James Avery Hopwood (May 28, 1882 – July 1, 1928) was an American playwright of the Jazz Age. He had four plays running simultaneously 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 Stree ...

in 1920.

Early life

Hopwood was born to James and Jule Pendergast Hopwood on May 28, 1882, in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, Ohio. He graduated from Cleveland's West High School in 1900. In 1901, he began attending the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

. However, his family experienced financial difficulties, so for his second year he transferred to

Adelbert College Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve was established in 1967, when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 and named for its location i ...

. He returned to the University of Michigan in the fall of 1903, and graduated

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

in 1905.

Career

Hopwood started out as a journalist for the ''Cleveland Leader'' as its New York correspondent, but within a year had his first play, ''Clothes'' (1906), produced on Broadway, with the aid of playwright Channing Pollock. Hopwood eventually became known as "The Playboy Playwright"Jim Beave
Biography for Avery Hopwood
at

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

and specialized in comedies and farces, some of them with material considered risqué at the time. One play, ''

The Demi-Virgin ''The Demi-Virgin'' is a three- act play written by Avery Hopwood. Producer Albert H. Woods staged it on Broadway, where it was a hit during the 1921–22 season. The play is a bedroom farce about former couple Gloria Graham and Wally Deane, b ...

'' in 1921, prompted a court case because of its suggestive subject matter, including a risque game of cards, "Stripping Cupid". The case was dismissed. His many plays included ''Nobody's Widow'' (1910), starring

Blanche Bates Blanche Bates (August 25, 1873 – December 25, 1941) was an American actress. Early years Bates was born in Portland, Oregon, while her parents (both of whom were actors) were on a road tour. As an infant, she traveled with them on a t ...

; '' Fair and Warmer'' (1915), starring

Madge Kennedy Madge Kennedy (April 19, 1891 – June 9, 1987) was a stage, film and TV actress whose career began as a stage actress in 1912 and flourished in motion pictures during the silent film era. In 1921, journalist Heywood Broun described her as "the ...

(filmed in 1919); '' The Gold Diggers'' (1919), starring

Ina Claire Ina Claire (born Ina Fagan; October 15, 1893February 21, 1985) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Ina Fagan was born October 15, 1893 in Washington, D.C. After the death of her father, Claire began doing imitations of fellow bo ...

in New York and

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...

in London; (filmed in 1923 as '' The Gold Diggers'', in 1928 as ''

Gold Diggers of Broadway ''Gold Diggers of Broadway'' is a 1929 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Winnie Lightner and Nick Lucas. Distributed by Warner Bros., the film is the second all-talking, all-Technicolor feature-lengt ...

'' and also as ''

Gold Diggers of 1933 ''Gold Diggers of 1933'' is a pre-Code Warner Bros. musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics), staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. It stars Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline M ...

''); '' Ladies' Night'', 1920, starring

Charlie Ruggles Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was an American comic character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the e ...

(filmed in 1928); the famous mystery play '' The Bat'' (with

Mary Roberts Rinehart Mary Roberts Rinehart (August 12, 1876September 22, 1958) was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie.Keating, H.R.F., ''The Bedside Companion to Crime''. New York: Mysterious Press, 1989, p. 170. Rinehart published her fir ...

), 1920 (filmed in 1926 as '' The Bat'', in 1930 as '' The Bat Whispers,'' and in 1959 as '' The Bat''); '' Getting Gertie's Garter'' (with

Wilson Collison Wilson Collison (November 5, 1893 – May 25, 1941) was a writer and playwright. Early years Wilson Collison was the son of John B. Collison, a clerk in the City Engineer's Office, and Mary E. Gardner. Wilson Collison abandoned plans to bec ...

), 1921, starring

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. ...

(filmed in 1927 and 1945); ''

'', 1921, also starring Dawn; ''The Alarm Clock'', 1923, translated from the French; ''The Best People'' (with David Gray), 1924 (filmed in

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...

and as '' Fast and Loose'' in 1930 with

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to " talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

); the song-farce ''Naughty Cinderella'', 1925, starring

Irene Bordoni Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United State ...

and ''The Garden of Eden'' in 1927, with

in London and

Miriam Hopkins Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930. Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...

in New York; (filmed in 1928 as '' The Garden of Eden'').

