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Forbes, James
Forbes, James (1871–1938), playwright and director. Born in Canada, he moved to America to seek a career, first trying his hand as an actor, a press agent, and a drama critic for the Pittsburgh Dispatch and later for the New York World. Forbes found playwriting most congenial, so he began by writing vaudeville sketches. One of these was turned into his first produced full‐length play, the very popular The Chorus Lady (1906). Also successful were The Traveling Salesman (1908), The Commuters (1910), and The Show Shop (1914). When styles of playwriting began to change with the coming of World War I, Forbes attempted to change with them. His best play was the family drama The Famous Mrs. Fair (1919), followed by the less successful Endless Chain (1922), Young Blood (1925), Precious (1929), and Matrimony PFD (1936). Forbes was one of the founders of the Dramatists' Theatre. Admired in his own day for his pungent dialogue, he was also respected as a director. He staged all of his own plays along with several by other playwrights.
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Cite this article
Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Forbes, James." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Forbes, James." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-ForbesJames.html Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Forbes, James." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-ForbesJames.html |
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Forbes, James
Forbes, James (1871–1938), New York dramatist, whose early farces were succeeded by the more important social comedies, The Famous Mrs. Fair (1919) and The Endless Chain (1922), about 20th‐century standards in New York City.
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Cite this article
James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Forbes, James." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Forbes, James." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-ForbesJames.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Forbes, James." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-ForbesJames.html |
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