lambs, Inc. (also known as The Lambs Club) is a New York City social club that nurtures those active in the arts, as well as ...

, Charles H. Riegel, and William B. Mack. Later that year the play was staged at the

Shrine Auditorium The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, an ...

in Los Angeles.

''The White Sister''

Hackett co-wrote ''The White Sister'' with

, a work which Crawford had previously written as first an unperformed play and then as a

serialized novel In literature, a serial is a printing or publishing format by which a single larger work, often a work of narrative fiction, is published in smaller, sequential instalments. The instalments are also known as ''numbers'', ''parts'', ''fascicu ...

in ''

Munsey's Magazine ''Munsey's Magazine'' was an American magazine founded by Frank Munsey in 1889 as ''Munsey's Weekly'', a humor magazine edited by John Kendrick Bangs. It was unsuccessful, and by late 1891 had lost $100,000 ($ in ). Munsey converted it into ...

''. The idea for this collaborative project was birthed in 1907 when Hackett visited Crawford at his home in

Sorrento Sorrento ( , ; ; ) is a City status in Italy, city and overlooking the Gulf of Naples, Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the southern terminus of a main branch o ...

, Italy. The play tells the tale of lovers Giovanna and Giovanni who separated by the events of a war. Giovanni is believed to have been killed and Giovanna becomes a nun only to be unexpectedly reunited with him years later while nursing him in a hospital. Crawford then collaborated with Hackett on a new stage adaptation which was the dramatic version that ultimately made it to the stage. ''The White Sister'' was given its premiere on February8, 1909, at the Stone Opera House in

Binghamton, New York Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the c ...

, and ran on Broadway later that year at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresa ...

with

Viola Allen Viola Emily Allen (October 27, 1867 – May 9, 1948) was an American stage actress who played leading roles in Shakespeare and other plays, including many original plays. She starred in over two dozen Broadway productions from 1885 to 1916. B ...

as Giovanna and

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent cinema, and he became one of the highest-paid actors during this time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachuset ...

as Giovanni. A success, ''

'' later listed ''The White Sister'' along with '' It Pay's to Advertise'' and ''Captain Applejack'' as the works for which Hackett was "best known" when he died in 1944. The play was adapted into films in

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January *January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 * ...

1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...

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 ...

, and

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

''C.O.D.'' and other plays of 1910–1912

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

1910, Hackett's play ''In the Mountains'' was performed for the first time at the

Auditorium Theatre The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located in the Auditorium Building at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was d ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

with a cast led by the actress

Percy Haswell Percy Haswell (April 30, 1871 – June 24, 1945), frequently billed as Miss Percy Haswell or Mrs. George Fawcett to clarify her gender, was an American stage and film actress. Haswell was born in Austin, Texas, the daughter of George Tyler Ha ...

. The play told the tale of two feuding families, the Lees and the Claybournes, who live along the Kentucky and Tennessee border. After this he collaborated with dramatist Stanislaus Stange on the play ''Get Busy With Emily'', an English-language adaptation of the 1906French farce ''Vous n'avez rien à déclarer?'' by

Maurice Hennequin Maurice Hennequin (10 December 1863 – 3 September 1926) was a French-naturalized Belgian playwright. Biography A great-grandson of the painter Philippe-Auguste Hennequin, Maurice Hennequin was the son of Alfred Hennequin (1842–1887), himse ...

and

Pierre Veber Pierre-Eugène Veber (15 May 1869 – 20 August 1942) was a French playwright and writer. Biography Pierre Veber was the brother of the painter Jean Veber, and the brother-in-law of both René Doumic and Tristan Bernard. His family was quite l ...

. Produced by A. H. Woods, it premiered at the

Cort Theatre The James Earl Jones Theatre, originally the Cort Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 138 48th Street (Manhattan), West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater ...

in Chicago on May8, 1910. He next collaborated with

Ren Shields Ren Shields was an American folk musician born in 1868 in Chicago, Illinois. He died on 25 October 1913 in Massapequa, New York. He co-wrote the song with George "Honey Boy" Evans "In the Good Old Summer Time", (a part of which is sung by Laurel ...

in writing the book for the musical ''The Simple Life'' which had a score by composer P. D. DeCoster. It premiered on August8, 1910, at the Savoy Theatre in Atlantic City with a cast of 50 led by Charles J. Ross. Hackett sold the rights to a play he wrote entitled ''C.O.D.'' to playwright

Eugene Walter Eugene Ferdinand Walter, Jr. (November 30, 1921 – March 29, 1998) was an American screenwriter, poet, short-story author, actor, puppeteer, gourmet chef, cryptographer, translator, editor, costume designer and well-known raconteur. During his y ...

