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George S. Kaufman
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George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889 – June 2, 1961) was an American playwright, theater director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals for the Marx Brothers and others. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical Of Thee I Sing (with Morrie Ryskind and Ira Gershwin) in 1932, and won again in 1937 for the play You Can't Take It with You (with Moss Hart). He also won the Tony Award for Best Director in 1951 for the musical Guys and Dolls.

Key Information

Early years

[edit]

George S. Kaufman was born to Joseph S. Kaufman, a hatband manufacturer,[1] and Nettie Meyers[2] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He had a younger sister, Ruth.[1] His other sister was Helen, nicknamed "Helse". Kaufman's family was Jewish. He graduated from high school in 1907 and studied law for three months. He grew disenchanted and took on a series of odd jobs,[3] selling silk[1] and working in wholesale ribbon sales.[4]

Career

[edit]

Kaufman began contributing humorous material to the column that Franklin P. Adams wrote for the New York Mail. He became close friends with Adams, who helped him get his first newspaper job—humor columnist for The Washington Times—in 1912. By 1915 he was a drama reporter on The New York Tribune, working under Heywood Broun. In 1917 Kaufman joined The New York Times, becoming drama editor and staying with the newspaper until 1930.[4]

Kaufman took his editorial responsibilities seriously. According to legend, on one occasion a press agent asked: "How do I get our leading lady's name in the Times?" Kaufman: "Shoot her."[5]

Theater

[edit]
George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in 1937

Kaufman's Broadway debut was September 4, 1918, at the Knickerbocker Theatre, with the premiere of the melodrama Someone in the House.[6][7] He coauthored the play with Walter C. Percival, based on a magazine story written by Larry Evans.[8] The play opened on Broadway (running for only 32 performances) during that year's serious flu epidemic, when people were being advised to avoid crowds. With "dour glee", Kaufman suggested that the best way to avoid crowds in New York City was to attend his play.[9]

Every Broadway season from 1921 through 1958 had a play written or directed by Kaufman. Since Kaufman's death in 1961,[9] revivals of his work on Broadway were produced in the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 2000s, and the 2010s.[7] Kaufman wrote only one play alone, The Butter and Egg Man in 1925.[10] With Marc Connelly, he wrote Merton of the Movies, Dulcy, and Beggar on Horseback; with Ring Lardner, he wrote June Moon; with Edna Ferber, he wrote The Royal Family, Dinner at Eight, and Stage Door; with John P. Marquand, he wrote a stage adaptation of Marquand's novel The Late George Apley; and with Howard Teichmann, he wrote The Solid Gold Cadillac. According to his biography on PBS, "he wrote some of the American theater's most enduring comedies" with Moss Hart.[11] Their work includes Once in a Lifetime (in which he also performed), Merrily We Roll Along, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and You Can't Take It with You, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937.[12]

For a period, Kaufman lived at 158 West 58th Street in New York City. The building later was the setting for Stage Door.[13] It is now the Park Savoy Hotel, and for many years was considered a single room occupancy hotel.[14]

Musical theater

[edit]

Despite his claim that he knew nothing about music and hated it in the theater, Kaufman collaborated on many musical theater projects. His most successful of such efforts include two Broadway shows crafted for the Marx Brothers, The Cocoanuts, written with Irving Berlin, and Animal Crackers, written with Morrie Ryskind, Bert Kalmar, and Harry Ruby. According to Charlotte Chandler, "By the time Animal Crackers opened ... the Marx Brothers were becoming famous enough to interest Hollywood. Paramount signed them to a contract".[15] Kaufman was one of the writers who excelled in writing intelligent nonsense for Groucho Marx, a process that was collaborative, given Groucho's skills at expanding upon the scripted material. Though the Marx Brothers were notoriously critical of their writers, Groucho and Harpo Marx expressed admiration and gratitude towards Kaufman. Dick Cavett, introducing Groucho onstage at Carnegie Hall in 1972, told the audience that Groucho considered Kaufman to be "his god".

While The Cocoanuts was being developed in Atlantic City, Irving Berlin was hugely enthusiastic about including the song "Always", which he had written as a wedding present for his bride.[a] Kaufman was less enthusiastic, and refused to rework the libretto to include this number. The song ultimately became a huge hit for Berlin, recorded by many popular performers. According to Laurence Bergreen, "Kaufman's lack of enthusiasm caused Irving to lose confidence in the song, and 'Always' was deleted from the score of The Cocoanuts – though not from its creator's memory. ... Kaufman, a confirmed misogynist, had had no use for the song in The Cocoanuts, but his disapproval did not deter Berlin from saving it for a more important occasion."[19] The Cocoanuts would remain Irving Berlin's only Broadway musical – until his last one, Mr. President – that did not include at least one eventual hit song.