Personal life

In 1906, Hopwood was introduced to writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten. The two became close friends and were sometimes sexual partners. In the 1920s Hopwood had a tumultuous and abusive romantic relationship with fellow Cleveland-born playwright John Floyd. Although Hopwood announced to the press in 1924 that he was engaged to vaudeville dancer and choreographer

Rosa Rolanda Rosa Rolanda (Rosemonde Cowan; Rose Rolando; Mrs. Miguel Covarrubias; September 6, 1895 – March 25, 1970) was an American multidisciplinary artist, dancer, and choreographer. Biography Rolanda was born in Azusa, California, in 1895. Her father, ...

, Van Vechten confirmed in later years that it was a publicity stunt. Rolanda would later marry caricaturist Miguel Covarrubias. On the evening of July 1, 1928, at

Juan-les-Pins Juan-les-Pins (; oc, Joan dei Pins) is a town in the commune of Antibes in the Alpes-Maritimes department in Southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera, it is situated between Nice and Cannes, to the southwest of Nice Côte d'Azur Air ...

on the French Riviera, Hopwood suffered a fatal heart attack while swimming. He was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland. His mother, Jule Hopwood, inherited a large trust from him, but he had not made arrangements for the disposition of other items, including literary rights. While she was working through the legal issues with his estate, Jule Hopwood fell ill and died on March 1, 1929. She was buried next to her son.

Legacy

Hopwood's plays were very successful commercially, but they did not have the lasting literary significance he hoped to achieve.

Hopwood Award

The terms of Hopwood's will left a substantial portion of his estate to his alma mater, the University of Michigan, for the establishment of the Avery Hopwood and Jule Hopwood Creative Writing Awards. The bequest stipulated: "It is especially desired that students competing for prizes shall be allowed the widest possible latitude, and that the new, the unusual, and the radical shall be especially encouraged." Famous Hopwood award winners include

Robert Hayden Robert Hayden (August 4, 1913February 25, 1980) was an American poet, essayist, and educator. He served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1976 to 1978, a role today known as US Poet Laureate. He was the first African-Ameri ...

Marge Piercy Marge Piercy (born March 31, 1936) is an American progressive activist and writer. Her work includes '' Woman on the Edge of Time''; '' He, She and It'', which won the 1993 Arthur C. Clarke Award; and ''Gone to Soldiers'', a New York Times Best ...

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

Betty Smith Betty Smith (born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner; December 15, 1896 – January 17, 1972) was an American playwright and novelist, who wrote the 1943 bestseller '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn''. Early years Smith was born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner on Dec ...

Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the '' Star Wars'' films '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), '' Return of the Jedi'' (1983), '' The Force Awakens'' (2015), and '' Solo: A Star Wars ...

John Ciardi John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

Mary Gaitskill Mary Gaitskill (born November 11, 1954) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. Her work has appeared in ''The New Yorker'', ''Harper's Magazine'', ''Esquire'', ''The Best American Short Stories'' (1993, 2006, 2012, 2020), and ...

, Edmund White, Nancy Willard,

Frank O'Hara Francis Russell "Frank" O'Hara (March 27, 1926 – July 25, 1966) was an American writer, poet, and art critic. A curator at the Museum of Modern Art, O'Hara became prominent in New York City's art world. O'Hara is regarded as a leading figure i ...

, and Steve Hamilton.

''The Great Bordello''

Throughout his life, Hopwood worked on a novel that he hoped would "expose" the strictures the commercial theater machine imposed on playwrights, but the manuscript was never published. Jack Sharrar recovered the manuscript for this novel in 1982 during his research for ''Avery Hopwood, His Life and Plays''. The novel was published in July 2011 by Mondial Books (New York) as ''The Great Bordello, a Story of the Theatre''.

Works

* ''Clothes'' (1906) with Channing Pollock * ''This Woman and This Man'' (1909) * '' Seven Days'' (1909) with

* ''Judy Forgot'' (1910) * ''Nobody's Widow'' (1910) * ''Somewhere Else'' (1913) * '' Fair and Warmer'' (1915) Remains popular in Germany (''Der Mustergatte'') and Scandinavia (''Gröna hissen '') * ''

Sadie Love ''Sadie Love'' is a lost 1919 American silent comedy film distributed by Paramount Pictures (as Famous Players-Lasky Corporation) and directed by John S. Robertson. It is based on a 1915 stage play of the same name by Avery Hopwood and st ...

