Jerome Kilty facts for kids

Jerome Timothy Kilty (born June 24, 1922, in Baltimore, Maryland – died September 6, 2012) was an American actor and playwright. He wrote many plays and acted a lot, both in the United States and in other countries. One of his most famous plays was Dear Liar: A Comedy of Letters.

Jerome Kilty's Career

Jerome Kilty wrote several well-known plays during his career. He also acted in many television shows.

The Play Dear Liar

Dear Liar, also known as Dear Liar: A Comedy of Letters, is a play written by Kilty. It was very popular in New York. The play is based on real letters exchanged between the famous writer George Bernard Shaw and the actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell. In the play, two actors pretend to be Shaw and Mrs. Campbell, reading their letters to each other.

The play was first performed in Chicago in 1957. It opened in New York on March 17, 1960, starring Katherine Cornell and Brian Aherne. In 1963, it was shown in London for the first time. After its London performances, Kilty and his wife, actress Cavada Humphrey, took the play on a world tour in 1964.

Dear Liar was also made into a movie in 1981. It was directed by Gordon Rigsby. Jane Alexander played Mrs. Patrick Campbell, and Edward Herrmann played George Bernard Shaw.

A French version of the play was written by Jean Cocteau. It was called Cher menteur, which also means "Dear Liar." This version was made into a film directed by Alexandre Tarta. It starred Edwige Feuillère as Mrs. Patrick Campbell and Jean Marais as George Bernard Shaw.

Other Plays Kilty Wrote

Some of Jerome Kilty's other notable plays include:

• Dear Love: This play tells a love story using the poems and letters of the famous poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
• The Ides of March: This play is about the important events that happened around the end of the Roman Empire.
• The Little Black Book: In this play, a lawyer falls in love with a woman he meets.
• Look Away: This play is based on the book Mary Todd Lincoln. It explores the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, who was the wife of President Abraham Lincoln, during a challenging time in her life. The play starred Geraldine Page. Even though it had a short run, Maya Angelou was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in it.

In the early days of American television, Jerome Kilty also acted in many TV shows. These included The United States Steel Hour, Kraft Television Theatre, The Alcoa Hour, Studio One, and Hallmark Hall of Fame.

World Tours with His Wife

Jerome Kilty and his wife, Cavada Humphrey, traveled the world performing Dear Liar: A Comedy of Letters. Their tour started in 1964. They were also the first acting pair to tour internationally with the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Controversy in South Africa

The play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was also performed in South Africa. The play's writer, Edward Albee, insisted that it should only be shown to audiences where people of all backgrounds could attend together.

The play opened in Port Elizabeth and then moved to Durban. It received many reviews, some positive and some negative. In Durban, some critics did not like the play. However, in Johannesburg, which was a more diverse city, the press was more supportive.

Some people who may or may not have seen the show wrote letters to the government expressing their strong opinions. Because of this, Jan de Klerk, who was then South Africa's Minister of the Interior, ordered that performances in Johannesburg be stopped temporarily. He wanted an official group to check if the play was "against public interest or good morals." This decision effectively banned the play for a time.

Jerome Kilty's Personal Life

Jerome Kilty was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His family had Irish roots on his father's side. He grew up on the Pala Indian Reservation in San Diego County, California.

On May 11, 1956, he married actress Cavada Humphrey (born June 17, 1919 – died July 11, 2007). Cavada was three years older than him. She passed away in 2007 at the age of 88. Jerome Kilty died on September 6, 2012.