George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889 - June 2, 1961) was a playwright, director, producer, and drama critic most noted for his many collaborations with other writers. He co-authored MERTON OF THE MOVIES and BEGGAR ON HORSEBACK with Marc Connelly; JUNE MOON with Ring Lardner; THE ROYAL FAMILY, DINNER AT EIGHT and STAGE DOOR with Edna Ferber; a stage adaptation of Marquand's novel THE LATE GEORGE APLEY with John P. Marquand and THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC with Howard Teichmann. Possibly his most successful collaboration in the non-musical theatre was with Moss Hart, with whom he wrote several popular plays, including ONCE IN A LIFETIME, YOU CAN T TAKE IT WITH YOU, (Pulitzer Prize in 1936), and THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER whose lead character was based on critic and wit Alexander Woollcott. He wrote the play, THE BUTTER AND THE EGG MAN, (1925) alone.
Kaufman also collaborated on several musicals, including THE COCOANUTS, written with Irving Berlin for the Marx Brothers, ANIMAL CRACKERS, also written for the Marx Brothers with Morrie Ryskind, Bert Kalmar, and Harry Ruby, and OF THEE I SING (Pulitzer Prize, 1931) and LET EM EAT CAKE; with Ryskind and George Gershwin. The musical, STRIKE UP THE BAND was based on the book he wrote alone.
Kaufman was also a noted director who staged the original productions of THE FRONT PAGE by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht, OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinbeck, and the Frank Loesser musical GUYS AND DOLLS.
Kaufman produced many of his own plays as well as those of other writers, and his drama criticism was known for its wit. He wrote of one comedy, "There was laughter at the back of the theatre, leading to the belief that someone was telling jokes back there."
He was a member of the celebrated Algonquin Round Table, a circle of witty writers and show business people.
From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia.
