Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Paul Kester and the novel's author, George W. Cable. In 1911 he published ''Embers: And Other One-Act Plays''; it was among the earliest such collections published by an American. Middleton authored many one-act plays and was a known proponent of the form.
He collaborated with
Guy Bolton
Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical theatre, musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. B ...
several times. The comedy '' Polly With a Past'' (1917) was one of their successes, running for 315 performances and making a star of Ina Claire. A
film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
was made in 1920, and in 1929 the stage musical ''Polly'' was based on it. In 1919 they had another success with ''Adam and Eva'', selected by theater critic Burns Mantle as one of the best plays of 1919–1920. This play was also made into a
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
.
In addition to his original work, Middleton also translated French plays, and dramatized novels.
He was an early crusader for the rights of playwrights and was instrumental in the creation of the Minimum Basic Agreement and the subsequent 1926 battle to get theatrical managers to agree to its terms.
From 1927 to 1929 he was president of the Dramatists Guild of America. In 1947, he published a well-reviewed memoir, ''These Things are Mine''.
Personal
Middleton graduated from
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
and Belle Case La Follette. His wife was the inspiration for his one-act play ''Tradition''.
References
Further reading
*Weisberger, Bernard A., ''The La Follettes of Wisconsin Love and Politics in Progressive'', The University of Wisconsin Press, 1994.