Zoe Akins: Difference between revisions

Zoe Akins
Zoe Akins
Born	Zoe Byrd Akins; October 30, 1886; Humansville, Missouri, U.S.
Died	October 29, 1958 (aged 71); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Playwright, screenwriter, novelist, poet
Years active	1925-1958
Notable awards	Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1935)
Spouse	Hugo Rumbold (m. 1932; died 1932)
Relatives	Laurie Metcalf (great-niece); Zoe Perry (grand-niece)

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Zoe Byrd Akins (October 30, 1886 – October 29, 1958) was an American playwright, poet, and author. She won the 1935 Pulitzer Prize for drama for The Old Maid.

Early life

Zoe Byrd Akins was born in Humansville, Missouri, second of three children of Thomas Jasper and Sarah Elizabeth Green Akins. Her family was heavily involved with the Missouri Republican Party, and for several years her father served as the state party chairman. Through her mother, Akins was related George Washington and Duff Green.^[2] Her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri when Akins was in her early teens. She was sent to Monticello Seminary in Godfrey, Illinois for her education and later Hosmer Hall preparatory school in St. Louis. While at Hosmer Hall she was a classmate of poet Sara Teasdale, both graduating with the class of 1903. It was at Monticello Seminary that Akins wrote her first play, a parody of a Greek tragedy. Following graduation Akins began writing a series of plays, poetry and criticism for various magazines and newspapers^[3] as well as occasional acting roles in St. Louis area theatre productions.

Career and life

Ethel Barrymore and Claude King in the Broadway production of *Déclassée* (1919)

Her first major dramatic work was Papa, written in 1914. The comedy failed even though it greatly impressed both H.L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan,^[4] and she continued to write.^[5] She followed up with two other plays, The Magical City and Déclassée. The latter play, which starred Ethel Barrymore, was not only a great success but "something of a sensation, and her days of waiting were over."^[6] During this time several of her early plays were adapted for the screen. These adaptations were mostly failures, released as silent films in a time when the industry was transitioning to sound. While some "talkie" stars had notable roles in the films (Walter Pidgeon and a young Clark Gable), most of the films are now believed to be lost. In 1930, Akins had another great success with her play, The Greeks Had a Word for It, a comedy about three models in search of rich husbands ^[7]

In the early 1930s, Akins became more active in film, writing several screenplays as well as continuing to sell the rights to plays such as The Greeks Had a Word for It (1930), which was adapted for the movies three times, in 1932 (as The Greeks Had a Word for Them), 1938 (as Three Blind Mice), and 1953 (How to Marry a Millionaire). Two highlights of this period were the films Sarah and Son (1930) and Morning Glory (1933), the latter remade as Stage Struck. Both films earned their respective female leads (Ruth Chatterton and Katharine Hepburn) Academy Award nominations for Best Actress (Hepburn won).

Akins did not pursue a screenwriting career beyond her early successes. In 1932, she married Hugo Rumbold (in the last year of his life) and, after several Hollywood films, she returned to writing plays and spending time with her family.^[8] She was rumored to be in a long-term relationship with Jobyna Howland until Howland's death in 1936. According to Anita Loos, the two squabbled often, "But such gibes actually held the key to their devotion."^[9] She was the great-aunt of actress Laurie Metcalf. She lived for a short time in Morrisonville, Illinois.

In 1935, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her dramatization of Edith Wharton's The Old Maid, a melodrama set in New York City and written in five episodes stretching across time from 1839 to 1854. The play was adapted for a 1939 film starring Bette Davis.

In 1936, Akins co-wrote the screenplay for Camille, adapted from Alexandre Dumas's play and novel, La dame aux camélias The film starred Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, and Lionel Barrymore, and earned Garbo her third Oscar nomination.