Kaufman recalled the matter differently. In an article in Stage magazine, he recalled that Berlin woke him up at 5 am one morning to play a new song he had just written. "Even my deficient musical sense recognized that here was a song that was going to be popular. I listened to it two or three times, then took a stab at it myself, and as dawn came up over the Atlantic, Irving and I were happily singing 'Always' together—its first performance on any stage. I went back to bed a happy man, and stayed happy until rehearsals started, when it turned out that 'Always' had not been written for our show at all, but purely for Irving's music-publishing house. In its place in The Cocoanuts was a song called 'A Little Bungalow,' which we never could reprise in Act Two because the actors couldn't remember it that long."[20]

Humor derived from political situations was of particular interest to Kaufman. He collaborated on the hit musical Of Thee I Sing, which won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize, the first musical so honored,[12] and its sequel Let 'Em Eat Cake, as well as one troubled, but eventually successful, satire that had several incarnations, Strike Up the Band. Working with Kaufman on these ventures were Ryskind, George Gershwin, and Ira Gershwin. Also, Kaufman, with Moss Hart, wrote the book to I'd Rather Be Right, a musical starring George M. Cohan as Franklin Delano Roosevelt (the U.S. president at the time), with songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. He also co-wrote the 1935 comedy-drama First Lady. In 1945, Kaufman adapted H.M.S. Pinafore into Hollywood Pinafore.

Kaufman also contributed to major New York revues, including The Band Wagon (which shared songs but not plot with the 1953 film version) with Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. His often-anthologized sketch "The Still Alarm" from the revue The Little Show lasted long after the show closed. Another well-known sketch of his is "If Men Played Cards as Women Do". Also, musicals have been based on Kaufman properties, such as the 1981 musical version of Merrily We Roll Along, adapted by George Furth and Stephen Sondheim.[21] The musical Sherry! (1967) was based on his play The Man Who Came to Dinner.[22]

Directing and producing

[edit]
The Front Page (1928)
Of Mice and Men (1937), with Wallace Ford and Broderick Crawford

Kaufman directed the original or revival stage productions of many plays and musicals, including The Front Page by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht (1928), Of Thee I Sing (1931 and 1952), Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (1937), My Sister Eileen by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov (1940), Hollywood Pinafore (1945), The Next Half Hour (1945), Park Avenue (1946, also co-wrote the book), Town House (1948), Bravo! (1948, also co-wrote the script), Metropole (1949), the Frank Loesser musical Guys and Dolls, for which he won the 1951 Best Director Tony Award, The Enchanted (1950), The Small Hours (1951, also co-wrote the script), Fancy Meeting You Again (1952, also co-wrote the script), The Solid Gold Cadillac (1953, also co-wrote the script), and Romanoff and Juliet by Peter Ustinov (1957).[7]

Kaufman produced many of his own plays, as well as those of other writers. For a short time, from circa 1940 to 1946, Kaufman, with Moss Hart and Max Gordon, owned and operated the Lyceum Theatre.[23]

Film and television

[edit]

Many of Kaufman's plays were adapted into Hollywood and British films. Among the more well-received were Dinner At Eight, Stage Door (almost completely rewritten by others for the film version) and You Can't Take It with You (changed significantly by others for the film version), which won the Best Picture Oscar in 1938, and The Dark Tower. He also occasionally wrote directly for the movies, most significantly the screenplay for A Night at the Opera for the Marx Brothers. His only credit as a film director was The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947) starring William Powell.

From 1949 until midway through the 1952–1953 season, he appeared as a panelist on the CBS television series This Is Show Business.[24][25] Kaufman made a remark about the excessive airing of "Silent Night" during the Christmas season, "Let's make this one program", he said, "on which no one sings 'Silent Night'." The resulting public outcry prompted his dismissal by CBS.[26] In response, Fred Allen said, "There were only two wits on television: Groucho Marx and George S. Kaufman. Without Kaufman, television has reverted to being half-witted."[27] It would be more than a year before Kaufman appeared on TV again.[26]

Bridge

[edit]

Kaufman was a prominent player of bridge, probably both auction bridge and contract bridge. The New Yorker published many of his humorous items about the card game; at least some have been reprinted more than once, including:

  • "Kibitzers' Revolt" [when?] and the suggestion that bridge clubs should post notice whether the North–South or the East–West pairs are holding good cards.[28]
  • Kaufman was notoriously impatient with poor players. One such partner asked permission to use the men's room, according to legend, and Kaufman replied: "Gladly. For the first time today I'll know what you have in your hand."[28][29]
  • On sitting South: (1) "No matter who writes the books or articles, South holds the most terrific cards I ever saw. There is a lucky fellow if ever I saw one."[30] (2) Oswald Jacoby reported a deal that Kaufman played marvelously in 1952, after which he cracked, "I'd rather sit South than be the President."[28]
  • On coffeehousing, "I'd like a review of the bidding with all the original inflections."[31]

His first wife Beatrice Bakrow Kaufman was also an avid bridge player, and an occasional poker player with Algonquin men, who wrote at least one New Yorker article on bridge herself, in 1928.[32]

Personal life

[edit]
Beatrice Kaufman in 1934

In the 1920s, Kaufman was a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a circle of writers and show business people. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Kaufman was as well known for his personality as he was for his writing.[citation needed] In the Moss Hart autobiography Act One, Hart portrayed Kaufman as a morose and intimidating figure, uncomfortable with any expressions of affection between human beings—in life or on the page. Hart writes that Max Siegel said: "Maybe I should have warned you. Mr Kaufman hates any kind of sentimentality—can't stand it!"[33] This perspective, along with a number of taciturn observations made by Kaufman himself, led to a simplistic but commonly held belief that Hart was the emotional soul of the creative team while Kaufman was a misanthropic writer of punchlines. Kaufman preferred never to leave Manhattan. He once said: "I never want to go any place where I can't get back to Broadway and 44th by midnight."[34]

