Avery Hopwood

Avery Hopwood. He was a prolific and commercially successful American playwright of the early 20th century, whose farces and melodramas dominated Broadway during the 1910s and 1920s. His work, characterized by witty dialogue and sensational plots, made him one of the highest-paid writers of his era and a defining figure of American theatre in the Jazz Age. Though his critical reputation faded, his influence on popular entertainment endured through numerous film adaptations and the legacy of the Avery Hopwood Award.

Early life and education

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of a newspaper editor, which fostered an early interest in writing. He attended the University of Michigan, where he studied under Professor Fred Newton Scott and became deeply involved in campus literary life. While at Michigan, he wrote for and edited the campus humor magazine, the Gargoyle, and had his first plays produced by the university's dramatic society. This formative period solidified his ambition to pursue a career in the theatre, leading him to move to New York City shortly after graduation.

Career and major works

His Broadway career began with modest success but skyrocketed with a series of hits that captured the spirit of the Roaring Twenties. He developed a fruitful collaboration with director and producer David Belasco on several early plays. His major commercial triumphs included the scandalous farce The Gold Diggers, which explored the lives of showgirls and was adapted into a famous Warner Bros. pre-Code musical film series, and the thriller The Bat, co-written with Mary Roberts Rinehart, which became a classic of the mystery genre. Other notable successes were The Demi-Virgin, Ladies' Night, and The Best People, often produced by the Shubert Organization. At his peak, he had four simultaneous hits running on Broadway, a feat covered extensively by newspapers like The New York Times.

Personal life and legacy

He was a prominent, flamboyant figure in New York City social circles and was known to be homosexual, a fact discreetly acknowledged within his theatrical milieu during an era of widespread secrecy. He maintained a long-term relationship with actor and dancer John H. Hazzard. His sudden death by drowning off the coast of the French Riviera in Juan-les-Pins sent shockwaves through the American theatre community. His most enduring legacy is the Avery Hopwood Award, established by his will at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, which has provided crucial support and recognition to generations of aspiring writers, including such future luminaries as Arthur Miller, Marge Piercy, and Lawrence Kasdan.

Awards and honors

The primary award bearing his name is the Avery Hopwood Award, one of the most prestigious and financially significant literary prizes in the United States, administered annually by the University of Michigan. While he did not receive major contemporary awards like the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, his commercial success was unparalleled; in 1920, it was reported that his earnings from royalties exceeded those of any other American writer. His contributions to theatre are recognized in historical surveys of Broadway and studies of Jazz Age culture.

Selected works

* Clothes (1906) * Seven Days (1909) * Nobody's Widow (1910) * The Gold Diggers (1919) * The Bat (with Mary Roberts Rinehart, 1920) * The Demi-Virgin (1921) * Why Men Leave Home (1922) * Little Miss Bluebeard (1923) * Ladies' Night (1924) * The Best People (1924) * The Garden of Eden (1927)

Category:American playwrights Category:1882 births Category:1928 deaths