John Patrick (dramatist)
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John Patrick (May 17, 1905November 7, 1995) was an American playwright and screenwriter.


Biography

He was born John Patrick Goggin in Louisville, Kentucky. His parents soon abandoned him, and he spent a delinquent youth in foster homes and boarding schools. At age 19, he secured a job as an announcer at KPO Radio in San Francisco, California, marrying Mildred Legaye in 1925. He wrote over 1,000 scripts for the '' Cecil and Sally'' radio program (originally titled ''The Funniest Things''), broadcast between 1928 and 1933. The show's sole actors were Patrick and Helen Troy. In 1937, Patrick wrote adaptations for NBC's ''Streamlined Shakespeare'' series, guest-starring Helen Hayes. Produced on a tight budget, his first play, ''Hell Freezes Over'', directed by Joshua Logan, had a brief run on Broadway in 1935. However, the credit opened the door for him as a Hollywood scriptwriter. In 1942, a second play, ''The Willow and I'', was produced with
Martha Scott Martha Ellen Scott (September 22, 1912 – May 28, 2003) was an American actress. She was featured in major films such as Cecil B. DeMille's ''The Ten Commandments'' (1956), and William Wyler's '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), playing the mother of Charlto ...
and Gregory Peck in the starring roles. Before its first night, Patrick had volunteered for the
American Field Service AFS Intercultural Programs (or AFS, originally the American Field Service) is an international youth exchange organization. It consists of over 50 independent, not-for-profit organizations, each with its own network of volunteers, professional ...
providing medical services in support of the British Army fighting World War II. He served with Montgomery's Eighth Army in Egypt and subsequently saw action in India and Burma where the ideas for his next play ''The Hasty Heart'' were germinated. Patrick completed the play on the ship that returned him to the U.S. after the war, and it proved a great commercial success, being adapted for the screen in 1949, with Ronald Reagan as the star and for TV in 1983. His next two plays, ''
The Curious Savage ''The Curious Savage'', written by John Patrick, is a comedic play about Ethel P. Savage, an elderly woman whose husband recently died and left her approximately ten million dollars. Contrasting the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients w ...
'' (1950) and ''Lo and Behold'' (1951), fared less well, but it was his 1953 stage adaptation of Vern J. Sneider's novel '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' that marked the height of his fame, winning both the Pulitzer Prize and
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for drama. He adapted the play for the screen in 1956 and for the musical stage under the title ''
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen ''Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen'' is a musical with a book by John Patrick and music and lyrics by Stan Freeman and Franklin Underwood. Overview The musical is based on Patrick's 1953 play and screenplay '' The Teahouse of the August Moon''. I ...
'' in 1970. In 1954, he wrote the screenplay for the movie '' Three Coins in the Fountain'' and inInternet Movie Database 1955, he adapted the autobiographical book ''A Many-Splendoured Thing'' by
Han Suyin Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou (; 12 September 1917 or 1916 – 2 November 2012) was a Chinese-born Eurasian physician and author better known by her pen name Han Suyin (). She wrote in English and French on modern China, set her novels in East a ...
, for the movie '' Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing''. His next play, ''Good as Gold'' (1957), was less well received, and most of the rest of his career was dedicated to a series of successful screenwriting assignments. Following his success with ''The Hasty Heart'', Patrick bought the estate Hasty Hill at Suffern, New York. He later moved to Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. On November 7, 1995, the 90-year-old playwright was found dead in his room with a plastic bag over his head. His death was ruled a suicide. Patrick is now best remembered for his screen work though his plays remain popular with community theatres. The John Patrick Collection, including the playwright's books, letters, and manuscripts is held at the Rare Book Department of Boston University.