Called "Public Lover Number One", he dated several prominent actresses on Broadway.[35] Kaufman found himself in the center of a scandal in 1936 when, in the midst of a child custody suit, the former husband of actress Mary Astor threatened to publish one of Astor's diaries purportedly containing extremely explicit details of an affair between Kaufman and the actress.[35] The diary was eventually destroyed by the court, unread, in 1952, but details of the supposed contents were published in Confidential magazine, Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger (both always have been considered unreliable sources)[36][37] and in various other questionable publications. Some of the sexually explicit portions of Mary Astor's writing about Kaufman were reprinted in New York magazine in 2012 and Vanity Fair magazine in 2016.[38][39] Kaufman had an affair with actress Natalie Schafer during the 1940s.[40]

Kaufman joined the theater club The Lambs in 1944.[41]

Kaufman was married to his first wife Beatrice from 1917 until her death in 1945.[32][42] They had one daughter, Anne Kaufman (Booth).[32] Four years later, on May 26, 1949, he married actress Leueen MacGrath,[43] with whom he collaborated on a number of plays before their divorce in August 1957. Kaufman died in New York City on June 2, 1961, at the age of 71.[4] His granddaughter, Beatrice Colen, was an actress who had recurring appearances on both Happy Days and Wonder Woman.[44]

In 1979, Donald Oliver compiled and edited a collection of Kaufman's humorous pieces, with a foreword by Dick Cavett.[45]

Portrayals

[edit]

Kaufman was portrayed by the actor David Thornton in the 1994 film Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle[46] and by Jason Robards in the 1963 film Act One. In the 2014 Broadway adaptation of the latter by James Lapine, he was played by Tony Shalhoub.

The title character of the 1991 Coen brothers film Barton Fink, who is a playwright, bears a strong physical resemblance to Kaufman.[47]

Kaufman is portrayed in the film Mank by actor Adam Shapiro.[48]

Awards

[edit]
Awarding institution Award title Year Production Results Notes
Pulitzer Prize Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1932 Of Thee I Sing Won Won award in collaboration of Morris Ryskind, Ira Gershwin
Pulitzer Prize Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1937 You Can't Take It With You Won Award won in collaboration with Moss Hart
Tony Awards Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical 1951 Guys and Dolls Won

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

George S. Kaufman

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George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889 – June 2, 1961) was an American , director, , and satirist. Born in , , to Joseph S. Kaufman and Nettie Meyers, he began his career as a before transitioning to theater, where he became known as "The Great Collaborator" for co-authoring over 40 Broadway plays with partners including , , , and Morrie Ryskind. Kaufman directed 43 Broadway productions and earned two Pulitzer Prizes for : the first in 1932 for the satirical musical , co-written with Ryskind and featuring music by and lyrics by , marking the initial Pulitzer awarded to a musical; and the second in 1937 for You Can't Take It with You, co-authored with Hart. His works, characterized by incisive humor and social commentary, included enduring comedies such as The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939) with Hart, Dinner at Eight (1932) with Ferber, and Once in a Lifetime (1930) with Connelly, many of which critiqued American society and politics while achieving commercial success on Broadway. Kaufman's influence extended through his involvement with the , sharpening his wit amid literary peers, and his role in shaping mid-20th-century American stage comedy, though he faced unsubstantiated accusations of communist sympathies during the , from which he was cleared.

Early Life

Family and Childhood in Pittsburgh

George Simon Kaufman was born on November 16, 1889, in , , to Joseph S. Kaufman, a hatband manufacturer and unsuccessful merchant, and Henrietta (Nettie) Meyers, members of a middle-class Jewish family of German descent. The family's financial instability stemmed from Joseph's repeated business failures, leading to frequent moves within and periods of residing in substandard housing. Kaufman had one younger sister, Ruth, and the household reflected the modest circumstances typical of many immigrant-influenced Jewish communities in late-19th-century industrial . During his childhood, Kaufman attended local public schools, where he developed an early interest in writing and performance, though the family's economic pressures limited formal opportunities beyond . He graduated from high school in 1907, amid a upbringing marked by the practical demands of supporting a struggling household rather than cultural pursuits. These early experiences in Pittsburgh's working-class Jewish milieu, characterized by resilience amid entrepreneurial setbacks, shaped his pragmatic worldview, though he later distanced himself from overt ethnic affiliations in his professional life.

Education and Initial Journalism Career

Kaufman attended public schools in , , and , following his family's relocations during his childhood. He graduated from high school in in 1907. Shortly thereafter, he briefly enrolled in the law school at Western University of Pennsylvania (now the ) in 1907 but departed after three months, finding the pursuit unappealing. In 1909, Kaufman relocated to New York City, forgoing further formal education to support himself through various odd jobs, including a stint as a ribbon salesman. He soon gravitated toward writing, contributing humorous pieces to the satirical column "The Conning Tower" edited by Franklin P. Adams in the New York Tribune, which provided early exposure for his wit. Adams, recognizing his talent, facilitated Kaufman's first full-time newspaper position in 1912 as a humor columnist for The Washington Times. Kaufman's journalistic roles expanded in New York, where he transitioned into theater coverage; by 1917, he served as a drama reporter for The New York Times and quickly advanced to drama critic, a position he held until 1930. These years immersed him in Broadway's ecosystem, sharpening his observational skills and forging connections that later propelled his playwriting career, though his reviews were noted for their acerbic, unsparing style.

