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
First Lady opened November 26, 1935 at the Music Box Theatre and ran 246 performances. It was filmed by Warner Bros in 1937. Aside from a 1996 revival at the Yale Repertory Theatre, it has not had a recent first-class production.
By Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman. Cast size: 11 men, 22 women—not much doubling possible. Stage Door opened on October 22, 1936 at the Music Box Theatre and ran 169 performances.
Strike Up the Band opened on January 14, 1930 at the Times Square Theater and ran 191 performances. In 1990, the 1927 book was restored, in collaboration with a Nonesuch/Roxbury recording of all the variants of both versions. The 1927 version was staged by ENCORES! at City Center in 2000 and that version is available for performance.
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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