The Good Fellow
(1926)
By George S. Kaufman and Herman J. Mankiewicz
A farce about the small-town mania for joining fraternal organizations.
Manuscript only; contact: laurence.maslon@nyu.edu
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About the Play
Kaufman and Mankiewicz were colleagues at the New York Times Drama Desk in the 1920s (in fact, one of Mankiewicz’s reviews, written while on a bender, and Kaufman’s rewrite of it later figured prominently in a scene from the screenplay of Citizen Kane).
Here, they join up for their own stage comedy, a farce about the small-town mania for joining fraternal organizations. Our hero, Jim Helton, nearly bankrupts his entire family savings in order to host the national convention for his beloved Knights of Corsica. Common sense prevails at the very last minute.
Other Plays in the Catalogue
Kaufman's first hit comedy was also his initial collaboration with Marc Connelly. Based on a well-known comic heroine made popular in Frank Pierce Adams' column, Dulcy is an engaging comedy about an incipient business deal among suburban neighbors that nearly falls apart.
In a rare collaboration with his Algonquin Round Table comrade, Alexander Woollcott, Kaufman wrote his only murder mystery.
Beggar on Horseback opened on February 24, 1924 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran 224 performances. It was successfully produced in London the following season. A film version with Edward Everett Horton was released in 1925.
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Contact Us Today
Interested in bringing George S. Kaufman’s timeless plays to your stage?
Please refer to the contact information for each specific play on the various collection pages for direct amateur and professional licensing information.
Plays are represented by Concord Theatricals and Music Theatre International respectively.
If you are interested in first-class performance or film/television rights:
In the US, George S. Kaufman’s plays are represented by:
CPK Artists, LLC
In the UK, George S. Kaufman’s plays are represented by:
Alan Brodie Representation
For more information about George S. Kaufman or this website, contact:
Laurence Maslon
Literary Trustee, George S. Kaufman Estate