'' (1915) * ''Our Little Wife'' (1916) * ''Double Exposure'' (1918) * ''Tumble In'' (1919, musical version of ''Seven Days'') * '' The Gold Diggers'' (1919) * ''

The Girl in the Limousine ''The Girl in the Limousine'' is a 1924 American comedy film starring Larry Semon and featuring Oliver Hardy. The film is based on the 1919 play of the same name by Wilson Collison and Avery Hopwood. Plot Cast Preservation With no prints ...

'' (1919) with

* '' Ladies' Night'' (1920) with

Charlton Andrews Charlton Andrews (February 1, 1878 – August 13, 1939) was an American educator and writer whose works include the hit Broadway theatre, Broadway play ''Ladies' Night (play), Ladies' Night''. Early life Andrews was born on February 1, 1878 in Con ...

* '' Spanish Love'' (1920, Adaptation of ''María del Carmen'' by Josep Feliu i Codina) with Mary Roberts Rinehart * '' The Bat'' (1920) with Mary Roberts Rinehart * '' Getting Gertie's Garter'' (1921) with Wilson Collison * ''

'' (1921) * ''Why Men Leave Home'' (1922) * ''Little Miss Bluebeard'' (1923, Adaptation of ''Kisasszony férje'' by Gábor Drégely) * ''The Alarm Clock'' (1923, Adaptation of ''La Sonnette d'alarme'' 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), hims ...

and

Romain Coolus René Max Weill (25 May 1868 – 9 September 1952), who used the pseudonym Romain Coolus, was a French novelist, dramatist and film scriptwriter. Biography Works Theater * 1893 : ''Le Ménage Brésile'' (first play), one-act comedy, at ...

) * ''The Best People'' (1924) with David Gray * ''The Harem'' (1924) with

Ernest Vajda Ernest Vajda (born Ernő Vajda; 27 May 1886 in Komárno, Austria-Hungary, today Slovakia – 3 April 1954 in Woodland Hills, California) was a Hungarian actor, playwright, and novelist, but is more famous today for his screenplays. He co-wrote t ...

* ''Naughty Cinderella'' (1925, Adaptation of ''Pouche'' by René Peter and ) * ''The Garden of Eden'' (1927, Adaptation of ''Der Garten Eden'' by

Rudolf Bernauer Rudolf Bernauer (20 January 1880, in Vienna – 27 November 1953, in London) was an Austrian lyricist, librettist, screenwriter, film director, producer, "Rudolph Bernauer" (aka Rudolf Bernauer), IMDb, 2009, webpageIMDb-76587 and actor. His ...

and

Rudolf Österreicher Rudolf Österreicher, also ''Rudolf Oesterreicher'', (19 July 1881 in Vienna – 23 October 1966 idem) was an Austrian writer, librettist, comedy author, author of cabaret texts and biographer. From 1945 to 1947 he was director of the .

)

Filmography

* ''Clothes'' (1914, based on ''Clothes'') * ''Judy Forgot'' (1915, based on ''Judy Forgot'') * ''Our Little Wife'' (1918, based on ''Our Little Wife'') * ''

'' (1919, based on ''Sadie Love'') * '' Fair and Warmer'' (1919, based on ''Fair and Warmer'') * '' Guilty of Love'' (1920, based on ''This Woman and This Man'') * ''

Clothes Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...

'' (1920, based on ''Clothes'') * ''The Little Clown'' (1921, based on ''The Little Clown'') * '' The Gold Diggers'' (1923, based on ''The Gold Diggers'') * ''

Why Men Leave Home ''Why Men Leave Home'' is a 1924 American silent comedy-drama film directed by John M. Stahl directed and stars Lewis Stone and Helene Chadwick. Produced by Louis B. Mayer and released through First National Pictures (then known as Associated ...