Theatrical Career

Early Plays and Breakthrough Collaborations (1910s–1920s)

Kaufman's debut as a playwright on Broadway came in 1918 with Someone in the House, co-written with Larry Evans and Walter C. Percival, which opened on September 9 at the Knickerbocker Theatre and closed after 32 performances. This modest effort, a melodrama involving safecracking, provided early experience but limited recognition. Breakthrough arrived through partnership with , beginning with Dulcy in 1921, a three-act depicting the meddlesome Dulcinea Smith's bungled , which premiered on August 18 at the Frazee Theatre and achieved 246 performances. The play's success, drawing from Franklin P. Adams's column character, highlighted Kaufman's knack for sharp domestic satire. Subsequent Connelly collaborations included To the Ladies!, opening February 20, 1922, at the Liberty Theatre for 143 performances, a battle-of-the-sexes set in business and home life. The duo's Merton of the Movies, an adaptation of Harry Leon Wilson's novel satirizing aspirations, debuted November 13, 1922, at the Cort Theatre and ran 398 performances, cementing Kaufman's reputation for Hollywood parody. Beggar on Horseback followed in 1924, premiering February 12 at the for 224 performances; this expressionist fantasy critiqued through a composer's nightmarish vision of wealth. Venturing solo, Kaufman penned The Butter and Egg Man in 1925, a lampooning theatrical producers and , which opened September 23 at the and garnered 243 performances. Later 1920s works expanded his collaborators: with , The Royal Family (1927) thinly veiled the Barrymore acting dynasty in a 345-performance hit; with , The Front Page (1928) delivered rapid-fire newsroom satire, running 276 performances and drawing from Kaufman's journalistic roots. These productions, blending , social observation, and structural innovation, propelled Kaufman to Broadway prominence.

Peak Achievements and Political Satire (1930s)

The 1930s represented the zenith of George S. Kaufman's theatrical influence, characterized by prolific collaborations and critical acclaim, including two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. His partnership with Moss Hart, initiated with Once in a Lifetime—a satire on the Hollywood transition to talking pictures—debuted on September 24, 1930, at the Music Box Theatre, achieving 305 performances under Kaufman's direction and featuring his own supporting role as a playwright. This collaboration yielded further successes, such as Merrily We Roll Along in 1934 and You Can't Take It with You in 1936, the latter earning the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for its depiction of eccentric family life amid economic pressures. Kaufman's directorial hand shaped these works, contributing to their commercial viability and enduring appeal on Broadway. Kaufman's engagement with political satire peaked with Of Thee I Sing, co-authored with Morrie Ryskind and set to music by with lyrics by , which premiered in 1931 as the first musical to win the in 1932. The production lampooned American presidential campaigns through absurd scenarios, including a candidate's platform centered on love as a national policy, critiquing electoral gimmickry and public gullibility without descending into partisan advocacy. Contemporary reviews hailed it as a "stinging satire of national politics," underscoring its coherence as a play amid musical elements, though some noted a shift to conventional comedy in its resolution. This work exemplified Kaufman's ability to blend humor with pointed observation of democratic processes, influencing subsequent political musicals like its sequel Let 'Em Eat Cake in 1933. These achievements solidified Kaufman's reputation as a Broadway linchpin, with his plays often running hundreds of performances and adapting critiques of contemporary society—economic folly in You Can't Take It with You or political theater in Of Thee I Sing—into commercially viable entertainment. His output during the decade, frequently co-directed or supervised, reflected a mastery of comedic structure that prioritized narrative drive over ideological imposition, earning accolades from theater databases and estates as foundational to American stage comedy.

Later Directing and Producing (1940s–1950s)

In the 1940s and 1950s, George S. Kaufman shifted emphasis toward directing and occasional producing on Broadway, helming over 20 productions amid a mix of commercial successes and failures. This period marked a transition from his earlier prominence as a , with Kaufman applying his sharp comedic instincts to staging works by others, including comedies, musicals, and revivals. His direction often emphasized precise timing and satirical edge, contributing to hits that solidified his influence on mid-century theater. Kaufman opened the decade directing George Washington Slept Here, his final collaboration with , a about a New York couple renovating a rundown home; it premiered October 18, 1940, and ran 173 performances at the Lyceum Theatre. Later that year, he staged My Sister Eileen by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, adapted from Ruth McKenney's stories about two sisters navigating life in ; opening December 26, 1940, at the Biltmore Theatre, it achieved 764 performances, bolstered by Kaufman's taut pacing of its ensemble humor. He also co-produced the short-lived musical revue Mr. Big (6 performances, September 30–October 4, 1941), demonstrating his selective involvement in producing. Other 1940s efforts included directing The Doughgirls (366 performances, 1942–1944), a wartime , and Over 21 (172 performances, 1944), but many ventures like The Naked Genius (35 performances, 1943) and The Next Half Hour (7 performances, 1945) closed quickly, reflecting the era's competitive landscape. The 1950s brought Kaufman's most acclaimed directorial triumphs, notably Guys and Dolls, the Frank Loesser musical with book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, depicting gamblers and missionaries in New York; premiering November 24, 1950, at the 46th Street Theatre, it ran 1,200 performances and earned Kaufman the 1951 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. He also directed the revival of his own Of Thee I Sing (May 5–July 5, 1952, 72 performances) and the corporate satire The Solid Gold Cadillac by Howard Teichmann and George S. Kaufman (co-written with Teichmann), which opened November 5, 1953, and amassed 720 performances through its incisive portrayal of business manipulation. Later works included Romanoff and Juliet by Peter Ustinov (392 performances, October 10, 1957–September 13, 1958), a Cold War-era comedy he guided to solid reception. Despite intermittent flops such as The Small Hours (24 performances, 1951), Kaufman's selective hits underscored his enduring skill in elevating scripts with rhythmic dialogue and character-driven farce, cementing his legacy as a Broadway director into his later career.

