George S Kaufman

George S. Kaufman , 1889-1961, American dramatist and journalist, b. Pittsburgh as George Kaufman. As a drama critic for various New York newspapers he was influential in raising the standards of criticism in the theater. He collaborated on more than 40 plays, many of them tremendously successful, which varied in mood from the rowdy farces of his early days to his later more sophisticated comedies. His collaboration with Marc Connelly produced such plays as Merton of the Movies (1922) and Beggar on Horseback (1924) and was followed by collaborations with Ring Lardner — June Moon (1929)—and Edna Ferber — The Royal Family (1927), Dinner at Eight (1932), and Stage Door (1936). In 1932, Kaufman won the Pulitzer Prize for the musical Of Thee I Sing (1931), written with Morrie Ryskind, to a score by George Gershwin . Some of his most famous plays, containing some of his best wisecracking wit, were done in collaboration with Moss Hart , notably Once in a Lifetime (1930), Merrily We Roll Along (1934), You Can't Take It with You (1936; Pulitzer Prize), and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939). Among his later works are The Late George Apley (with J. P. Marquand, 1944) and The Solid Gold Cadillac (with Howard Teichmann, 1954). Kaufman directed several successful plays including The Front Page (1928), My Sister Eileen (1940), and Guys and Dolls (1950).

Bibliography: See Kaufman & Co.: Broadway Comedies (2004); biographies by S. Meredith (1974) and R. G. Pollack (1988).

Kaufman, George S. (1889–1961), American dramatist and director, whose first plays were written in collaboration with Marc Connelly. After venturing on his own with The Butter and Egg Man and The Cocoanuts (both 1925), Kaufman collaborated with Edna Ferber (1887–1968) in The Royal Family (1927) based on the lives of the Drews and the Barrymores; this was seen in England in 1934 as Theatre Royal. They later wrote other plays together, such as Dinner at Eight (1932; London, 1933) and Stage Door (1936). Collaboration with Moss Hart produced a number of light-hearted comedies, among them Once in a Lifetime (1930; London, 1933), a satire on Hollywood; Merrily We Roll Along (1934); You Can't Take it with You (1936; London, 1937), the most successful, which won the Pulitzer Prize; and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939; London, 1941), in which the leading character is reputedly based on Alexander Woollcott. Kaufman also wrote (usually in collaboration) many works for the musical stage, including the book for the Gershwins' Of Thee I Sing (1931), Rodgers and Hart's I'd Rather be Right, with Moss Hart (1937), and Cole Porter's Silk Stockings (1955). Known as ‘the Great Collaborator’, Kaufman was an expert technician and an excellent director, with a keen sense of satire and a thorough knowledge of the theatre. He directed not only many of his own works but also such varied productions as Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men (1937), Loesser's musical Guys and Dolls (1950), and Ustinov's Romanoff and Juliet (1957).

Kaufman, George Simon (1889–1961) US playwright. He collaborated with other writers, such as Edna Ferber on Stage Door (1936) and Moss Hart on You Can't Take It With You (1936) and The Man Who Came To Dinner (1939). He also contributed to Guys and Dolls (1950).