Robert Hobart Davis (1869–1942) was a dramatist, journalist, and photographer from the U.S. He edited ''

Munsey's Magazine ''Munsey's Weekly'', later known as ''Munsey's Magazine'', was a 36-page quarto United States, American magazine founded by Frank Munsey, Frank A. Munsey in 1889 and edited by John Kendrick Bangs. Frank Munsey aimed to publish "a magazine of the pe ...

'' from 1904 until 1925 and was a

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...

for the ''

New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...

'' from 1925 to 1942 The

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

has a collection of his papers. His photographs include portraits of prominent people. Davis was born in Nebraska to Sylvia Nichols and George Ransome Davis. He grew up in

Carson City, Nevada Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on the ...

and began his career in newspapers there as a compositor at the '' Carson City Daily Appeal''. He also lived in San Francisco where he reported for the ''

San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...

'' and the '' Call and Chronicle'' before moving to

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 1895 and joining the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publi ...

'' and ''

New York Journal :''Includes coverage of New York Journal-American and its predecessors New York Journal, The Journal, New York American and New York Evening Journal'' The ''New York Journal-American'' was a daily newspaper published in New York City from 1937 t ...

''. He joined Frank A. Munsey Company papers in 1904. He was an influence on several authors who became famous and corresponded with many prominent people. He was part of the

Stevenson Society of America Stevenson is an English language patronymic surname meaning "son of Steven". Its first historical record is from pre-10th-century England. Another origin of the name is as a toponymic surname related to the place Stevenstone in Devon, England. Th ...

. He interviewed

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1926. He interviewed Angelo Capato.

Bibliography

*''We Are French!'' with Perley Poore Sheehan (1914) *''The Bugler of Algiers'' with Perley Poore Sheehan, George H. Doran Company, 1916 *''Efficiency : a play in one act (1917) *''Man Makes His Own Mask'' a book of his photographs *''Over my left shoulder : a panorama of men and events, burlesques and tragedies, cabbages and kings and sometimes W and Y'' *''Bob Davis recalls : Sixty true stories of love and laughter and tears'' *''Irvin S. Cobb, storyteller : with biographical particulars and notes on his books and who's Cobb and why?'' (1924) *''I Am the Printing Press'' (1930) *''Bob Davis at large'' *''Tree Toad; the autobiography of a small boy'' *''The caliph of Bagdad : being Arabian nights flashes of the life, letters, and work of O. Henry, William Sydney Porter'', co-wrote (1931) *''People, people everywhere; footprints of a wanderer (1936) *''Oriental odyssey; people behind the sun'' (1937) *''Canada cavalcade; the maple leaf dominion from Atlantic to Pacific'' (1937) *''Hawaii, U.S.A.'' illustrated with photographs with George Thomas Armitage (1941)

Discography

*" The Woodchuck Song" (1902), source of the phrase "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck" written for Fay Templeton in the musical

The Runaways The Runaways were an all-female American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. The band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are "Cherry Bomb", " Hollywood", "Queens of N ...

'' and rewritten by

Theodore Morse Theodore F. Morse (April 13, 1873 – May 25, 1924) was an American composer of popular songs. Biography Born in Washington, D.C., Morse was educated at the Maryland Military & Naval Academy. He went on to study both violin and piano. He and ...

for a 1904 song.Tim Gracyk, ''Bob Roberts - Tenor''
Retrieved 16 May 2013. *"Paradox" *"Lady Bountiful", lyrics

Filmography

*''

Whoopee! (film) ''Whoopee!'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code Comedy film, comedy musical film, musical Western (genre), western film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta, and Eleanor Hunt. It was photographed in ...

'', co-wrote screenplay *''

The Miracle Man (1932 film) ''The Miracle Man'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Sylvia Sidney and Chester Morris, and featuring Boris Karloff. It is a remake of the 1919 film of the same name starring Lon Chaney. The film w ...

'', co-wrote screenplay, an adaptation of

George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...

's 1914 play.

Bibliography

Discography

Filmography

References

Further reading