George S. Kaufman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George S. Kaufman
George S. Kaufman in 1928
Born	George Simon Kaufman (1889-11-16)November 16, 1889 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Died	June 2, 1961(1961-06-02) (aged 71) New York City, US
Occupation	Playwright theatre director theatre producer/manager theatre performer humorist drama critic
Genre	Comedy, political satire
Notable works	Of Thee I Sing You Can't Take It with You
Notable awards	Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1932 and 1937) Tony Award Best Director (1951)
Spouse	Beatrice Bakrow ​ ​ (m. 1917; her death 1945)​ Leueen MacGrath ​ ​ (m. 1949; div. 1957)​

George Simon Kaufman (born November 16, 1889 – died June 2, 1961) was a very famous American writer, director, and producer for the theater. He was also a humorist and a drama critic, which means he wrote reviews about plays.

Kaufman wrote many comedies and plays that made fun of politics. He also created several musicals, including some for the famous Marx Brothers. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. The first time was in 1932 for the musical Of Thee I Sing. He won again in 1937 for the play You Can't Take It with You. He also won a Tony Award in 1951 for directing the musical Guys and Dolls.

Early Life and First Jobs

George S. Kaufman was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents were Joseph S. Kaufman and Nettie Meyers. He had two younger sisters, Ruth and Helen. His family was Jewish.

After finishing high school in 1907, he studied law for three months. But he didn't enjoy it. So, he tried different jobs, like selling silk and ribbons.

A Career in Writing and Theater

Kaufman started his writing career by sending funny stories to a newspaper column. He became friends with the column writer, Franklin P. Adams. This friendship helped him get his first newspaper job in 1912. He wrote a humor column for The Washington Times.

By 1915, he was reporting on theater for The New York Tribune. In 1917, Kaufman joined The New York Times newspaper. He became the drama editor and worked there until 1930. He took his job very seriously. Once, when asked how to get an actress's name in the Times, he jokingly said, "Shoot her."

Working in Theater

George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in 1937

George S. Kaufman's first play on Broadway was Someone in the House. It opened on September 4, 1918. He wrote this play with Walter C. Percival. It was a melodrama, which is a play with lots of exciting events and strong emotions.

The play opened during a serious flu epidemic. People were told to avoid crowds. Kaufman joked that the best way to avoid crowds in New York City was to go see his play!

Kaufman was very busy in the theater world. From 1921 to 1958, there was always a play he wrote or directed on Broadway. Even after he died in 1961, his plays were still performed. He wrote only one play by himself, called The Butter and Egg Man, in 1925.

He often worked with other writers. With Marc Connelly, he wrote plays like Merton of the Movies. With Edna Ferber, he wrote The Royal Family and Stage Door. He also wrote many famous comedies with Moss Hart. These include Once in a Lifetime and You Can't Take It with You. You Can't Take It with You won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937.

Musicals and Political Humor

Even though Kaufman said he didn't know much about music, he worked on many musicals. Two of his most successful musicals were for the famous Marx Brothers. These were The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers. The Marx Brothers were known for their silly and smart humor. Kaufman was great at writing funny lines for them.

One time, the composer Irving Berlin wanted to include his new song "Always" in The Cocoanuts. Kaufman didn't think it fit the play, so the song wasn't used. But "Always" later became a huge hit for Berlin!

Kaufman was very interested in using humor to talk about politics. He helped write the musical Of Thee I Sing. This musical won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. It was the first musical ever to win this award. He also worked on its sequel, Let 'Em Eat Cake.

Directing and Producing Plays

The Front Page (1928)

Of Mice and Men (1937), with Wallace Ford and Broderick Crawford

George S. Kaufman also directed many plays and musicals. A director helps actors perform and makes sure the play looks and sounds right. Some of the famous plays he directed include The Front Page (1928) and Of Mice and Men (1937).

He also directed the musical Guys and Dolls. For this, he won the Tony Award for Best Director in 1951. Besides directing, Kaufman also produced many plays. A producer helps manage the money and business side of a play. For a few years, he even owned and ran the Lyceum Theatre with Moss Hart and Max Gordon.

Movies and Television

Many of Kaufman's plays were made into movies. Some popular ones were Dinner At Eight and You Can't Take It with You. The movie version of You Can't Take It with You won the Best Picture Oscar in 1938.

Kaufman also wrote directly for movies sometimes. He wrote the screenplay for A Night at the Opera for the Marx Brothers. He directed only one movie, The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947).

From 1949 to 1952, he was a panelist on a CBS television series called This Is Show Business. Once, a comment he made on the show caused a stir. After this, he did not appear on TV again for more than a year.

Playing Bridge

Kaufman was a very good and well-known player of the card game contract bridge. He often wrote funny stories and jokes about the game. He was known for being impatient with players who weren't very good.

His first wife, Beatrice Bakrow Kaufman, also loved playing bridge. She even wrote an article about bridge for The New Yorker magazine.

Personal Life

In the 1920s, Kaufman was part of the Algonquin Round Table. This was a group of famous writers and show business people who met regularly. People knew Kaufman for his unique personality as much as for his writing.

His friend and collaborator, Moss Hart, described Kaufman as a serious person who didn't like showing too much emotion. Kaufman also loved New York City very much. He once said he never wanted to go anywhere he couldn't get back to Broadway by midnight!

Kaufman was married to his first wife, Beatrice, from 1917 until she died in 1945. They had one daughter, Anne. Four years later, he married actress Leueen MacGrath in 1949. They worked together on some plays before they divorced in 1957. George S. Kaufman passed away in New York City on June 2, 1961, when he was 71 years old.

Portrayals in Film

George S. Kaufman has been played by actors in several movies.

• David Thornton played him in the 1994 film Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.
• Jason Robards played him in the 1963 film Act One.
• Tony Shalhoub played him in the 2014 Broadway play based on Act One.
• Actor Adam Shapiro played Kaufman in the 2020 film Mank.

Awards

Images for kids

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  Beatrice Kaufman in 1934

See also

In Spanish: George S. Kaufman para niños