''Quinneys'' is a comedy-drama play by the British writer
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.
Biography
Born in Sydenham, Kent on 30 October 1861, he was educated at Harrow and ...
, which was first staged in 1914. It was a major hit on its release and went on to become one of the author's most successful plays. However, despite its popularity in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
the play met with a lukewarm reception when it opened in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in 1915. It focuses on Joseph Quinney the endearing but stubborn head of a family firm of
antiques dealer
An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
s whose firm views cause problems for his relatives and friends.
The play's success led Vachell to write a series of novels following on the adventures of the family.
[Cohen p.160]
Film adaptations
The play was twice turned into silents films. ''
Quinneys'' (1919) directed by
Herbert Brenon
Herbert Brenon (born Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon; 13 January 1880 – 21 June 1958) was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through the 1930s.
Brenon was among the early film ...
and ''
Quinneys'' (1927) directed by
Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...
.
In 1948 the BBC produced a 90 minute television adaptation.
References
Bibliography
* Bordman, Gerald. ''American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama 1914-1930''. Oxford University Press, 1996.
*
Cohen, Deborah. ''Household Gods: The British And Their Possessions''. Yale University Press, 2006.
External links
''Quinneys''at
IMDb
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, ...
1914 plays
British plays adapted into films
Plays set in England
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