Contributions to Musical Theater

Librettos and Key Productions

Kaufman co-authored librettos for several influential Broadway musicals, often infusing them with satirical elements drawn from his journalistic background and penchant for political commentary. His contributions emphasized sharp dialogue and structural frameworks that supported comedic ensembles, particularly in collaborations with Morrie Ryskind for vehicles and Gershwin brothers productions. These works marked early experiments in integrating book, to critique American society, though Kaufman reportedly viewed musicals with , prioritizing narrative drive over spectacle. His first major musical libretto was for (1925), co-written with Ryskind, with music by ; it premiered on December 8, 1925, at the Lyric Theatre, running for 276 performances and launching the on Broadway through chaotic hotelier antics satirizing land booms. This was followed by Strike Up the Band (1927), another Kaufman-Ryskind book with Gershwin score, which satirized but closed out-of-town after poor reception in ; a revised 1930 version by Ryskind alone opened January 14 at the Times Square Theatre for 191 performances, retaining some original Kaufman elements like anti-militaristic themes. Animal Crackers (1928), again with Ryskind and music by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, debuted October 23 at the 44th Street Theatre, achieving 283 performances via the Marx Brothers' portrayal of explorers and socialites in a mansion farce exposing elite absurdities. The pinnacle came with Of Thee I Sing (1931), co-authored with Ryskind and set to George Gershwin's music and Ira Gershwin's lyrics; opening December 26 at the Music Box Theatre, it ran 441 performances and became the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1932, lampooning presidential campaigns through a love-struck candidate's platform of "love." Its sequel, Let 'Em Eat Cake (1933), revisited the characters in a dystopian sequel amid Depression-era unrest, premiering October 21 at the Imperial Theatre for 90 performances despite darker tones and Gershwin score. Later, Kaufman partnered with Moss Hart for I'd Rather Be Right (1937), a Rodgers and Hart musical lampooning President ; it opened November 2 at the Alvin Theatre, running 290 performances with impersonating the president in indecisive sketches. These librettos influenced musical theater by prioritizing integrated satire over revue-style sketches, though revivals remained sporadic due to dated political references; for instance, Of Thee I Sing saw a 1952 Broadway revival closing after 32 performances amid shifting audiences.
MusicalCollaborators (Book/Music/Lyrics)Premiere Date and VenuePerformancesNotes
The CocoanutsKaufman & Ryskind / Irving BerlinDec 8, 1925, Lyric Theatre276Marx Brothers debut; Florida boom satire.
Strike Up the Band (1930 rev.)Ryskind (rev. from Kaufman orig.) / George & Ira GershwinJan 14, 1930, Times Square Theatre191Anti-war theme; original 1927 closed out-of-town.
Animal CrackersKaufman & Ryskind / Kalmar & RubyOct 23, 1928, 44th Street Theatre283Marx Brothers; elite society farce.
Of Thee I SingKaufman & Ryskind / George Gershwin / Ira GershwinDec 26, 1931, Music Box Theatre441Pulitzer winner; campaign parody.
Let 'Em Eat CakeKaufman & Ryskind / George Gershwin / Ira GershwinOct 21, 1933, Imperial Theatre90Sequel to Of Thee I Sing; Depression critique.
I'd Rather Be RightKaufman & Hart / Richard Rodgers / Lorenz HartNov 2, 1937, Alvin Theatre290FDR satire with Cohan portrayal.

Influence on Broadway Musicals

George S. Kaufman's librettos for Broadway musicals emphasized tight comedic structure and narrative drive, helping shift the genre from loose revues toward more integrated book musicals with coherent plots. Collaborating with composers like and , he co-wrote books for early hits such as (1925) and Animal Crackers (1928), which incorporated the ' anarchic humor into musical formats, demonstrating how could sustain extended storytelling amid songs. His approach prioritized character-driven over spectacle, influencing subsequent librettists to prioritize dramatic momentum. A pivotal contribution came through Of Thee I Sing (1931), co-libretto with Morrie Ryskind, music by , and lyrics by , which premiered on December 26, 1931, at the Theatre and ran for 441 performances. This production satirized American presidential politics with a plot centering on a candidate's campaign promise of "love" as a platform, blending sharp with musical numbers to electoral absurdities and . It won the 1932 —the first musical to receive this honor—validating musical theater's capacity for sophisticated social commentary and seamless integration of book, lyrics, and score, a model that elevated the form beyond . Sequels like Let 'Em Eat Cake (1933) extended this satirical vein, targeting economic policies, while I'd Rather Be Right (1937), co-written with and featuring Rodgers and Hart's music, lampooned President Franklin D. Roosevelt, further embedding political wit into musical narratives. As a director, Kaufman shaped musical staging from onward, helming Of Thee I Sing and later successes like Guys and Dolls (1950), for which he received a Tony Award for direction. His precise, actor-focused techniques emphasized clarity in comedic timing and ensemble dynamics, aiding the transition to character-centric book musicals that prioritized plot advancement over star vehicles. Despite his personal aversion to the genre—famously quipping that musicals interrupted the dialogue—Kaufman's output, including direction of 20 musicals across four decades, produced enduring hits that demonstrated comedy's viability in sustaining musical theater's commercial and artistic viability. This pragmatic fusion of satire, structure, and spectacle influenced later creators, underscoring musicals' potential as vehicles for incisive American cultural critique.