Later life and legacy

Akins died in her sleep on the eve of her 72nd birthday, in 1958, in Los Angeles. She is buried in San Gabriel District Cemetery.^[10]

Akins archives is held in the collection of the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley.^[11]

Selected filmography

Déclassée (1925)
Her Private Life (1929)
Sarah and Son (1930)
Anybody's Woman (1930)
The Right to Love (1930)
Working Girls (1931)
The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932)
Christopher Strong (1933)
Outcast Lady (1934)
Accused (1936)
Lady of Secrets (1936)
Camille (1936)
The Old Maid (1939)
Zaza (1939)

References

^ Hooper, Michael. "Laurie Metcalf biodata". WCHS-TV. Archived from the original on November 8, 2005. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
^ Dictionary of Missouri-Biography, Lawrence O. Christensen, University of Missouri Press, 1999.
^ "Zoe Akins Arrives", The New York Times, October 12, 1919.
^ H.L. Mencken, My Life as Author and Editor, p. 267. 1995, ISBN 978-0679741022
^ "Modern Drama; Plays by Miss Akins and Mr. Howard in New Series", The New York Times, April 26, 1914.
^ H.L. Mencken, My Life as Author and Editor, p. 267.
^ "The Play: Vine Leaves in a Heap" by J. Brooks Atkinson. The New York Times September 26, 1930.
^ "Zoe Akins to Be Wed to Hugo Rumbold" The New York Times, March 8, 1932.
^ Anita Loos, The Talmadge Girls, p. 98. Viking Press, 1978, ISBN 0670693022
^ Resting Places: The Burial Sites of Over 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson, 2016, ISBN 978-0786479924
^ "Zoë Akins writings, [ca. 1900-1958]". Online Archive of California. Retrieved July 14, 2022.

External links

Works by or about Zoe Akins at the Internet Archive
Works by Zoe Akins at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
Zoe Akins at IMDb
Zoe Akins at the Internet Broadway Database
Index Entry for Zoe Akins at Poets' Corner

[1] Hooper, Michael. "Laurie Metcalf biodata". WCHS-TV. Archived from the original on November 8, 2005. Retrieved October 24, 2011.

[2] Dictionary of Missouri-Biography, Lawrence O. Christensen, University of Missouri Press, 1999.

[3] "Zoe Akins Arrives", The New York Times, October 12, 1919.

[4] H.L. Mencken, My Life as Author and Editor, p. 267. 1995, ISBN 978-0679741022

[5] "Modern Drama; Plays by Miss Akins and Mr. Howard in New Series", The New York Times, April 26, 1914.

[6] H.L. Mencken, My Life as Author and Editor, p. 267.

[7] "The Play: Vine Leaves in a Heap" by J. Brooks Atkinson. The New York Times September 26, 1930.

[8] "Zoe Akins to Be Wed to Hugo Rumbold" The New York Times, March 8, 1932.

[9] Anita Loos, The Talmadge Girls, p. 98. Viking Press, 1978, ISBN 0670693022

[10] Resting Places: The Burial Sites of Over 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson, 2016, ISBN 978-0786479924

[OAC-11] "Zoë Akins writings, [ca. 1900-1958]". Online Archive of California. Retrieved July 14, 2022.