. Walter altered the play and retitled it ''Homeward Bound'' for its premiere in December 1910 with Hackett credited as inspiring the theme of the play. Hackett disputed this credit, claiming he should be billed as a co-author of the work. Walter disputed Hackett's claim; stating that while Hackett had written the intitial play, that after Walter purchased the rights to the work that he had almost completely remade the entire work. He stated that "less than 200 words" of Hackett's original text remained in the play. The play was later retitled ''Mrs. Maxwell's Mistake'' and was presented on Broadway at

Maxine Elliott's Theatre Maxine Elliott's Theatre was originally a Broadway theatre at 109 West 39th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1908, it was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall of the Chicago-based firm Marshall and Fox, ...

in April 1911, and was retitled yet again as '' Fine Feathers'' for a production in Chicago. In 1912, Hackett sued Walter for failing to credit him as a co-author of the work. In December 1912, Justice

Edward Everett McCall Edward Everett McCall (January 6, 1863 – March 12, 1924) was Justice of the Supreme Court of New York from 1902 to 1913 and was also the Chairman of the New York Public Service Commission from 1913 to 1915. In November, 1915, he was removed ...

of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...

granted an injunction preventing ''Fine Feathers'' from being performed unless Walter was credited as a co-author while the court considered the case. Ultimately the court determined that Walter had sufficiently transformed the work, and could claim to be the sole author of the piece. Hackett's play ''Our World'' was given its premiere at the

Fulton Opera House The Fulton Opera House, also known as the Fulton Theatre or simply The Fulton, is a League of Regional Theatres class B regional theater located in historic downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is reportedly the oldest working theatre in the Unit ...

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

on January27, 1911, with Amelia Gardner,

Doris Keane Doris Keane (December 12, 1881 – November 25, 1945) was an American actress, primarily in live theatre. Early life and family Keane was born in Michigan to Joseph Keane and Florence Winter. She was educated privately in Chicago, New York, Pa ...

Campbell Gullan Campbell Gullan (1881, in Glasgow – 1 December 1939, in New York City) was a Scottish actor. Partial filmography * ''Caste'' (1915) - Sam Gerridge * '' Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1915) * ''The Great Adventure'' (1916) - Reporter * '' A Pla ...

, Malcolm Duncan, and

Vincent Serrano Vincent Serrano (February 17, 1866 – January 11, 1935) was an American actor in plays and silent films. Biography Serrano's best-known role was as Lieutenant Denton in the Augustus Thomas play ''Arizona'', which had its New York opening in S ...

in the lead roles. It then toured to Broadway's

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...

where it opened on February6, 1911. The play investigated the theme of

heredity Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic infor ...

with an examination of the daughter of a

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

, and whether or not she was able to rise above the vices of her mother's tainted past. After this, Hackett was one of many writers who worked on the book for the musical ''A Certain Party'' which toured prior to reaching Broadway's

on April23, 1911. He then created the play ''Honest Jim Blunt'' for the character actor Tim Murphy, but the play had only a short life on the New York stage in 1912.

Marriage and plays of 1913 and 1914

On September16, 1911, Hackett and the actress

acquired a marriage license in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, with plans to have a wedding ceremony at a future date. The couple remained married until his death in 1944, and Lorne starred in many of her husband's plays. Her first appearance in one of Hackett's plays was as Mrs. Kent in ''Don't Weaken'' which was given its premiere at The Playhouse in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, on December29, 1913. That play was produced by

William A. Brady William Aloysius Brady (June 19, 1863 – January 6, 1950) was an American theater actor, producer, and sports promoter. Biography Brady was born to a newspaperman in 1863. His father kidnapped him from San Francisco and brought him to New York ...

and

George Broadhurst George Howells Broadhurst (June 3, 1866 – January 31, 1952) was an Anglo-American theatre owner/manager, director, producer and playwright. His plays were most popular from the late 1890s into the 1920s. Biography Broadhurst was born in Wal ...