Other Professional Pursuits

Film Adaptations and Screenwriting

Kaufman contributed to Hollywood screenwriting through collaborations that adapted his stage works and produced original material for film. With Morrie Ryskind, he co-wrote the screenplays for the ' early talkies The Cocoanuts (1929), adapted from their 1925 Broadway musical, and Animal Crackers (1930), drawn from the 1928 production; both films marked the brothers' transition from and silent shorts to feature-length comedies under . Later, Kaufman and Ryskind penned the original screenplay for A Night at the Opera (1935), directed by for , which refined the brothers' anarchic style with structured plot elements involving and romance, grossing over $3 million domestically and establishing their commercial peak. He also co-authored the story for (1933), a production starring , blending musical with historical . Numerous Kaufman plays were adapted into films, typically without his supervision or additional writing input, translating his sharp dialogue and satirical premises to the screen. Key examples include Dinner at Eight (1933), directed by George Cukor with an ensemble cast led by Marie Dressler and John Barrymore; Stage Door (1937), directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers; and You Can't Take It with You (1938), Frank Capra's adaptation that won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director. Other notable adaptations encompass The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), featuring Monty Woolley as the tyrannical critic inspired by Alexander Woollcott; George Washington Slept Here (1942); and The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956), a vehicle for Judy Holliday critiquing corporate greed. These films preserved Kaufman's emphasis on rapid-fire wit and social observation, though some alterations prioritized cinematic pacing over theatrical density.
Film TitleYearDirectorNotes
Dinner at Eight1933Adapted from Kaufman-Ferber play; starred Barrymore and Dressler.
You Can't Take It with You1938Frank CapraOscar winner for Best Picture; based on Kaufman-Hart collaboration.
The Man Who Came to Dinner1942Featured and Woolley; satire on cultural elite.
The Solid Gold Cadillac1956Highlighted ; starred Holliday and Paul Douglas.
Kaufman's sole directorial credit in film, (1947), involved no screenwriting on his part, as the script was by and others, focusing on political with . Overall, while Kaufman's film output was limited compared to his Broadway dominance, his screen credits influenced comedy's evolution toward ensemble-driven narratives, bridging stage with Hollywood's broader appeal.

Radio, Television, and Bridge Championships

Kaufman appeared as an in radio dramas, including the Campbell Playhouse production of I Lost My Girlish Laughter on on January 27, 1939. He hosted Keep 'em Rolling on the in 1942, a program focused on wartime morale and entertainment. Additionally, he served as a guest panelist on the quiz show , notably in a 1938 episode alongside moderator and panelist Quincy Howe, where his wit contributed to discussions on literature and current events. In television, Kaufman was a regular panelist on CBS's This Is Show Business from , a variety program featuring entertainment industry guests and critiques, which later moved to and ran until 1956. During a December 21, 1952, broadcast, he quipped, "Let's make this one program on which nobody sings ," prompting viewer protests over perceived anti-Christmas sentiment; CBS temporarily dropped him from the show but reinstated him on January 24, 1953, after public and network reconsideration. He also contributed scripts to 1950s series such as and Mr. Broadway, adapting his comedic style for the medium. Kaufman was a dedicated contract bridge enthusiast, renowned for his skill in rubber bridge and participation in competitive circles, including the Vanderbilt Cup team event in 1941, which emphasized strategic play over overtricks in a total-points format akin to rubber scoring. His bridge prowess drew admiration from peers, with post-death tributes noting his absence as keenly felt in tournament play as in theater, though he prioritized social and analytical aspects of the game, often quipping on its demands like counting equivalents to an actor memorizing lines. While not a dominant tournament champion, his writings on bridge strategy appeared in outlets like The New Yorker, cementing his reputation among elite players.

Personal Life

Marriages, Family, and Relationships

George S. Kaufman married Beatrice Bakrow on October 28, 1917; the couple remained wed until her death on October 15, 1945. Their , though emotionally distant in , formed the core of Kaufman's life, with Beatrice managing household affairs while he pursued his theatrical career. The Kaufmans had one child, daughter Anne Kaufman, born on June 23, 1925, in , . Anne later became Anne Kaufman Schneider and played a significant role in preserving her father's theatrical legacy, overseeing revivals and rights management into the late 20th and early 21st centuries until her death on March 13, 2025, at age 99. Following Beatrice's death, Kaufman married actress Leueen MacGrath on May 26, 1949; they collaborated professionally on works including the play The Small Hours (1951). The marriage ended in in 1957. No children resulted from this union.

Personality, Habits, and Eccentricities

Kaufman was renowned for his caustic wit and satirical edge, often employing derision to lampoon societal flaws, , and human pretensions in a manner reminiscent of . This sharpness extended to his personal interactions, where he displayed a cynical, self-deprecating demeanor that masked deeper insecurities about his own talents, leading him to dismiss praise offhandedly. Despite his Broadway successes, he retained his salaried position as drama critic for The New York Times until 1930, prioritizing job security over confidence in his playwriting income, which by then exceeded his journalistic earnings. A lifelong hypochondriac, Kaufman exhibited eccentric mannerisms centered on germ avoidance, such as shunning handshakes and physical contact with others, whom he viewed as carriers of illness. His tireless manifested in marathon writing sessions, including over 12-hour collaborations in hotel suites, contributing to his reputation as a meticulous craftsman who prioritized economy and precision in dramatic structure. An avid bridge enthusiast, he approached the game with competitive intensity, once likening card-counting to an memorizing lines—a he honed as a skilled rubber-bridge player. These habits underscored a disciplined yet quirky routine, blending rigor with personal reclusiveness.