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@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 | birth_place      = [[Humansville, Missouri]], U.S.
 | death_date       = {{death date and age|1958|10|29|1886|10|30}}
-| death_place      = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
+| death_place      = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
 | occupation       = Playwright, screenwriter, novelist, poet
+| spouse           = {{marriage|[[Hugo Rumbold]]|1932|1932|end=died}}
-| nationality      = American
-| spouse           = [[Hugo Rumbold]] (1932) (his death)
 | awards           = {{nowrap|[[Pulitzer Prize for Drama]] (1935)}}
 | yearsactive      = 1925-1958
+| relatives = [[Laurie Metcalf]] (great-niece)<br>[[Zoe Perry]] (grand-niece)<ref>{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Hooper |url=http://www.wchstv.com/abc/thenormshow/lauriemetcalf.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051108112441/http://www.wchstv.com/abc/thenormshow/lauriemetcalf.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 8, 2005 |title=Laurie Metcalf biodata |publisher=[[WCHS-TV]]|access-date=October 24, 2011}}</ref>
 }}
 '''Zoe Byrd Akins''' (October 30, 1886 – October 29, 1958) was an American playwright, poet, and author. She won the 1935 Pulitzer Prize for drama for ''[[The Old Maid (play)|The Old Maid]]''.
-==Biography==
+==Early life==
-=== Early years ===
 [[File:Zoe Akins.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Zoe Akins in 1907]]
-Zoe Byrd Akins was born in [[Humansville, Missouri]], second of three children of Thomas Jasper and Sarah Elizabeth Green Akins. Her family was heavily involved with the [[Missouri Republican Party]], and for several years her father served as the state party chairman. Through her mother, Zoe Akins was related to prominent figures like [[George Washington]] and [[Duff Green]].<ref>''Dictionary of Missouri-Biography'', Lawrence O. Christensen, University of Missouri Press, 1999.</ref> Her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri when Zoe was in her early teens. She was sent to Monticello Seminary in nearby Godfrey, Illinois for her education and later Hosmer Hall preparatory school in St. Louis. While at Hosmer Hall she was a classmate of poet [[Sara Teasdale]], both graduating with the Class of 1903. It was at Monticello Seminary that Akins wrote her first play, a parody of a Greek tragedy. Following graduation Akins began writing a series of plays, poetry and criticism for various magazines and newspapers<ref>"Zoe Akins Arrives", ''The New York Times'', October 12, 1919.</ref> as well as occasional acting roles in St. Louis area theatre productions.
+Zoe Byrd Akins was born in [[Humansville, Missouri]], second of three children of Thomas Jasper and Sarah Elizabeth Green Akins. Her family was heavily involved with the [[Missouri Republican Party]], and for several years her father served as the state party chairman. Through her mother, Akins was related [[George Washington]] and [[Duff Green]].<ref>''Dictionary of Missouri-Biography'', Lawrence O. Christensen, University of Missouri Press, 1999.</ref> Her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri when Akins was in her early teens. She was sent to Monticello Seminary in Godfrey, Illinois for her education and later Hosmer Hall preparatory school in St. Louis. While at Hosmer Hall she was a classmate of poet [[Sara Teasdale]], both graduating with the class of 1903. It was at Monticello Seminary that Akins wrote her first play, a parody of a Greek tragedy. Following graduation Akins began writing a series of plays, poetry and criticism for various magazines and newspapers<ref>"Zoe Akins Arrives", ''The New York Times'', October 12, 1919.</ref> as well as occasional acting roles in St. Louis area theatre productions.
-===Career===
+==Career and life==
 [[File:Ethel Barrymore & Claude King in Declassee.jpg|thumb|[[Ethel Barrymore]] and [[Claude King (English actor)|Claude King]] in the Broadway production of ''Déclassée'' (1919)]]