, and ran on Broadway for a short period at Maxine Elliott's Theatre. While ''

The Brooklyn Citizen The ''Brooklyn Citizen'' was a newspaper serving Brooklyn in New York City from 1887 to 1947. It became influential under editor Andrew McLean (1848-1922), a Scottish immigrant from Renton, West Dunbartonshire. Its offices were located at Fulton a ...

'' gave the play a glowing review that described it as "out of the ordinary", ''

'' described the work as "pleasant" and an "optimistic little comedy" but found the work derivative and therefore unlikely to generate much interest. ''Don't Weaken'' was preceded by another failure for Hackett, the one act play ''To Die Like a Man''. It premiered on

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

1913 at the Colonial Theater in Cleveland, Ohio to scathing reviews in the local press. Hackett rebounded however with the hit 1914play '' It Pays to Advertise'' which he co-authored with

Roi Cooper Megrue 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 ...

. It had a lengthy run of more than a year at the George M. Cohan's Theatre, and was notably the longest running play of the 1914–1915 Broadway season. Samuel Field converted the play into a novel which was published in 1915 by Duffield & Company.

Life in England

Move to London and 1910s plays

In February1914, Hackett and his wife traveled to England on what was supposed to be a belated honeymoon. They ended up staying and lived in London for the next 25years. His first play staged in London was ' which was performed for the grand re-opening of

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the arch ...

which just been extensively renovated. It opened there one July14, 1914, with a cast led by

Allan Aynesworth Edward Henry Abbot-Anderson (14 April 1864, Sandhurst, Berkshire – 22 August 1959, Camberley, Surrey), known professionally as Allan Aynesworth, was an English actor and producer. His career spanned more than six decades, from 1887 to 194 ...

and Lettice Fairfax. ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' described the work as a "wild burlesque of the detective romance", and, while noting positive response from the audience, its critic stated that the play "may be found amusing by playgoers whose critical sense melts in the July temperatures." American newspapers reported that the play might have been plagiarized off of Charles Hawtrey's ''Seven Keys to Baldspate'' which was planned to premiere in the autumn of 1914; however, the ''

Boston Evening Transcript The ''Boston Evening Transcript'' was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published for over a century from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941. History Founding ''The Transcript'' was founded in 1830 by Henry Dutton and James We ...

'' was skeptical of the accusation stating "the similarity is very difficult to discover". Hackett's second play for the London stage, ''He Didn't Want to Do It'', premiered at 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 March6, 1915, with a cast led by

Joseph Coyne Joseph Coyne (27 March 1867 – 17 February 1941) was an American-born vaudevillian and musical comedy actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years, from 1883-1931. A popular performer in the U.S., he achieved major stardom in the role of Prince Dan ...

Frederick Kerr Frederick Kerr (born Frederick Grinham Keen, 11 October 1858 – 3 May 1933) was an English actor who appeared on stage in both London and New York and in British and American films; he also worked as a major theatrical manager in London. Early ...

, and

Lydia Bilbrook Lydia Bilbrook (born Phillis Lydia Macbeth; 6 May 1888 – 4 January 1990), sometimes credited as "Bilbrooke", was an English actress whose career spanned four decades, first as a stage performer in the West End, and later in films. She is best ...

. Co-written with

It fared better with the critics. ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' stated in its review, "This is the most audacious piece of farcical complication ever attempted. If it had not 'come off' it would have been silly beyond endurance. But it does 'come off'; it goes on coming off until the spectator can bear it no longer." The play notably marked the London stage debut of Hackett's wife who portrayed Marjorie Thompson in the production. Lorne also starred in Hackett's next play, ''Mr. and Mrs. Ponsonby'', which premiered at London's

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

in June 1915. The American press noted at the time that Hackett had achieved greater success with London audiences and critics than he had in America. Hackett's next work was the murder mystery play '' The Barton Mystery'' which was first performed to success at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

in London where it opened on March22, 1916. The character of Beverley in the play, portrayed by

Harry Brodribb Irving Harry Brodribb Irving (5 August 1870 – 17 October 1919), was a British stage actor and actor-manager; the eldest son of Sir Henry Irving and his wife Florence (née O'Callaghan), and father of designer Laurence Irving and actress Elizabeth ...