Scandals and Controversies

Mary Astor Affair and Custody Battle

In 1935, amid growing dissatisfaction with her marriage to physician Franklyn Thorpe, actress began an extramarital affair with George S. Kaufman while in New York. The relationship involved intense romantic and physical intimacy, with Astor documenting her deep infatuation in personal diaries, describing it as "beautiful, glorious" and potentially her "last love," though Kaufman, in an with Beatrice Kaufman, showed no interest in divorce or commitment. The affair surfaced publicly during Astor's custody battle with Thorpe over their five-year-old daughter, Marylyn, born in 1931. Thorpe, who had filed for in April 1935, obtained Astor's diaries through and used them in summer 1936 to argue her unfitness as a parent, citing explicit entries about Kaufman and other liaisons as evidence of moral laxity. The trial commenced on July 29, 1936, in , with diary excerpts leaking to the press despite judicial seals, sparking nationwide sensationalism over the graphic content, including Astor's detailed accounts of sexual encounters with Kaufman. Astor initially alleged of portions, particularly those implicating Kaufman, but handwriting analysis proved inconclusive; the court deemed the diaries inadmissible due to missing pages and procedural issues. Subpoenaed as a , Kaufman fled for New York to evade testimony, prompting a bench warrant and a judicial ban from ; the warrant was dismissed in , allowing him to resume professional activities. also emerged of Thorpe's own infidelities, undermining his claims. On August 14, 1936, Judge Louis V. Crowley ruled in Astor's favor, granting her custody for nine months annually and Thorpe summer visitation, while annulling a prior property settlement; the diaries were impounded and later destroyed at Astor's request. The exposure strained Kaufman's personal life but inflicted minimal long-term professional harm, as he continued collaborations on Broadway hits.

Professional Criticisms and Disputes

Kaufman's collaborations, while prolific and commercially successful, occasionally strained due to interpersonal dynamics, as evidenced by his partnership with . After co-authoring the hit Dulcy in 1921, Kaufman grew frustrated with Connelly's habitual lateness and inconsistent , which hindered productivity and prevented them from replicating early triumphs; their professional relationship ended by 1924, with Kaufman shifting to new partners like . Critics have frequently faulted Kaufman's plays for their lightweight construction, arguing that plots often lacked robustness and characters remained underdeveloped subordinated to rapid-fire banter. This approach, prioritizing satirical and structural efficiency over psychological depth or thematic complexity, was seen as emblematic of Broadway's commercial imperatives rather than artistic , with reviewers contending that his works sacrificed narrative coherence for ephemeral humor. Such assessments positioned Kaufman as a masterful —adept at "doctoring" scripts and staging—but less as a profound dramatist, a view reinforced by his sole uncollaborated effort, The Butter and Egg Man (1925), which succeeded modestly but did not elevate his reputation for solo authorship. In directing, Kaufman's reputation hinged on a demanding, precision-oriented style that emphasized spareness, polish, and unyielding standards, which elicited mixed responses from performers. While praised for yielding tight, effective productions—such as his work on (1937)—his blunt feedback and aversion to permissiveness could intimidate casts, as observed in describing him as "easy to work with if you don't make 'easy' permissive," highlighting a method that prioritized craftsmanship over coddling. This rigor, though instrumental to his 19 Broadway directing credits, underscored critiques of him as an autocratic figure whose interpersonal brusqueness mirrored his early career as a acerbic drama critic for .

Legacy and Reception

Enduring Influence on American Comedy

George S. Kaufman's comedies emphasized precise craftsmanship, featuring economical dialogue, rapid-fire wisecracks, and high-energy that satirized American institutions such as , , and the theater itself. His works often balanced sharp skepticism with optimism, drawing from influences like to portray characters grappling with societal absurdities while affirming against capitalist conformity, as seen in You Can't Take It with You (1936), which won the and ran for 838 performances. This approach established Kaufman as a master of comedic timing, with meticulously crafted entrances, exits, and repartee that defined structure in American stage comedy. His collaborations amplified this influence, particularly with on hits like The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939) and with the on musicals such as (1925) and Animal Crackers (1928), where he tailored anarchic dialogue and business to their style, molding Groucho Marx's iconic . Groucho later credited Kaufman explicitly: "Kaufman molded me. Kaufman gave me the walk and the talk." These efforts extended comedy's reach into film and radio adaptations, providing templates for ensemble dynamics and verbal sparring that prioritized entertainment through clever mechanisms over deeper psychological exploration. Kaufman's legacy endures as a foundational model for comic construction across theater, film, and television, with over 45 Broadway productions—most successful—continuing to inform playwrights through their satirical edge and actor-centric roles. Anthologies like the Library of America's Kaufman & Co.: Broadway Comedies (2004) collect enduring works such as The Royal Family (1927) and You Can't Take It with You, underscoring his role in shaping Broadway's comedic tradition from the to the 1950s. His techniques remain staples in educational theater, adaptable for modern revivals that highlight universal human observations amid pretension.

