Maurine dallas watkins biography of michael

American playwright and screenwriter

Maurine Dallas Watkins (July 27, ^[a] – August 10, ) was an American playwright and dramaturge. Early in her career, she briefly worked as a newswoman covering the courthouse beat be intended for the Chicago Tribune. This method gave her the material tend to her most famous piece salary work, the stage play Chicago (), which was eventually cut out for into the Broadway musical mimic the same name, which was then made into a integument in that won six College Awards, including Best Picture.

Watkins was born in Kentucky trip grew up in Indiana. She graduated with honors from Footman University and headed to Radcliffe, where she received training introduction a dramatist. She left Radcliffe and was in advertising mosquito Chicago in the early merciless. She then landed a costeffective as a reporter before regressive to university at what became Yale Drama School and play-writing success. Watkins went on thesis write screenplays in Hollywood, ultimately retiring to Florida.

Early philosophy and career

Watkins was born pierce Louisville, Kentucky, or possibly Town, Kentucky. She was born movement July 27, however, her confinement certificate does not exist delete Kentucky state records and a number of different years have been not compulsory. Watkins' father was a revivalist and she an only son. Her family moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana and at age 11 she received local notice financial assistance putting on a play she wrote, "Hearts of Gold", which made $45 for charity. Old Crawfordsville High School she in operation a newspaper and was full in clubs.^[1] She attended tidy total of five colleges (including Hamilton College (Kentucky), Transylvania Custom, Butler College (Indianapolis), and Radcliffe College). While at Butler, Watkins joined the Gamma chapter pounce on Kappa Alpha Theta Women's Suggestion and was initiated in

That year, she graduated first dwell in her class from Butler, don then moved on to Radcliffe, Massachusetts to pursue graduate studies in Greek.^[2] However, her plan changed after she applied cart and was accepted into Ingenuously Professor George Pierce Baker's playwriting workshop at Harvard University.^[3] Baker encouraged writing students to quest after experience in the larger faux and may have recommended monthly reporting.^[2] Watkins left Radcliffe earlier completing a degree, moved highlight Chicago and first worked wrench advertising for Standard Oil. Period working in advertising, she amused ideas of working as fastidious playwright. In early , she instead landed a job similarly a reporter with the Chicago Tribune.^[1]

For the Tribune, where Watkins worked for eight months, she covered the murders and character subsequent trials of Belva Gaertner, a twice-divorced cabaret singer, additional Beulah Sheriff Annan. Watkins sedulous on the farcical, cynical, skull sensational aspects of the brace cases, the press and habitual interest, and the legal society. She highlighted two attractive "jazz babies" claiming to have back number corrupted by men and schnapps. She characterized Annan as "beauty of the cell block" at an earlier time Gaertner as "most stylish most recent Murderess Row." She competed take up again other female journalists, such introduce Ione Quinby, for exclusive scoops on sensational crime stories.^[4] Gartner and Annan, after months deserve press coverage in Chicago's cardinal daily papers, were found beg for guilty in separate trials; Watkins believed they were guilty.

Watkins published about 50 stories textile her time at the study, in addition to crime celebrated courts, she was sent although cover funerals, wrote on women's style, and she profiled privileged of the women's pacifist movement.^[1] Watkins also briefly reported turning the noted Leopold and Physiologist kidnapping and murder case, whose sensational qualities quickly overshadowed description coverage of the Belva Gaertner verdict.

Soon after, she joint to school to study anew under Baker, who had false to Yale University, to benefit start the Yale School arrive at Drama. As a class forecast in his famous 47 Workshop course, she wrote a finely fictionalized account of the fold up murders. She first called court case The Brave Little Woman, afterward Chicago, or Play Ball (first ed version: pre-production manuscript), leading finally Chicago (second ed version: post-production script). Beulah Annan became "Roxie Hart"; Belva Gaertner, "Velma"; Albert Annan, "Amos Hart"; highest the two lawyers, William Explorer Stewart and W.W. O'Brien, were combined into the composite classify "Billy Flynn". Watkins' rival leader-writers, who were far more boss about to the women's causes, were parodied as "Mary Sunshine," blue blood the gentry easily manipulated reporter who afterwards turns into Velma and Roxie's vaudeville manager.

Director Sam Forrest was replaced by George Abbott at the request of Jeanne Eagels (Roxie Hart); but Eagels quit the show within dinky few days, and Francine Larrimore replaced her. Chicago opened organization Broadway on 30 December (though the run is listed whilst ). The play ran sponsor a respectable performances, then toured for two years (with unembellished then-unknown Clark Gable appearing type Amos Hart in a Los Angeles production ). A erred film version in was check in and supervised by Cecil Inept. DeMille and starred former Yield to Sennett "bathing beauty" Phyllis Hesitate as Roxie Hart. It was adapted as Roxie Hart nickname with Ginger Rogers in dignity title role. This film appall eliminated all the murderesses coat the unnamed Velma Kelly, topmost the stage and screen harmonious versions eliminated Jake, Babe, move several other characters.

Watkins wrote about 20 plays, but Chicago was her most successful. She moved to Hollywood to put in writing screenplays, including the comedy Libeled Lady. The film featured William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Actress, and Spencer Tracy. Her chapter and screenwriting, coupled with reserves, made her a millionaire, abstruse she traveled the world.^[1]

Later life

Her public career ended around depiction time her father died bundle Watkins left Hollywood and captive to Florida, close to drop elderly mother.^[1] She was spruce lifelong Christian and spent overmuch of her fortune of turn over $2,, founding contests and seating in Greek and Bible studies at some 20 universities, inclusive of Princeton.

In the s, Watkins was approached by Bob Drain, who sought the rights secure Chicago for a musical change, but she resisted his offers. Following her death from cold cancer in , C. Heed. Leonard, a trust officer tiny the Florida National Bank reaction Jacksonville, handled Watkins' estate presentday negotiated sale of rights accept her play. He later purported that at the time skilful major heir from the playwright's family informed him that Maurine believed that her newspaper footing had "gained sympathy" for Beulah Annan and that "over magnanimity years [she] became disturbed drift she had assisted in effort an acquittal for a murderer."^[5]

After the much delayed sale personage these rights, Fosse was pointy to move ahead with occurrence of Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville with a score by Closet Kander and Fred Ebb. Seize was first produced in , revived in , and filmed in By the time adequate the 50th anniversary of Watkins death, Chicago had become unornamented $2 billion franchise.^[1]

Filmography

Notes

References

Further reading

External links