'' (1924, based on ''Why Men Leave Home'') * ''

'' (1924, based on ''The Girl in the Limousine'') * ''

Miss Bluebeard ''Miss Bluebeard'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bebe Daniels. It is based on a play, ''Little Miss Bluebeard'', by Avery Hopwood. Synopsis Larry Charters is a composer who is visiting Paris, and i ...

'' (1925, based on ''Little Miss Bluebeard'') * ''

The Best People ''The Best People'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Warner Baxter in the leading role. The film was remade in 1930 as '' Fast and Loose ...

'' (1925, based on ''The Best People'') * '' The Bat'' (1926, based on ''The Bat'') * ''

Good and Naughty ''Good and Naughty'' is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and starring Pola Negri and Tom Moore. It was based on the play ''Naughty Cinderella'' by Henri Falk and René Peter. Released in 1926, it is a ...

'' (1926, based on ''Naughty Cinderella'') * ''Nobody's Widow'' (1927, based on ''Nobody's Widow'') * ''Getting Gertie's Garter'' (1927, based on ''Getting Gertie's Garter'') * '' The Garden of Eden'' (1928, based on ''The Garden of Eden'') * ''

Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath ''Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline. It is based on the 1920 play '' Ladies' Night'' by Charlton Andrews and Avery Hopwood. It was released on April 1, 1928 by First National Pic ...

'' (1928, based on ''Ladies' Night'') * ''

'' (1929, based on ''The Gold Diggers'') * ''

Her Wedding Night ''Her Wedding Night'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by Avery Hopwood and Henry Myers. The film stars Clara Bow, Ralph Forbes, Charlie Ruggles, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, Geneva Mitchell and Ros ...

'' (1930, based on ''Little Miss Bluebeard'') ** '' Let's Get Married'' (France, 1931, based on ''Little Miss Bluebeard'') ** ''Su noche de bodas'' (Spain, 1931, based on ''Little Miss Bluebeard'') ** ''Ich heirate meinen Mann'' (Germany, 1931, based on ''Little Miss Bluebeard'') ** ''A Minha Noite de Núpcias'' (Portugal, 1931, based on ''Little Miss Bluebeard'') * '' Fast and Loose'' (1930, based on ''The Best People'') * '' The Bat Whispers'' (1930, based on ''The Bat'') * ''

This Is the Night This Is the Night may refer to: Film * ''This Is the Night'' (1932 film), an American pre-Code comedy film, Cary Grant's feature film debut * ''This Is the Night'' (2021 film), an American drama film Music * "This Is the Night", fourth track on ...

'' (1932, based on ''Naughty Cinderella'') * ''

'' (1933, based on ''The Gold Diggers'') * ''

Night of the Garter ''Night of the Garter'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Sydney Howard, Winifred Shotter and Elsie Randolph. The film was made at British and Dominion's Elstree Studios by the producer Herbert Wilcox for rel ...

'' (UK, 1933, based on ''Getting Gertie's Garter'') * '' The Model Husband'' (Germany, 1937, based on ''Fair and Warmer'') * ''Unsere kleine Frau'' (Germany, 1938, based on ''Our Little Wife'') ** ''Mia moglie si diverte'' (Italy, 1938, based on ''Our Little Wife'') * ' (Sweden, 1944, based on ''Fair and Warmer'') * '' Getting Gertie's Garter'' (1945, based on ''Getting Gertie's Garter'') * '' Painting the Clouds with Sunshine'' (1951, based on ''The Gold Diggers'') * ' (Sweden, 1952, based on ''Fair and Warmer'') * '' The Model Husband'' (West Germany, 1956, based on ''Fair and Warmer'') * '' The Bat'' (1959, based on ''The Bat'') * '' The Model Husband'' (Switzerland, 1959, based on ''Fair and Warmer'') * ' (Denmark, 1961, based on ''Fair and Warmer'') * '' Den grønne heisen'' (Norway, 1981, based on ''Fair and Warmer'')

References

Works cited

* * * *

External links

* * * * *
Mary Roberts Rinehart at University of Pittsburgh digital library
– includes material on her collaboration with Hopwood {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopwood, Avery 1882 births 1928 deaths American gay writers LGBT dramatists and playwrights LGBT people from Ohio University of Michigan alumni American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Writers from Cleveland 20th-century American male writers