Critical Assessments and Shortcomings

Critics have frequently noted that Kaufman's comedies, while celebrated for their razor-sharp wit and satirical bite, often prioritized clever and situational humor over substantive plotting or character development. In assessments of his oeuvre, scholars and reviewers have pointed to the superficiality of his narratives, where storylines serve primarily as vehicles for epigrams rather than explorations of profound human conflict. For instance, Kaufman's reluctance or inability to infuse emotional depth into his works stemmed from his personal aversion to overt , as he acknowledged struggling to express feelings effectively despite close relationships. This limitation is evident in plays like The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939), where the central character's abrasiveness dominates but fails to evolve beyond , rendering the piece more a showcase for verbal pyrotechnics than psychological insight. Kaufman's heavy reliance on collaborators further underscores perceived shortcomings in his solo capabilities. Of his 45 productions over 37 years, only one—The Butter and Egg Man (1925)—was written entirely by him, and while it succeeded commercially, critics argued that his individual efforts lacked the polish and innovation seen in partnerships with figures like or . Arthur Hobson Quinn observed that neither Kaufman nor Connelly shone as brightly alone, suggesting Kaufman's strengths lay in revision and direction rather than original conception, positioning him more as a "glorified " than a standalone dramatist. Statistically, Kaufman's track record reveals inconsistencies, with 18 failures among those 45 works, highlighting the hit-or-miss nature of his formulaic approach to . He famously quipped that "satire is what closes on Saturday night," reflecting of its commercial risks and limited appeal beyond initial novelty. This has led to enduring critiques that his plays, though influential in Broadway's , age poorly without the cultural immediacy of their era, sacrificing timeless resonance for topical jabs at society and celebrities.

Recent Revivals and Scholarly Recognition

A Broadway revival of You Can't Take It With You, co-authored by Kaufman and Moss Hart, opened on September 28, 2014, at the Longacre Theatre, directed by Scott Ellis and starring James Earl Jones as Grandpa Vanderhof and Rose Byrne as Alice Sycamore; the production ran for 184 performances until February 22, 2015, earning praise for its faithful rendering of the play's eccentric family dynamics and satirical take on American individualism during the Great Depression. It received the 2015 Drama League Award for Distinguished Revival of a Play, highlighting the script's continued viability in modern theater amid economic critiques. Kaufman's collaboration The Man Who Came to Dinner saw a notable Broadway revival from July 27 to October 8, 2000, at the American Airlines Theatre, starring as the acerbic critic Sheridan Whiteside, which recaptured the play's rapid-fire wit and celebrity send-ups originally inspired by . An mounting followed in 2011, further demonstrating the work's adaptability for contemporary audiences interested in pre-World War II media satire. Internationally, a 2016 revival of Once in a Lifetime at London's , directed by Richard Jones and featuring , updated the 1930 Hollywood farce for Brexit-era reflections on ambition and industry folly, though reviews noted challenges in pacing for modern sensibilities. Scholarly attention to Kaufman's oeuvre persists through academic analyses emphasizing his structural innovations in , such as a 2016 Rowan University thesis examining metatheatrical elements in his plays, which argues his self-referential techniques influenced later American dramatists by blending with . His works appear in authoritative collections like the editions, underscoring their place in canonical American theater studies for their empirical grounding in era-specific cultural tensions rather than abstract ideology. These revivals and studies affirm Kaufman's pragmatic approach to playwriting—prioritizing tight plotting and observable human behaviors over didactic messaging—as a model for enduring comedic realism, with no evidence of diminished relevance despite shifts in theatrical trends.

Portrayals in Media

Depictions in Film, Theater, and Literature

George S. Kaufman has been portrayed in several films and stage productions that highlight his role in American theater. In the 1963 biographical film Act One, directed by Dore Schary and adapted from Moss Hart's memoir of the same name, Jason Robards depicted Kaufman as the seasoned playwright and director who mentors the aspiring Hart (played by George Hamilton) in their early collaboration on the 1930 play Once in a Lifetime. The film emphasizes Kaufman's sharp wit, professional rigor, and influence on Broadway's comedic landscape during the interwar period. In the 1994 drama Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, directed by , David Thornton portrayed Kaufman as a key figure in the Algonquin Round Table's literary circle, capturing his acerbic humor amid interactions with and other wits of New York. Thornton's performance underscores Kaufman's reputation for mordant commentary within the era's intellectual social scene. On stage, starred as Kaufman in the 1981 one-man play Kaufman at Large at the Phoenix Theatre, written and performed by Lithgow to recreate a single, chaotic day in the playwright's life filled with rehearsals, critiques, and personal quirks. The production drew on Kaufman's own anecdotes and habits, presenting him as a multifaceted Broadway titan juggling multiple projects. No prominent fictional depictions of Kaufman appear in literature beyond biographical works.

Awards and Honors

Pulitzer Prizes and Other Accolades

George S. Kaufman co-authored two works awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 1932, he shared the prize with Morrie Ryskind for the libretto of Of Thee I Sing, a satirical musical featuring music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin, which premiered on December 26, 1931, and became the first musical to receive this honor. In 1937, Kaufman and Moss Hart won for their comedy You Can't Take It with You, which opened on December 14, 1936, and ran for 838 performances on Broadway. Kaufman received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 1951 for staging , a musical with book by and Jo Swerling that debuted on November 24, 1950, and achieved 1,200 performances. This recognition highlighted his directorial prowess amid a career spanning over 40 Broadway productions from 1921 to 1958.

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