Works


Theatre productions

* ''Hell Freezes Over'', 28 December 1935, Ritz Theatre, New York, NY * ''The Willow and I'', 10 December 1942, Windsor Theatre, New York, NY * ''The Hasty Heart'', 3 January 1945, Hudson Theatre, New York, NY * ''The Story of Mary Surratt'', 8 February 1947, Henry Miller's Theatre, New York, NY * ''
The Curious Savage ''The Curious Savage'', written by John Patrick, is a comedic play about Ethel P. Savage, an elderly woman whose husband recently died and left her approximately ten million dollars. Contrasting the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients w ...
'', 24 October 1950, Martin Beck Theatre, New York, NY * ''Lo and Behold!'', 12 December 1951, Booth Theatre, New York, NY * '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'', adapted from Vern Sneider's novel, 15 October 1953, Martin Beck Theatre, New York, NY * ''Good as Gold'', 7 March 1957,
Belasco Theatre The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 an ...
, New York, NY * ''Juniper and the Pagans'', 10 December 1959, Colonial Theatre, Boston, MA * ''Everybody Loves Opal'', 11 October 1961, Longacre Theatre, New York, NY * ''It's Been Wonderful'', September 1966, Albuquerque Little Theatre, Albuquerque, NM * ''Scandal Point'', September 1967, Albuquerque Little Theatre, Albuquerque, NM * ''Everybody's Girl'', September 1968, Albuquerque Little Theatre, Albuquerque, NM * ''Love Is a Time of Day'', 22 December 1969, Music Box Theatre, New York, NY * ''A Barrel Full of Pennies'', 12 May 1970, Playhouse on the Mall, Paramus, NJ * ''Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen'', 28 December 1970, Majestic Theatre, New York, NY * ''Opal Is a Diamond'', 27 July 1971, Flat Rock Playhouse, Flat Rock, NC * ''The Savage Dilemma'', 19 May 1972, Long Beach Community Theatre, Long Beach, CA * ''The Dancing Mice'', June 1972, Berea Summer Theatre, Berea, OH * ''Macbeth Did It'', July 1972, Flat Rock Playhouse, Flat Rock, NC * ''The Enigma'', 12 June 1973, Berea Summer Theatre, Berea, OH * ''Opal's Baby'', 26 June 1973, Flat Rock Playhouse, Flat Rock, NC * ''Roman Conquest'', 25 July 1973, Berea Summer Theatre, Berea, OH * ''A Bad Year for Tomatoes'', 1974, John Patrick Dinner Theatre at the You Are Cabaret Dinner Theatre, North Royalston, OH * ''Divorce, Anyone?'', 1975, John Patrick Dinner Theatre at the You Are Cabaret Dinner Theatre, North Royalston, OH * ''Opal's Husband'', 1975, Flat Rock Playhouse, Flat Rock, NC * ''Noah's Animals'', 1975, Berea Summer Theatre, Berea, OH * ''Suicide, Anyone?'', 1976, Fortuna Theatre Club, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands * ''People!'', October 1976, John Patrick Dinner Theatre at the You Are Cabaret Dinner Theatre, North Royalston, OH * ''Opal's Million Dollar Duck'', 1979, School of Performing Arts, St Thomas, Virgin Islands * ''Girls of the Garden Club'', July 1979, Berea Summer Theatre, Berea, OH * ''That's Not My Father'', 1979, Fortuna Theatre Club, St Thomas, Virgin Islands * ''The Savage Dilemma'', 13 March 2018, Titirangi Community Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand * ''The Curious Savage'', 13 December 2018, Abraham Lincoln High School, San Francisco, CA


