Philip Hart Dunning (December 11, 1889 – July 20, 1968) was a playwright and theatrical producer.

Early years and education

Dunning, one of six children, was the son of John M. Dunn, an electrochemist, and Mary Dunn.

Theater and films

Dunning began his career at age 12 as an extra and a carnival magician, and enlisted in the Navy during World War I. President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

having made up his mind to visit Europe, Dunning was assigned to the SS ''George Washington'' to keep the President's party and the officers and crew in a happy frame of mind. One of his shipboard hits was a farce called ''Uncle Tom's Stateroom''. The President enjoyed it and wrote his appreciation and signature on his program as a memento for Dunning. One of the acts, ''Every Sailor'', ran for 65 consecutive weeks in vaudeville after the war. Dunning collaborated with

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...

to create ''

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 ...

'', one of the most successful plays of the 1920s. Dunning and Abbott produced ''

Twentieth Century The 20th (twentieth) century began on January 1, 1901 (1901, MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 (2000, MM). The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu, Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and ...

'', the Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur satire on the theater. Dunning served in the Navy during World War II and produced the all-Navy show ''Biff! Bang!'' He worked in Hollywood for

Darryl Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...

as a screenwriter.

Death

Dunning and his wife had been swimming at Westport's Compo Beach. Upon their return home, Dunning complained of shortness of breath. He died of a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...

on the way to

Norwalk Hospital Norwalk Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute care community teaching hospital in the Hospital Hill section of Norwalk, Connecticut. The hospital serves a population of 250,000 in lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. The 366-bed hospital has more ...

and is interred in Assumption Cemetery,

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census. History ...

.''Bridgeport Post'' obituary

References

External links

* *
Philip Dunning papers, 1912-1968
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunning, Philip H. 1889 births 1968 deaths American theatre managers and producers American entertainment industry businesspeople People from Meriden, Connecticut 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Burials in Connecticut