Firebrand, The

Firebrand, The (1924), a comedy by Edwin Justus Mayer.[Morosco Theatre, 287 perf.] Benvenuto Cellini ( Joseph Schildkraut) has purchased his beautiful model Angela ( Florence Mason) from her haggish mother for forty ducats. His plans to romance her, however, are frustrated by the arrival in his workshop of the flighty Duke of Florence ( Frank Morgan), who is instantly captivated by Angela and takes her to his palace. Cellini is in no position to argue since the sight of Angela has prompted the Duke to pardon Cellini for a murder he has committed. Moreover, Cellini has been having an affair with the Duchess ( Nana Bryant). Later, Cellini attempts to steal Angela away from the Duke but once again his plans are thwarted, so he must content himself with continuing to see the Duchess. Based loosely on an incident in Cellini's autobiography, the play was perceived as “racy” entertainment at a time when such plays were felt to demonstrate a new freedom and maturity on the stage. Edwin Justus MAYER (1896–1960), a New York native, was a newspaper reporter for many years and briefly an actor before writing this play. His drama Children of Darkness (1930) initially failed, but a 1958 revival by the Circle in the Square was a major success and forced a reevaluation of the play. Mayer was long active as a screenwriter. A musical version of The Firebrand titled The Firebrand of Florence, with songs by Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill, failed in 1945.