The American Stage Careers of Fredric March and Florence Eldridge. Vicki Jo Payne Parrish Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1995 The American Stage Careers of Fredric March and Florence Eldridge. Vicki Jo payne Parrish Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Parrish, Vicki Jo payne, "The American Stage Careers of Fredric March and Florence Eldridge." (1995). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6042. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6042 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough,m a substandard r gins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 THE AMERICAN STAGE CAREERS OF FREDRIC MARCH AND FLORENCE ELDRIDGE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Theatre by Vicki Payne Parrish B.S., West Georgia College, 1970 M.S., Louisiana State Univeristy, 1975 August 1995 UMI Number: 9609116 UMI Microform 9609116 Copyright 1996, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 In Loving Memory Helyn Cleveland Payne and Carey Payne Sills ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to give special thanks to Dr. Bill Harbin for his guidance and influence during my doctoral studies, to Chapter I, P.E.O. for their financial and emotional support, and most especially to my husband, Dan, and to my children Matt, Andy, and Lindsey for their love and understanding. TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................... iii ABSTRACT .............. vi INTRODUCTION ................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 THE EARLY LIVES AND CAREERS OF MARCH AND ELDRIDGE FROM REPERTORY TO BROADWAY ( 1 897-1 92 6 ) ...........................................9 Fredric March ........................ ...........9 Florence Eldridge ................................. 25 The Courtship of March and Eldridge............ 36 Chapter Summary ................................. 41 2 ELITCH'S GARDENS THEATRE 1925 THROUGH 1928 AND THE THEATRE GUILD TOUR OF 1927-1 928 ............ 42 Elitch's Gardens Historical Setting ......... 42 Elitch's 11925 Season ............................ 48 Summary of the 1 9 25 S e a s o n ................... 59 Elitch's 1 926 S e a s o n .............................61 1 926 Season Summary . .......................74 The Season of 1927 ............................... 76 Summary of the 1 927 S e a s o n ................... 89 The Theatre Guild Tour of 1 927-28 ............ 91 Chautauqua-Lyceum System ......................93 Theatre Guild System . 95 The C o m p a n y ...................................... 96 Tour Conditions ............................... 103 The Marches' Personal Remembrances of the Tour....................................105 Summary of the Theatre Guild To u r ........... 109 Elitch's Gardens 1928 Season ................ 111 Summary of the 1 928 S e a s o n .................. 122 Chapter Summary . .............................124 3 THE MARCHES' EARLY MOTION PICTURE AND STAGE YEARS (1 928-1 93 9 ) .......................... 1 28 The S e t t i n g ...................................... 128 March in Hollywood .............................. 130 March's Early Films ................... 134 Eldridge in Hollywood ................ .144 An Affair of S t a t e .............................. 147 Days to C o m e .....................................150 The Lure of the Legitimate S t a g e ............. 152 Yr. Obedient Husband .......................... 155 The American W a y .............. 161 The P r o d u c t i o n ........................... .163 Chapter Summary ................................. 170 iv 4 THE MARCHES ON BROADWAY ( 1 940-1 95 5 ) ............ 1 74 The Setting: World War II and Post-War Era . ................................ 174 Broadway Interlude ......................... 178 Initial Communist A l l e gations...............180 Hope for a Harvest ( 1 9 4 1 ) ......................182 The Skin of Our Teeth (1 942)................... 186 Early Production Plans .......................191 The Rehearsal Process . .................. ..194 Production Experiences.......................197 USO Tour: Spring 1 944 ..........................1 99 A Return to Films and S t a g e ................... 201 A Bell for Adano (1 944)....................... 202 Production Plans ..............................203 Blacklisting ................................... 205 Years A g o ........................................ 207 Pre-Production Plans ....................... 208 High Praise for the M a r c h e s .................209 The Antoinette Perry Awards ................... 210 Film Portrayals 1 948-1 950 ................ 21 2 Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep .................... 214 An Enemy of the P e o p l e ......................... 218 The Production ................................ 220 Collegiate Honor .............................. 221 The Autumn Garden ................ 222 Films: 1952-55 ................................ 224 Chapter Summary .............................. 228 5 LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT: THE CLIMAX TO THE MARCHES' DISTINGUISHED CAREERS ............................................. 230 The Setting: 1 956 to 1 961 ..................... 230 Long Day's Journey Into N i g h t .................231 Production Arrangements..................... 234 Return to F i l m s ................................. 239 G i d e o n .................. 241 Production Plans ............................ 241 The P l a y ....................................... 243 C r i t i q u e s ......................... 245 Personal Comments of Gideon Cast Member: Mitchell Jason ..................... 246 State Department T o u r .......................... 251 Film Work: 1 963-1 973 .......................... 256 March's Final Performance..................... 258 6 CONCLUSION.......................................... 260 WORKS CITED .................................................... 271 APPENDIXES ...................................................291 VITA ............................................................ 298 v ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine and assess the theatrical careers of Fredric March (1897-1975) and Florence Eldridge (1901-1988). Repertory and Broadway theatre reviews, extant unpublished letters and manuscripts, and contemporary reviews and articles constitute the bulk of the primary research material. These have been supplemented by the actors' own personal memoirs, biographical accounts, correspondence with surviving contemporaries, and articles from journals, books, and newspapers. Fredric March and Florence Eldridge were important American actors whose portrayals on Broadway and in films were significant in the development of American theatre in the twentieth century. They were devoted to the stage despite outstanding success in films, and their duration as actors (spanning over forty-five years) demonstrates their enduring influence on the American theatre scene. At least two of their Broadway portrayals have gained a lasting place in the history of Broadway productions (The Skin of Our Teeth, and Long Day's Journey Into Night. Their recognition by the Academy of Arts and Science and the Antoinette Perry Awards has been established. They valued the legitimate stage as a professional artistic occupation, and they were dedicated to portraying the playwright's intentions in their interpretations. In addition, they vi offered their services to the American theatre and the United States Government as Ambassadors abroad. They supported each other through forty-eight