First Lady (play)

First Lady is a 1935 play written by Katharine Dayton and George S. Kaufman. It is a three-act comedy, with three settings and a large cast. There are four scenes, which occur at monthly intervals starting with the December prior to a presidential election year. The story concerns a Washington, D.C. socialite who almost lets her rivalry with another social maven impede her husband's political future. The title is a play on the usual term accorded to a President's wife, suggesting it really belongs to the leading society hostess in the capitol.

First Lady
Written byKatharine Dayton and George S. Kaufman
Directed byGeorge S. Kaufman
Date premieredNovember 26, 1935 (1935-11-26)
Place premieredMusic Box Theatre
Original languageEnglish
SubjectCompetition between political wives
GenreSatire
SettingLiving room of Secretary of State's house; Judge Hibbard's Study; Secretary of State's home

It was first produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by George S. Kaufman, with sets by Donald Oenslager, costumes by John Hambleton, and starred Jane Cowl.[1] It ran on Broadway from November 1935 through June 1936. It was third on the Best Plays of the Season list by Burns Mantle of the New York Daily News.[2] The play was adapted for a film of the same name in 1937, and was revived for a limited engagement on Broadway during 1952.[3]

Characters

For clarity, only the principal speaking parts are listed; some featured roles and walk-ons are omitted.

Lead

  • Lucy Chase Wayne is a prominent social hostess in Washington, born and raised in the White House.[fn 1]
  • Sophy Prescott is Lucy's smooth, competant social secretary and confidant.
  • Stephen Wayne is the Secretary of State, a potential presidential candidate and Lucy's husband.
  • Irene Hibbard is a much-married socialite, a bottle blonde from Ohio with a veneer of European education.

Supporting

  • Emmy Paige is Lucy's young Southern niece.
  • Belle Hardwick is the blunt wife of an older senator, who helps out at Lucy's reception.
  • Mrs. Creevey is an exuberant "club-woman", who heads up the Women's Peace and Purity League.
  • Senator Keane is an ambitious young western senator who has caught Irene's eye.
  • Carter Hibbard is Irene's much older husband, a Supreme Court justice, who loves comic strips.
  • Ellsworth T. Ganning is the owner of a chain of newspapers.[fn 2]

Featured

  • Charles is the butler in the Wayne household.
  • Mrs. Ives called Mary, is a "tea-pourer" at Lucy's reception.
  • Ann Forester is the attractive wife of a State department employee, an unofficial aide to Lucy.
  • Tom Hardwick is a wise older senator, married to Belle.[fn 3]
  • Bleecker is the butler in the Hibbard household.
  • George Mason is a judge who supports the Hibbard campaign scheme.
  • Jason Fleming is a young employee of the State department, keen on Emmy.

Synopsis

Lucy Chase Wayne, wife of the Secretary of State, who exemplifies the pedigreed Washington hostess, is incensed with the upstart Irene Hibbard, wife of a Supreme Court justice. Irene has stolen away Lucy's cook, an unforgiveable social transgression. It is doubly mortifying, for though Irene is only the daughter of a Midwest auto seller, she has acquired a sophisticated image from her European education and a brief prior marriage to a "Slovanian" prince.[fn 4] Furthermore, Lucy learns that Irene is contemplating divorce from her elderly and dyspeptic husband Carter, whose only interests are fishing, comic strips, and radio programs. Irene is ambitious to become First Lady, and has chosen for her vehicle a personable young Senator Keane from the Western United States.

To thwart Irene, Lucy creates a rumor that Carter is highly thought of for his party's nomination. She spreads it by flattering Mrs. Creevey and Ellsworth T. Ganning with her "confidences". Her reasoning is that the rumors will force Irene to stick with Carter, whose age and unambitious nature is unlikely to excite a nominating committee. However, as the months go by she finds that a groundswell of popular opinion, now propelled by Irene, is floating Carter Hibbard's candidacy. Senator Hardwick remonstrates with Lucy, because the party elders had been contemplating her own husband Stephen Wayne for the nomination. Aghast, Lucy tries to find a way to stymie Irene's campaign. It comes from an unexpected source, Jason Fleming, a State department expert on the Balkans, who is dating her niece Emmy. Lucy learns that a treaty between the US and Slovania was never ratified, so the divorce Irene obtained in that country is not recognized in the states. Lucy uses her knowledge to pressure Irene into backing down, allowing Stephen's candidacy to gain momentum.