Screenplays

* ''
Charlie Chan at the Race Track ''Charlie Chan at the Race Track'' is the 12th film in the 20th Century Fox-produced Charlie Chan series starring Warner Oland in the title role. Plot When a prominent racehorse owner winds up dead-allegedly kicked to death by his prized stall ...
'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936 * '' Educating Father'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936 * ''
36 Hours to Kill ''36 Hours to Kill'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Eugene Forde, written by Lou Breslow and John Patrick, and starring Brian Donlevy, Gloria Stuart, Douglas Fowley, Isabel Jewell, Stepin Fetchit and Julius Tannen. It is based on the ...
'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936 * ''High Tension'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936 * '' Midnight Taxi'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * ''Dangerously Yours'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * '' The Holy Terror'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * ''Time Out For Romance'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * ''Sing and Be Happy'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * '' Born Reckless'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * ''One Mile From Heaven'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * ''Big Town Girl'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * ''Up the River Heaven'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937 * ''Look Out, Mr. Moto'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1938 * ''Five of a Kind'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1938 * '' International Settlement'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1938 * ''Battle of Broadway'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1938 * '' Mr. Moto Takes a Chance'', Twentieth Century-Fox, 1938 * ''
High Society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...
'', adapted from Philip Barry's play, '' The Philadelphia Story'', MGM, 1956 * '' Teahouse of the August Moon'', MGM, 1956 * '' Les Girls'', adapted from Vera Caspary's novel, MGM, 1957 * ''
Some Came Running ''Some Came Running'' is a novel by James Jones, published in 1958. It was Jones's second published novel, following his award-winning debut '' From Here to Eternity''. It is the story of a war veteran with literary aspirations who returns in ...
'', adapted from James Jones's novel, MGM, 1958 * ''
The World of Suzie Wong ''The World of Suzie Wong'' is a 1957 novel by British writer Richard Mason. The main characters are Robert Lomax, a young British artist living in Hong Kong, and Suzie Wong, the title character, a Chinese woman who works as a prostitute. ...
'', adapted from Paul Osborn's play and Richard Mason's novel, Paramount, 1960 * '' Parrish'', adapted from Mildred Savage's novel, for Warner Brothers, 1961 * '' Gigot'', adapted from Jackie Gleason's story, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1962 * '' The Main Attraction'', MGM-Seven Arts, 1963 * ''
The Shoes of the Fisherman The Shoes of the Fisherman may refer to: * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (novel), a 1963 novel by the writer Morris West * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (film), a 1968 film based on the novel {{disambiguation ...
'', adapted from Morris West's novel, MGM, 1968


Television scripts

* " Teahouse of the August Moon," ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', NBC, 1962 * "The Small Miracle," adapted from Paul Gallico's short story, ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', NBC, 1973


Publications

* ''The Willow and I'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1943) * ''The Hasty Heart'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1945) * ''The Story of Mary Surratt'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1947) * ''The Curious Savage'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1951) * ''Lo and Behold!''; A New Comedy in Three Acts (New York: S. French, 1952) * ''The Teahouse of the August Moon'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1957) * ''Everybody Loves Opal'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1962) * ''It's Been Wonderful'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1966) * ''Everybody's Girl; a Comedy in Three Acts'', (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1968) * ''Scandal Point; a Play in Three Acts'', (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1969) * ''Love Is a Time of Day'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1970) * ''A Barrel Full of Pennies: A Comedy in Two Acts'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1971) * ''Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen'' (New York: S. French, 1971) * ''Anybody Out There'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1972) * ''Divorce--Anyone?: Three One Act Plays'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1976) * ''Noah's Animals: A Musical Allegory in Three Acts'' (New York: S. French, 1976) * ''Suicide--Anyone?: Three One Act Plays'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1976) * ''The Girls of the Garden Club: A Comedy in Three Acts'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1980) * ''Opal's Million Dollar Duck'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1980) * ''People!: Three One Act Plays'' (New York: S. French, 1980) * ''That's Not My Mother: Three One Act Plays'' (New York: S. French, 1980) * ''The Magenta Moth: A Play in Three Acts'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1983) * ''The Reluctant Rogue, or, Mother's Day: A Play'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1984) * ''Cheating Cheaters: A Comedy'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1985) * ''The Gay Deceiver: A Play in Three Acts'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1988) * ''The Doctor Will See You Now: Four One-Act Plays'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1991) * ''Dirty Ditties'' (New York: Penguin, 1996) * ''A Bad Year for Tomatoes'' (New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1975)


Awards and nominations

*
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination for Best Writing, Original Motion Picture Story for ''
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' is a 1946 American film noir drama directed by Lewis Milestone from a screenplay written by Robert Rossen (and an uncredited Robert Riskin), based on the short story "Love Lies Bleeding" by playwright John Pa ...
'' (1946).''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) - nominations
at Oscars.org


Sources

* *


Notes


External links

* * *
''Teahouse of the August Moon'' tribute site embracing novel, play and film

Patrick, John (1905-1995)
at the
Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center The Mugar Memorial Library is the primary library for study, teaching, and research in the humanities and social sciences for Boston University. It was opened in 1966. Stephen P. Mugar, an Armenian immigrant who was successful in the grocery b ...
,
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patrick, John 1905 births 1995 suicides Suicides by asphyxiation Writers from Louisville, Kentucky Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Suicides in Florida 1995 deaths