-Her first major dramatic work was ''Papa'', written in 1914. The comedy failed even though it greatly impressed both [[H.L. Mencken]] and [[George Jean Nathan]],<ref>H.L. Mencken, ''My Life as Author and Editor, p. 267.</ref> and she continued to write.<ref>"Modern Drama; Plays by Miss Akins and Mr. Howard in New Series", ''The New York Times'', April 26, 1914.</ref> She followed up with two other plays, ''The Magical City'' and ''Déclassée''. The latter play, which starred [[Ethel Barrymore]], was not only a great success but "something of a sensation, and her days of waiting were over."  <ref>H.L. Mencken, ''My Life as Author and Editor, p. 267.</ref>
+Her first major dramatic work was ''Papa'', written in 1914. The comedy failed even though it greatly impressed both [[H.L. Mencken]] and [[George Jean Nathan]],<ref>H.L. Mencken, ''My Life as Author and Editor'', p. 267. 1995, {{ISBN|978-0679741022}}</ref> and she continued to write.<ref>"Modern Drama; Plays by Miss Akins and Mr. Howard in New Series", ''The New York Times'', April 26, 1914.</ref> She followed up with two other plays, ''The Magical City'' and ''Déclassée''. The latter play, which starred [[Ethel Barrymore]], was not only a great success but "something of a sensation, and her days of waiting were over."<ref>H.L. Mencken, ''My Life as Author and Editor'', p. 267.</ref>
-During this time several of her early plays were adapted for the screen. These adaptations were mostly failures, released as [[silent film]]s in a time when the industry was transitioning to sound. While some "talkie" stars had notable roles in the films ([[Walter Pidgeon]] and a young [[Clark Gable]]), most of the films are now believed to be lost. In 1930, Akins had another great success with her play, ''The Greeks Had a Word For It,'' a comedy about three models in search of rich husbands <ref>"The Play: Vine Leaves in a Heap" by J. Brooks Atkinson. ''The New York Times'' September 26, 1930.</ref>
+During this time several of her early plays were adapted for the screen. These adaptations were mostly failures, released as [[silent film]]s in a time when the industry was transitioning to sound. While some "talkie" stars had notable roles in the films ([[Walter Pidgeon]] and a young [[Clark Gable]]), most of the films are now believed to be lost. In 1930, Akins had another great success with her play, ''[[The Greeks Had a Word for It]],'' a comedy about three models in search of rich husbands <ref>"The Play: Vine Leaves in a Heap" by J. Brooks Atkinson. ''The New York Times'' September 26, 1930.</ref>
 In the early 1930s, Akins became more active in film, writing several screenplays as well as continuing to sell the rights to plays such as ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930), which was adapted for the movies three times, in 1932 (as ''[[The Greeks Had a Word for Them]]''), 1938 (as ''[[Three Blind Mice (1938 film)|Three Blind Mice]]''), and 1953 (''[[How to Marry a Millionaire]]''). Two highlights of this period were the films ''[[Sarah and Son]]'' (1930) and ''[[Morning Glory (1933 film)|Morning Glory]]'' (1933), the latter remade as ''[[Stage Struck (1958 film)|Stage Struck]]''. Both films earned their respective female leads ([[Ruth Chatterton]] and [[Katharine Hepburn]]) [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations for Best Actress (Hepburn won).
+Akins did not pursue a screenwriting career beyond her early successes. In 1932, she married [[Hugo Rumbold]] (in the last year of his life) and, after several Hollywood films, she returned to writing plays and spending time with her family.<ref>"Zoe Akins to Be Wed to Hugo Rumbold" ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 8, 1932.</ref> She was rumored to be in a long-term relationship with [[Jobyna Howland]] until Howland's death in 1936. According to Anita Loos, the two squabbled often, "But such gibes actually held the key to their devotion."<ref>Anita Loos, ''The Talmadge Girls'', p. 98. Viking Press, 1978, {{ISBN|0670693022}}</ref> She was the great-aunt of actress [[Laurie Metcalf]]. She lived for a short time in [[Morrisonville, Illinois]].
 In 1935, she was awarded the [[Pulitzer Prize for Drama]] for her [[The Old Maid (play)|dramatization]] of [[Edith Wharton]]'s ''[[Old New York (novellas)#The Old Maid (Parts One and Two) (The Fifties)|The Old Maid]]'', a melodrama set in New York City and written in five episodes stretching across time from 1839 to 1854. The play was adapted for a [[The Old Maid (1939 film)|1939 film]] starring [[Bette Davis]].