Original production

Background

Katharine Dayton was a Washington newspaper correspondant and writer of political satire for the Saturday Evening Post.[4] A literary agent suggested she write a play about Washington's social scene, and arranged for her to meet George S. Kaufman in 1933.[5] However, it wasn't until 1935 that they actually started writing. Two acts were finished by April 8, 1935,[6] and the rest completed by April 27, 1935.[7] According to the New York Daily News, Kaufman and Dayton between them contributed one quarter of the show's initial funding.[8]

Some columnists and critics assumed the author's main inspiration for Lucy Chase Wayne, and perhaps a source for the play, was Alice Roosevelt Longworth.[9][10] Another suggestion was that Irene Hibbard was based on a more obscure Washington social figure named Dolly Gann.[10] However, the then real First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, upon seeing the play, told reporters "I think the authors picked out amusing incidents without stressing personalities".[11]

Producer Sam H. Harris and the authors originally wanted Ina Claire for the main role of Lucy Chase Wayne, but she signed a three-year exclusive contract with the Theatre Guild in July 1935.[12] Jane Cowl and Ruth Chatterton were next considered, but it took a while to get the former to agree.[13] The negotiations coupled with Kaufman's delay in Hollywood for a Marx Brothers picture meant the Broadway premiere was pushed back from September 1935.[14]

Rehearsals began October 14, 1935.[13] Ann Andrews was originally cast for the second female lead (Irene Hibbard), but after the second week of rehearsals was replaced by Lily Cahill.[15] Casting was complete and the tryout venue settled by October 27, 1935.[16]

Cast
Principal cast for the tryout in Philadelphia and during the original Broadway run.
Role Actor Dates Notes and sources
Sophy Prescott Diantha Pattison Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Lucy Chase Wayne Jane Cowl Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Stephen Wayne Stanley Ridges Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 13, 1936
Roy Gordon Jun 15, 1936 - Jun 20, 1936
Irene Hibbard Lily Cahill Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 13, 1936
Ann Mason Jun 15, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936 Mason replaced Cahill for the last week of the Broadway run and the tour during Fall 1936.[17]
Emmy Paige Helen Brooks Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Belle Hardwick Jessie Busley Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 13, 1936
Mary Cecil Jun 15, 1936 - Jun 20, 1936
Mrs. Creveey Ethel Wilson Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Senator Keane Judson Laire Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Carter Hibbard Oswald Yorke Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Ellsworth T. Ganning Florenz Ames Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Charles James Seeley Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Mrs. Ives Regina Wallace Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 13, 1936 She took over the Irene Hibbard role temporarily when Lily Cahill fell ill in April 1936.[18]
Judith Vosselli Jun 15, 1936 - Jun 20, 1936
Ann Forester Rita Vale Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 13, 1936
Marjorie Crossland Jun 15, 1936 - Jun 20, 1936
Tom Hardwick Thomas Findlay Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Bleecker John M. Troughton Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 13, 1936
James Francis Robertson Jun 15, 1936 - Jun 20, 1936
George Mason Frank Dae Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936
Jason Fleming Don Beddoe Nov 11, 1935 - Jun 20, 1936

Tryout

First Lady had a two-week tryout at the Garrick Theatre in Philadelphia starting November 11, 1935.[19] The local reviewer found no weaknesses in the play and pronounced it a sure hit.[19]

Premiere and reception

The Broadway premiere for First Lady occurred November 26, 1935 at the Music Box Theatre.[20] Rowland Field of the Brooklyn Times Union said it was "a top hat and white ties affair", and he personally saw Tallulah Bankhead, John Golden, Arthur Hopkins, Max Gordon, Harpo Marx, Irving Berlin, Adolph Zukor, Moss Hart, Brock Pemberton, Ira Gershwin, Louis Calhern, Marion Davies, and Pat O'Brien among other celebrities in attendance.[21] Jane Cowl had top billing in advertising, with her name the same size as the title, and no other performers listed.[22]

Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times focused his positive review on Jane Cowl's performance: "What Miss Cowl has brought to the comedy by way of personal beauty, impeccability of manners, humorous vitality and simple command of the art of acting is of inestimable value to the pleasure of the evening".[1] Atkinson was also complimentary to the staging, scenery, writing, and the other actors, but his paramount praise was for "one of our first ladies of the stage".[1] Arthur Pollock in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle was more balanced in his accolades between Jane Cowl and Lily Cahill as the rivals.[23] He pronounced First Lady as "something light, a little thing of jokes and intrigues", "pure unadulterated wit" and "nifty satire".[23] Rowland Field in the Brooklyn Times Union thought the play was the "season's best comedy", while Burns Mantle in the New York Daily News recognized Lily Cahill had the more difficult role, requiring a certain amount of overplaying to match the advantages of Jane Cowl's character.[24]

Closing

During the show's last week on Broadway the producer replaced six of the principal players with performers who would be with the touring company later that year. First Lady closed at the Music Box Theatre on June 20, 1936,[25] after 245 performances.[fn 5][26]

Notes
  1. Contemporary reviewers of the play were inconsistent about whether the character's father or grandfather had been president.
  2. The name suggests an association with Frank Ernest Gannett.
  3. Through a program printing error, the character's surname appeared in reviews as "Hartwick".
  4. This is meant to be a fictional country, like Ruritania, with an unfortunate but coincidental likeness to Slovenia.
  5. The count includes 237 from the cited reference plus 8 performances from the final week.

References
  1. Atkinson, Brooks (November 27, 1935). "The Play". The New York Times. New York, New York. p. 17 – via NYTimes.com.
  2. Mantle, Burns (June 7, 1936). "The Season's Best Plays". Daily News. New York, New York. p. 182 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Sheaffer, Louis (May 29, 1952). "Curtain Time". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Katharine Dayton, Wrote 'First Lady'". The New York Times. New York, New York. March 6, 1945. p. 21 – via NYTimes.com.
  5. "A Jest Brought a Collaboration With Kaufman". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. November 10, 1935. p. 89 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "News of the Stage". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. April 8, 1935. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Drama News". Brooklyn Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. April 27, 1935. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Actors, Authors Invest Their Own Funds in Many of This Season's Dramas". Daily News. New York, New York. January 7, 1936. p. 240 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "'First Lady' Stirs Washington Gossip". Daily News. New York, New York. September 1, 1935. p. 140 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Beebe, Lucius (December 8, 1935). "Two Satiric Shows Are Broadway Hits". The Pitssburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Mrs. Roosevelt Chuckles At Theatre's 'First Lady'". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. December 4, 1935. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Cohen, Harold W. (July 9, 1935). "Stage and Screen". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Theatre Notes". Daily News. New York, New York. October 12, 1935. p. 107 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Guild to Do 'Treason'; 'First Lady' Delayed". Daily News. New York, New York. August 11, 1935. p. 371 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Three Unit Show for the RKO Albee". Brooklyn Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. October 23, 1935. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Philadelphia To See Two Harris Plays". Brooklyn Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. October 27, 1935. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "She Replaced a Lady". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. June 14, 1936. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Drama Notes". Brooklyn Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. April 16, 1936. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. L. M. (November 12, 1935). "Jane Cowl Stars In 'First Lady'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Price, Edgar (November 27, 1935). "The Premiere". Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, New York. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. Field, Rowland (December 1, 1935). "Both Sides of the Curtain". Brooklyn Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "First Lady (ad)". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. November 26, 1935. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. Pollock, Arthur (November 27, 1935). "The Theater". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. Mantle, Burns (November 27, 1935). "'First Lady' Starts A Campaign". Daily News. New York, New York. p. 176 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. Field, Rowland (June 20, 1936). "Both Sides of the Curtain". Brooklyn Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. "The Golden Dozen". Daily News. New York, New York. June 14, 1936. p. 316 – via Newspapers.com.
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