Merton of the Movies
(1922)
George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly
The original 1922 production of Merton ran for 398 performances, at a time when half that number of performances could make a hit. It has been rarely revived, although a production at Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater in 1974 starred Michael Moriarty and a successful version was performed in Los Angeles’ Geffen Theater in 1998, directed by John Rando.
For performance rights: Concord Theatricals
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The Plot
Merton Gill, the eponymous hero, is smitten by the flickers. He spends his days saving his small salary at the Simsbury General Store and his evenings dreaming of becoming the next cowboy star. This young man goes west, haunting a Hollywood casting office, bustling with the amusing and eccentric characters and is befriended by “Flips,” the greatest stuntwoman in Los Angeles. (Merton is shocked to discover that starlet Beulah Baxter doesn’t perform her own stunts in “Hazards of Hortense”.)
Merton’s first appearance on the set as an extra ends in disaster, until “Flips” notices his astounding resemblance to matinee idol Harold Parmalee and gets her pal, Jeff Baird, the comedy king of Buckeye Studios (clearly modelled on Mack Sennett) to star Merton in a series of spoofs on Parmalee’s persona. Only thing is, Merton, with his unswerving loyalty to “serious screen pictures,” can’t be let in on the joke. To say that, ultimately, the worst actor in silent films becomes its greatest sensation speaks more to the timeless mediocrity of Hollywood than anything else.
About the Play
The play consolidated Kaufman’s reputation as a Broadway force and a major satirist. Based on a short story by Harry Leon Wilson, the fable of a small-town rube who tries to make it into the silent film industry is not only a model of Kaufman’s modus operandi, but one of the very first satires on Hollywood. An interesting and historic glimpse of the birth of the movies, also made into several film versions subsequently, including one starring Red Skelton.
Stage history
The original 1922 production of Merton ran for 398 performances, at a time when half that number of performances could make a hit. It has been rarely revived, although a production at Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater in 1974 starred Michael Moriarty and a successful version was performed in Los Angeles’ Geffen Theater in 1998, directed by John Rando.
Other Plays in the Catalogue
The Late George Apley opened at the Lyceum Theatre on November 21, 1944; it ran 357 performances. It was made into a 1947 film starring Ronald Colman as Apley.
George Washington Slept Here opened at the Lyceum Theater on October 18, 1940. It ran 173 performances, but has never had a Broadway revival.
The Fabulous Invalid is a 1938 stage play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart following the oscillating fortunes of a fictitious Broadway theater, the Alexandria, in the period between 1900 and 1930. The play's title has since entered the vernacular as a synonym for the theater.
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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, Broadway Dramatic Licensing, 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