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 In 1936, Akins co-wrote the screenplay for ''[[Camille (1936 film)|Camille]],'' adapted from [[Alexandre Dumas, fils|Alexandre Dumas]]'s play and novel, ''[[The Lady of the Camellias|La dame aux camélias]]''  The film starred [[Greta Garbo]], [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]], and [[Lionel Barrymore]], and earned Garbo her third Oscar nomination.
-=== Personal life ===
+==Later life and legacy==
-Despite the fame afforded her, Akins didn't pursue a screenwriting career beyond her early successes. In 1932, she married [[Hugo Rumbold]] (in the last year of his life) and, after several Hollywood films, she returned to writing plays and spending time with her family.<ref>"Zoe Akins to Be Wed to Hugo Rumbold" ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 8, 1932.</ref> She was rumored to be in a long-term relationship with [[Jobyna Howland]] until Howland's death in 1936. According to Anita Loos, the two squabbled often, "But such gibes actually held the key to their devotion."  <ref>Anita Loos, The Talmadge Girls, p. 98.</ref> She was the great-aunt of actress [[Laurie Metcalf]]. She lived for a short time in Morrisonville, Illinois.
-Akins died in her sleep on the eve of her 72nd birthday in Los Angeles. She is buried in San Gabriel District Cemetery.<ref>Resting Places: The Burial Sites of Over 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson</ref>
+Akins died in her sleep on the eve of her 72nd birthday, in 1958, in Los Angeles. She is buried in San Gabriel District Cemetery.<ref>''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of Over 14000 Famous Persons'' by Scott Wilson, 2016, {{ISBN|978-0786479924}}</ref>
+Akins archives is held in the collection of the [[Bancroft Library]] at the University of California, Berkeley.<ref name="OAC">{{cite web |title=Zoë Akins writings, [ca. 1900-1958]. |url=https://oac.cdlib.org/search?style=oac4;titlesAZ=z;idT=UCb105459719 |website=Online Archive of California |access-date=14 July 2022}}</ref>
-====Epitaph====
-<blockquote>She loved<br>Shakespeare's sonnets<br>Paris bonnets.<br>Country walks,<br>All-night talks,<br>Old trees and places<br>Children's faces<br>Shaw and Keats,<br>Opera seats,<br>Lonely prairies,<br>Tea at Sherry's,<br>Sunlight and air,<br>Vanity Fair<ref>https://articles.latimes.com/1990-10-31/news/vw-3059_1_epitaphs-lies-word</ref></blockquote>
 ==Selected filmography==
 * ''[[Déclassée]]'' (1925)
 * ''[[Her Private Life]]'' (1929)
+* ''[[Sarah and Son]]'' (1930)
+* ''[[Anybody's Woman]]'' (1930)
 * ''[[The Right to Love (1930 US Film)|The Right to Love]]'' (1930)
+* ''[[Working Girls (1931 film)|Working Girls]]'' (1931)
 * ''[[The Greeks Had a Word for Them]]'' (1932)
 * ''[[Christopher Strong]]'' (1933)
+* ''[[Outcast Lady]]'' (1934)
 * ''[[Accused (1936 film)|Accused]]'' (1936)
+* ''[[Lady of Secrets]]'' (1936)
+* ''[[Camille (1936 film)|Camille]]'' (1936)
+* ''[[The Old Maid (1939 film)|The Old Maid]]'' (1939)
+* ''[[Zaza (1939 film)|Zaza]]'' (1939)
 ==References==
@@ Line 72: / Line 78: @@
 [[Category:People from Humansville, Missouri]]
 [[Category:American women screenwriters]]
-[[Category:Bisexual writers]]
+[[Category:American dramatists and playwrights]]
+[[Category:Bisexual screenwriters]]
+[[Category:Bisexual novelists]]
+[[Category:Bisexual poets]]
+[[Category:Bisexual dramatists and playwrights]]
+[[Category:American LGBT poets]]
+[[Category:American LGBT novelists]]
+[[Category:American LGBT screenwriters]]
+[[Category:American LGBT dramatists and playwrights]]
 [[Category:Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners]]
-[[Category:Bisexual women]]
+[[Category:Bisexual women writers]]
 [[Category:American women dramatists and playwrights]]
 [[Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights]]
@@ Line 80: / Line 94: @@
 [[Category:Screenwriters from Missouri]]
 [[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
+[[Category:American bisexual women]]
+[[Category:American bisexual writers]]

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