Beggar on Horseback
Beggar on Horseback | |
---|---|
First edition 1924 | |
Written by | George S. Kaufman Marc Connelly |
Date premiered | February 12, 1924 (1924-02-12) |
Place premiered | Broadhurst Theatre, New York City |
Beggar on Horseback is a 1924 play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly.
The play is a parody of the expressionistic parables that were popular at the time; its title derives from the proverb "Set a beggar on horseback, and he'll ride at a gallop," "Set a beggar on horseback, and he'll ride to hell," or "Set a beggar on horseback, and he will ride to the devil," meaning that if you give wealth to the undeserving, they will be the worse for it. The play rails against the perils of trading one's artistic talents for commercial gain. At its core is Neil McRae, a poor, young classical composer. Concerned about how hard he is working at odd jobs to meet his financial obligations, his friends - a doctor visiting from back home and his neighbor, Cynthia Mason, in whom he has more than a passing interest - urge him to marry Gladys Cady, whose father is a wealthy industrialist. However, the man also favors the Tin Pan Alley school of musical composition, to which McRae is staunchly opposed. Conflict arises when he is offered a job making widgets at a substantial salary if he agrees to give up his "foolish" interest in the classics.
The original Broadway production opened on February 12, 1924 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 223 performances. The cast included Roland Young, Osgood Perkins, Spring Byington, and Frederic Richard Sullivan.
The play was revived with most of the original cast a mere seven months later, opening on March 23, 1925, at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 16 performances.
Forty-five years later, after 13 previews, another revival opened on May 14, 1970, at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater, where it ran for 52 performances. The cast included Leonard Frey and Susan Watson.
Film version
On August 24, 1925, Paramount Pictures released a silent film version directed by James Cruze and starring Edward Everett Horton. Only three reels of this seven-reel film exist.[1]
References
- ^ SilentEra entry
External links
- The full text of Beggar on Horseback at the Internet Archive
- Beggar on Horseback at Internet Broadway Database
- v
- t
- e
- Some One in the House (1918)
- Dulcy (1921)
- To the Ladies (1922)
- The '49ers (1922)
- Merton of the Movies (1922)
- Helen of Troy, New York (1923)
- The Deep Tangled Wildwood (1923)
- Beggar on Horseback (1924)
- Be Yourself (1924)
- Minick (1924)
- The Butter and Egg Man (1925)
- The Cocoanuts (1925)
- The Good Fellow (1926)
- The Royal Family (1927)
- Animal Crackers (1928)
- June Moon (1929)
- The Channel Road (1929)
- Once in a Lifetime (1930)
- The Band Wagon (1931)
- Of Thee I Sing (1931)
- Dinner at Eight (1932)
- Let 'Em Eat Cake (1933)
- The Dark Tower (1933)
- Merrily We Roll Along (1934)
- First Lady (1935)
- Stage Door (1936)
- You Can't Take It with You (1936)
- I'd Rather Be Right (1937)
- The Fabulous Invalid (1938)
- The American Way (1939)
- The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939)
- George Washington Slept Here (1940)
- The Land Is Bright (1941)
- The Late George Apley (1944)
- Seven Lively Arts (1944)
- Hollywood Pinafore (1945)
- Bravo! (1948)
- The Small Hours (1951)
- Fancy Meeting You Again (1952)
- The Solid Gold Cadillac (1953)
- Silk Stockings (1955)
- Sherry! (1967)
- Merrily We Roll Along (1981)
- Someone Must Pay (1919)
- Someone in the House (1920)
- Dulcy (1923)
- To the Ladies (1923)
- Merton of the Movies (1924)
- Welcome Home (1925)
- Beggar on Horseback (1925)
- The Butter and Egg Man (1928)
- The Cocoanuts (1929)
- Not So Dumb (1930)
- Animal Crackers (1930)
- The Royal Family of Broadway (1930)
- June Moon (1931)
- The Expert (1932)
- The Tenderfoot (1932)
- Make Me a Star (1932)
- Once in a Lifetime (1932)
- Dinner at Eight (1933)
- Roman Scandals (1933)
- The Man with Two Faces (1934)
- You Can't Take It with You (1938)
- The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
- The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947)