Marcia Davenport facts for kids

Marcia Davenport (born Marcia Glick; June 9, 1903 – January 16, 1996) was an American writer and someone who wrote about music. She is most famous for her book about the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which came out in 1932. It was the first book about Mozart published in America. Marcia Davenport also wrote popular novels like The Valley of Decision and East Side, West Side. Both of these books were later made into movies.

Early Life and School

Marcia Glick was born in New York City on June 9, 1903. Her mother was a famous opera singer named Alma Gluck. Her family came from a Jewish background in Romania. When Marcia was about eight years old, her parents separated. Her mother then married Efrem Zimbalist, a well-known violinist. Through this marriage, Marcia gained two half-siblings, including Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who later became an actor.

Marcia often said her childhood felt very lonely, but she loved music and books. She always knew she wanted to be a writer. Her mother made her take piano lessons, even though Marcia wasn't very good at it.

As she grew up, Marcia traveled a lot with her parents. She went to different schools, including the Friends School in Philadelphia and the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr. She started college at Wellesley College. After two years, she left to marry her first husband, Frank Delmas Clarke, in Pittsburgh. After they divorced in 1925, she went to the University of Grenoble in France to finish her college degree.

Marcia Davenport's Career

After her divorce in 1925, Marcia Davenport got a job writing ads to support herself and her daughter. From 1928 to 1930, she worked for The New Yorker magazine.

Later, from 1934 to 1939, she became a music critic for Stage magazine. This meant she wrote reviews and articles about music. She also talked about the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on the radio from 1936 to 1937. Because her mother was an opera singer and her stepfather was a violinist, Marcia had many connections to the world of classical music.

Writing About Mozart

In 1930, Marcia Davenport traveled to Prague to learn more about the life of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 1932, she published her first book, called Mozart. This book was the first biography of Mozart ever published in America. People loved the book, and it is still being printed today. It is considered her most famous work.

Her Novels

In 1936, Davenport published her novel, Of Lena Geyer. This story is about an opera singer, told from the viewpoints of people who knew her well. Many believe that Marcia got the idea for this book from her own mother, Alma Gluck, who was a famous opera singer.

In 1942, Davenport published her most popular fiction book, The Valley of Decision. This is a historical story about the Scott family, who owned an iron works in Pittsburgh. The story follows them from 1873 up to the time of World War II. Marcia had lived in Pittsburgh after her first marriage, and she used that experience for her book. Parts of the book also take place in Prague in the 1930s, showing how the city changed as Nazi Germany became more powerful.

In 1947, her book East Side, West Side was published and also became a best-seller.

Her memoir, Too Strong for Fantasy (1967), tells the story of her life. It describes the people she met, the music she loved, the places she lived, and the political events that shaped her. It also talks about her close friendship with the Czech diplomat Jan Masaryk.

Movies Based on Her Books

Two of Marcia Davenport's novels were made into movies by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. These were The Valley of Decision and East Side, West Side.

The Valley of Decision starred famous actors like Greer Garson and Gregory Peck. The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards, including one for Best Actress for Greer Garson.

East Side, West Side starred James Mason, Barbara Stanwyck, and Ava Gardner.

Another one of her books, My Brother's Keeper (1954), was considered for a movie many times, but it was never made.

Radio Work

During the 1930s, Marcia Davenport was a regular speaker on the radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera. She continued to appear on radio shows sometimes in later years. In the 1940s, she was part of many radio discussion shows. On January 23, 1943, while on a show called The People's Platform, one of her fellow panelists, Alexander Woollcott, had a heart attack and sadly passed away shortly after.

In 1967, Davenport appeared on an NBC radio program. She spoke about the famous Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, with whom she had a close relationship.

Personal Life

Marcia Davenport married Frank Delmas Clarke in April 1923. Their daughter, Patricia, was born in 1924. They divorced in 1925.

On May 13, 1929, she married Russell Davenport and changed her name to Marcia Davenport. Russell Davenport soon became the editor of Fortune magazine. They had enough money and often traveled to Europe together. They had homes in places like Milan, Lake Como, Salzburg, and Vienna. Marcia Davenport once said in an interview that Russell even gave her a lion as a gift! Marcia and Russell Davenport had a daughter named Cornelia in 1934. Their marriage ended in 1944.

During the later part of the time when Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia, Marcia Davenport became a close friend of the Czech statesman, Jan Masaryk. Marcia lived in Prague with Masaryk from 1945 to 1948. After some big political changes in Czechoslovakia, she returned to London. She and Masaryk planned to get married once he could join her. However, just a few days later, he was found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Death

In her final years, Marcia Davenport lived in Pebble Beach, California. She passed away on January 16, 1996, at a hospital in Monterey. She was 92 years old. She was survived by her younger daughter, Cornelia, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Marcia Davenport's writings and papers are kept at the University of Pittsburgh and the Library of Congress.

Honors

There is a special plaque dedicated to Marcia Davenport at Loretánská Street 13 in Prague.

Works

Non-fiction

• Mozart (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932)
• Garibaldi: Father of Modern Italy (New York: Random House, 1956)
• Too Strong for Fantasy (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1967) (Her life story)
• Jan Masaryk: Posledni Portret (Czechoslovakia: 1990) (Her life story)

Fiction

• Of Lena Geyer (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936)
• The Valley of Decision (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1942)
• East Side, West Side (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1947)
• My Brother's Keeper (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1954)
• The Constant Image (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1960)