Laurence Stallings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laurence Stallings
Stallings c. 1918. Photo by Arnold Genthe. Note the Croix de Guerre.
Born	Laurence Tucker Stallings (1894-11-25)November 25, 1894 Macon, Georgia
Died	February 28, 1968(1968-02-28) (aged 73) Pacific Palisades, California
Occupation	Playwright novelist screenwriter
Notable works	Plumes What Price Glory
Notable awards	Croix de Guerre Silver Star Photoplay Gold Medal • The Big Parade (1925)
Spouse	Helen Purefoy Poteat Louise St. Leger Vance

Laurence Tucker Stallings (born November 25, 1894 – died February 28, 1968) was a talented American writer. He was a playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and novelist. He also wrote song lyrics and took photographs.

Stallings is most famous for his play What Price Glory, which he wrote with Maxwell Anderson in 1924. He also wrote an important book called Plumes. This book was about his own experiences serving in World War I. He also published an award-winning photo book called The First World War: A Photographic History.

Life Story

Early Years and Education

Laurence Tucker Stallings was born in Macon, Georgia. His father, Larkin Tucker Stallings, worked at a bank. His mother, Aurora Brooks Stallings, loved to read and inspired Laurence to love books too.

In 1912, he started attending Wake Forest University in North Carolina. While there, he became the editor of the campus literary magazine.

Military Service and Family

At Wake Forest, he met Helen Poteat. Her father was the university president. They were sweethearts throughout their school years. After graduating in 1916, Stallings wrote advertisements for a local military office. His own writing convinced him to join the United States Marine Reserve in 1917.

He traveled to France in April 1918 to serve in World War I. He was a platoon commander during the fighting at Château-Thierry. He was hurt in the leg during the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918. He spent two difficult years recovering in the hospital. Later, his leg had to be removed. Many years later, his other leg also needed to be removed.

After he recovered, Stallings and Helen Poteat married in March 1919. They had two daughters, Sylvia and Diana. They later divorced in 1936. In 1928–1929, they helped restore a historic home called Poteat House in North Carolina.

A year after his divorce, Stallings married Louise St. Leger Vance. She was his secretary at Fox Studios. They had two children, Laurence, Jr. and Sally.

Later Life and Passing

Laurence Stallings passed away from a heart attack in Pacific Palisades, California. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, near San Diego.

Career Highlights

Starting as a Journalist

Stallings and American film artist Raoul Walsh, who later directed the 1926 film version of What Price Glory, in 1918

After earning a Master of Science degree from Georgetown University, Stallings worked as a reporter and critic. He also became an entertainment editor at the New York World newspaper.

Success in Theatre

Stallings was very impressed by Maxwell Anderson's first play. They decided to work together and created What Price Glory. This play opened in New York City in 1924. It was a huge hit, running for 435 performances. It was so popular that it was later made into two movies.

Stallings and Anderson continued to write plays together, including The First Flight and The Buccaneer in 1925. Stallings also wrote the words and songs for the musical Deep River in 1926. He adapted Ernest Hemingway's famous novel A Farewell to Arms for the stage in 1930. He also helped write the musicals Rainbow and Virginia. He was part of the Algonquin Round Table, a famous group of writers and artists who met in New York City.

Writing for the Big Screen

Stallings's novel, Plumes, was published in 1924 and became very popular. It tells the story of a veteran named Richard Plume who is missing a leg and tries to adjust to life after the war. This book was turned into the successful movie The Big Parade in 1925. This film was MGM's highest-earning movie for many years.

Stallings was also a key writer for three great films by director John Ford. He wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for 3 Godfathers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and The Sun Shines Bright. He also wrote for other movies like Northwest Passage.

Later Works and World War II Service

Stallings's last book, The Doughboys: The Story of the AEF, 1917–1918, came out in 1963. This book is a true story about World War I. It also talks about the challenges faced by black troops during the war.

During World War II, Stallings was called back to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel. However, he did not serve overseas this time.

Major Works

Books

• Plumes, 1924
• Three American Plays, by Stallings and Maxwell Anderson (includes What Price Glory, First Flight, and The Buccaneer), 1926
• The First World War—A Photographic History, (edited by Stallings), 1933
• The Doughboys, 1963

Periodical Articles

• "Celluloid Psychology," New Republic, 1923
• "The Whole Art of a Wooden Leg," Smart Set, 1923
• "The Big Parade," New Republic, 1924
• "How a 'Great' Play Is Written," Current Opinion, 1924
• "Esprit de Corps," Scribner's, 1928
• "Turn Out the Guard," Saturday Evening Post, 1928
• "Gentleman in Blue," Saturday Evening Post, 1932
• "Return to the Woods," Collier's, 1932
• "Lt. Richard Plume Comes Home from the War," Scholastic, 1934
• "Bush Brigades and Blackamoors," American Mercury, 1936
• "The War to End War," American Heritage, 1959
• "Bloody Belleau Wood," American Heritage, 1963

Theatre Productions

• What Price Glory, by Stallings and Maxwell Anderson, New York, Plymouth Theatre, 1924
• First Flight, by Stallings and Anderson, New York, Plymouth Theatre, 1925
• The Buccaneer, by Stallings and Anderson, New York, Plymouth Theatre, 1925
• Deep River, New York, Imperial Theatre, 1926
• Rainbow, by Stallings and Oscar Hammerstein II, New York, Gallo Theatre, 1928
• A Farewell to Arms, New York, National Theatre, 1930
• Eldorado, by Stallings and George S. Kaufman, New Haven, 1931
• Virginia, by Stallings and Owen Davis, New York, Center Theatre, 1937
• The Streets Are Guarded, New York, Miller's Theatre, 1944

Screenplays (Movies)

• The Big Parade (M-G-M, 1925), story
• Old Ironsides (Paramount Famous Lasky, 1926), story
• Show People (M-G-M, 1928), story idea
• Billy the Kid (M-G-M, 1930), dialogue
• Way for a Sailor (M-G-M, 1930), screenplay and dialogue
• After Office Hours (M-G-M, 1935), story
• So Red the Rose (Paramount, 1935), screenplay
• Too Hot to Handle (M-G-M, 1938), screenplay
• Stand Up and Fight (M-G-M, 1939), additional dialogue
• The Man from Dakota (M-G-M, 1940), screenplay
• Northwest Passage (MGM, 1940), screenplay
• The Jungle Book (United Artists, 1942), screenplay
• Salome, Where She Danced (Universal, 1945), screenplay
• Christmas Eve (United Artists, 1947), story and screenplay
• A Miracle Can Happen (United Artists, 1948), screenplay
• 3 Godfathers (MGM, 1949), screenplay
• She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (RKO, 1949), screenplay
• The Sun Shines Bright (Republic, 1954), screenplay