, is a

psychic medium Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or ghost, spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship or ...

who is brought in to investigate a murder. An article in ''

The Theosophist ''The Theosophist'' is the monthly journal of the international Theosophical Society based in Adyar, India. It was founded in India in 1879 by Helena Blavatsky, who was also its editor. The journal is still being published till date. For the ye ...

'' described the play "as being remarkable, if only for the fact it is the first in which psychic research has been introduced seriously on the English stage." While the London production had a respectable run of 165 performances, a 1917 Broadway production at New York's

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

closed after just 20 performances. However, the work was successfully staged in a French-language translation at the

Théâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau Théâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau () is a theater located at 14 boulevard de Strasbourg in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. The 800-seat Italian Style theater was built in the year 1866. It functioned under a variety of names through the years, ...

in Paris in 1917, with

Firmin Gémier Firmin Gémier (; 1869–1933) was a French actor and director. Internationally, he is most famous for originating the role of Père Ubu in Alfred Jarry, Alfred Jarry’s play ''Ubu Roi''. He is known as the principal architect of the popular theat ...

as Beverley. In October 1916, Hackett's play ''Mr. Jubilee Drax'' premiered at the

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

. He co-wrote the work with

Horace Annesley Vachell Horace Annesley Vachell (30 October 1861 – 10 January 1955) was a prolific English writer of novels, plays, short stories, essays and autobiographical works. Early life and education Vachell was born at Sydenham, Kent on 30 October 1861, elde ...

. Another play in the detective genre, it failed to repeat the success of the ''The Barton Mystry''. ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' noted in its critical assessment that "the American trick of presenting past events in action was carried beyond the limits of all reason." Actor

Walker Whiteside Walker Whiteside (1869–1942) was an American actor who had played Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Shylock while still in his teens. Early life Walker Whiteside was born on March 16, 1869, near the confluence of the Wabash River, Wabash and Eel ...

portrayed the role of the lead detective in production staged in Chicago in 1917. His next work, the

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

''£150'', was also a critical failure. It premiered at the Ambassadors Theatre on April30, 1917. Charles B. Cochran produced the work, and the cast included

Daisy Burrell Daisy Burrell (born Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton; 16 June 1892 – 10 June 1982) was a British stage actress and Edwardian musical comedy performer who also appeared as a leading lady in silent films and in pantomime. In 1951 she appeared i ...

and

Alec Clunes Alexander Sheriff de Moro Clunes (17 May 1912 – 13 March 1970) was an English actor and theatrical manager. Among the plays he presented were Christopher Fry's '' The Lady's Not For Burning''. He gave the actor and dramatist Peter Ustinov ...

. Hackett's next play, ''The Invisible Foe'', fared far better when it premiered at the Savoy Theatre in August 1917. Another mystery with supernatural undertones, the play was based on the pseudoscientific spiritualism beliefs of

Oliver Lodge Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge (12 June 1851 – 22 August 1940) was an English physicist whose investigations into electromagnetic radiation contributed to the development of Radio, radio communication. He identified electromagnetic radiation indepe ...

. The actress

Fay Compton Virginia Lilian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie, (; 18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978), known professionally as Fay Compton, was an English actress. She appeared in several films, and made many broadcasts, but was best known for her stage per ...

received high praise in the press for her role in this production. It closed in December 1917. In 1918, Hackett's play '' The Freedom of the Seas'' was staged at the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

. He wrote the play on commission from

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and p ...

1920s plays

In 1920, Hackett's play '' Mr. Todd's Experiment'' was staged at the Queen's Theatre. His play ''

'' was first performed at the

Theatre Royal, Brighton The Theatre Royal is a theatre in Brighton, East Sussex, England presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet. History In 1806, the Prince of Wales (later George IV) gave Royal Assen ...

in July 1921 before running on the West End in 1921–1922 at first 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 ...

and later the Savoy Theatre. It was also staged on Broadway at the

in 1921 under the name ''Captain Applejack''. Hackett's '' Other Men's Wives'' (1928) was another play that premiered Theatre Royal, Brighton before moving to the West End in May 1928 where it played first at

followed by further performances at

St Martin's Theatre St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre which has staged the production of '' The Mousetrap'' since March 1974, making it the longest continuous run of any show in the world. The theatre is located in West Street, near Shaftesbury Avenue, i ...

