''Personal Appearance'' (1934) is a stage

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

by the American

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Lawrence Riley (1896–1974), which was a

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 ...

smash and the basis for the classic

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

film ''

Go West, Young Man Go west, young man may refer to: * " Go West, young man", a quote often attributed to American author Horace Greeley concerning America's expansion westward Film and television * ''Go West, Young Man'' (1918 film), an American comedy western film ...

'' (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

). ''Personal Appearance'' was produced by the legendary Brock Pemberton (founder of the

Tony Awards 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 c ...

) and staged by

Antoinette Perry Mary Antoinette "Tony" Perry (June 27, 1888June 28, 1946) was an American actress and director, and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing. She is the eponym of the Tony Awards. Early life Born in Denver, Colorado, she spent her childhood asp ...

(in whose memory Pemberton named the

Tonys 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 c ...

). It opened in 1934 at New York's Henry Miller Theatre starring the famed stage and screen actress Gladys George (now remembered especially for her role as Miles Archer's spouse in the film '' The Maltese Falcon).'' Her comic performance contributed to making ''Personal Appearance'' a Broadway hit that lasted for 501 performances. It launched Riley's career as a

and remains his most famous play. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' characterized ''Personal Appearance'' in an October 18, 1934, review's headline as a "Satire of the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

Dementia." The play is set in the

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

backcountry, where Riley was originally from and where he long resided. It is the story of a movie star and

diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is cl ...

, Carole Arden, who is on a tour giving personal appearances to promote her latest film, ''Drifting Lady''. Her car breaks down, which leads to her encounter with a young and handsome gas station attendant, Chester Norton, played by Philip Ober. His fiancée's parents put Arden up for the night and Arden falls for Norton. But her down-to-earth press agent, Gene Tuttle, played by

Otto Hulett Otto Hulett (February 27, 1898 – September 1, 1983) was an American film, television and stage actor. Hulett was born in Chicago, Illinois. As an actor, he was best known for his roles in '' The Mob'' (1951), '' Saturday's Hero'' (1951), an ...

, foils her plans to bring Norton to Hollywood with her. This frothy and satirical entertainment epitomizes Pemberton's productions at the time: He was among those who advocated such escapist fare as needed psychological relief during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. This was in opposition to socially relevant stage productions, such as

Marc Blitzstein Marcus Samuel Blitzstein (March 2, 1905January 22, 1964), was an American composer, lyricist, and librettist. He won national attention in 1937 when his pro- union musical ''The Cradle Will Rock'', directed by Orson Welles, was shut down by the W ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

The Cradle Will Rock ''The Cradle Will Rock'' is a 1937 play in music by Marc Blitzstein. Originally a part of the Federal Theatre Project, it was directed by Orson Welles and produced by John Houseman. A Brechtian allegory of corruption and corporate greed, it i ...

'' (1937). ''Personal Appearances huge success only reinforced Pemberton in his opinion. In 1935,

Samuel French Samuel French (1821–1898) was an American entrepreneur who, together with British actor, playwright and theatrical manager Thomas Hailes Lacy, pioneered in the field of theatrical publishing and the licensing of plays. Biography French foun ...

(the English-speaking world's leading theatrical publisher) produced both a hardcover and a softcover edition of ''Personal Appearance: a New Comedy in Three Acts'' in Los Angeles and New York. ''Personal Appearance'' was adapted for the screen by Mae West as ''Go West, Young Man''. It was directed by

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgrou ...

and released by Paramount in

. In it, West reprises George's role but with a more callous and cynical slant. It was one of the rare instances, perhaps the first, in which West starred in a role not originally conceived for her. After launching

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

's career as a cowboy star four years earlier in ''Heritage of the Desert'', Hathaway cast him uncharacteristically as West's love interest in ''Go West, Young Man''. The film's success led to Riley's second successful career as a screenwriter—a somewhat ironical outcome, given ''Personal Appearances criticism of Hollywood.

References

"The Play: Satire of the Hollywood Dementia in ''Personal Appearance'' by Lawrence Riley"
* {{ibdb title, 11923

1934 plays Comedy plays