, ultimately closing there in August 1928. His next play, '' 77 Park Lane'', premiered at St Martin's Theatre on October25, 1928, and was later revived in the West End at the Regent Theatre in 1930. Hackett also had two plays premiere at His Majesty's Theatre in the 1920s, '' The Wicked Earl'' (1927), and ''

Sorry You've Been Troubled ''Sorry You've Been Troubled'' is a mystery play by the British-American writer Walter Hackett. It premiered at His Majesty's Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 157 performances between 24 September 1929 and 1 February 1930. The or ...

'' (1929).

1930s plays

On 29September 1930, Hackett's ''The Way to Treat a Woman'' was performed for the inauguration of the newly built

Whitehall Theatre Trafalgar Theatre is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. The Grade II listed building was built in 1930 with interiors in the Art Deco style as the Whitehall Theatre; it regularly staged ...

near

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

after previously having that play's premiere at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

on June11, 1930. Hackett was manager of the Duke of York's Theatre in 1930, and then he and his wife were in control of the Whitehall Theatre from 1930 to 1934. Several of Hackett's plays were premiered at Whitehall during this period, including '' Take a Chance'' (1931), ''

Good Losers ''Good Losers'' is a British mystery play by Michael Arlen and Walter Hackett. It was originally performed at the Whitehall Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 134 performances between 16 February and 13 June 1931. The original cast i ...

'' (1931), ''

The Gay Adventure ''The Gay Adventure'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Yvonne Arnaud, Barry Jones and Nora Swinburne. It was made at Welwyn Studios by the independent company Grosvenor Films.Wood p.90 It was based on the 193 ...

'' (1931), '' Road House'' (1932), and '' Afterwards'' (1933). After leaving the Whitehall Theatre, Hackett took up the lease 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.

where the premieres of his plays ''

Hyde Park Corner Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to a major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was originally planned by architect Decimus Burton. The juncti ...

'' (1934), ''

Espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...

'' (1935), and ''London After Dark'' (1937) occurred. He left the Apollo in 1938 when he took over the lease of the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Opening in 1870, the theatre staged mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. The theatre was rebuilt twice, although each new buildin ...

. His tenure at that theatre began with the premiere of his play ''Toss of a Coin'' on March17, 1938; a murder mystery in which Hackett's wife Marion portrayed both a mother and her daughter. It was the 22nd of Hackett's plays staged in the West End that Marion starred in.

Later life in New York

In 1940, Hackett returned to the United States and settled with his wife in New York City. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

after being ill for a short period of time on January20, 1944.

Works

Selected short stories

* "In the Service of the Czar" (1899) * "Bill Bowden, A.B. Sees Things" (1906) * "Bill Bowden on Hoodoos" (1906) * "In the Valley of the Shadow" (1906) * "The Governors Decision" (1906) * "His Father's Son" (1907) * "The Cardinal's Decision" (1907) * "The Derelict" (1907) * "Winchester and Company" (1907) * "The Oasis in the Desert" (1907) * "The District Attorney" (1907) * "A Life for a Life" (1907) * "Captain Arthur's Bride" (1907) * "Pie" (1907) * "The Electric Light Bill" (1907) * "Rodman's Ambition" (1907) * "The Name She Whispered" (1907) * "In Deep Waters" (1908) * "Sonia" (1908) * "Pardners" (1908) * "Mr Garfield's Matrimonial Experiment" (1908) * "Miss Lowell's Lover" (1908) * "The Wheel of Fortune" (1909) * "Otto Schmalz, Hypnotist" (1909) * "The Grocers" (1915)

Selected plays and film adaptations

The following is an incomplete list of plays by Walter Hackett. Many of Hackett's plays were adapted into films. Only film adaptations with articles on the english wikipedia are included in this chart. This is not a complete list of all film adaptations of Hackett's plays. The dashed cells only indicate the absence of coverage of a film adaption of a particular play currently on the English Wikipedia. Regeneration 1915 poster

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* * *
Works by Walter Hackett
on Great War Theatre {{DEFAULTSORT:Hackett, Walter 1876 births 1944 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male dramatists and playwrights American male short story writers University of California alumni Writers from Oakland, California