The Front Page
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BACKSTORY BY BEN HECHT AND CHARLES MACARTHUR Your behind-the-scenes look at TimeLine productions YESTERDAY’S STORIES. TODAY’S TOPICS. From Artistic Director PJ Powers a message Dear Friends, “Today, the form may be rapidly ing the events unfold us what we yearned for, during the historic uprising instant gratification and A few years ago I was brows- shifting away from newsprint, but in Egypt. The world was insight—news while it’s hap- ing in a bookstore when a waiting for in-the-moment pening in our media-fren- book caught my eye—The the competition to publish the story updates, and, in one critical zied world, even if at times Front Page: From Theater To first—even perhaps before the instance, at least one of the the facts be damned. Reality by George W. Hilton. media got ahead of itself. It As a longtime fan of Ben entire story has revealed itself or Seeing that unfold a few was Thursday, Feb. 10, and Hecht and Charles MacAr- on all four sides of the weeks ago, I couldn’t help been fully investigated—continues Egyptian President Hosni thur’s pressroom romp, I playing area. So you will but think about the shoot- Mubarak was set to deliver immediately picked it up to ring true.” get to know, quite closely, from-the-hip reporters what was being billed as a and discovered a treasure the colorful personalities in The Front Page. They major speech. The wide- trove of historical insight ous stage and film incarna- able—misogynistic, racist, that populated Hecht and became folk heroes for the spread prediction was that into the world of Chicago tions (including the classic foul and corrupt. It is that MacArthur’s world. lengths they would go to for he would finally cede power. journalism and politics. I gender-bending film His original essence and text getting stories and their bla- Newspaper journeymen, Like countless others, I was found things in Hecht and Girl Friday), mostly sanitiz- that TimeLine aims to bring tant disregard for political Hecht and MacArthur hitting “refresh” on my MacArthur’s play I had ing the play’s language and to light, not to validate the correctness and sometimes worked this town in an era computer in anticipation of never seen before—things softening its characters. characters’ vernacular or the truth. It was a different that may seem foreign to historic news. And major that seemed to make this The changes put a glossier boorishness but to pres- era, to be sure, but you may us now. Their play show- media outlets were clearly play even more ripe for finish on what was unques- ent them honestly, as the find yourself surprised by cases eight actual daily at the ready, preparing TimeLine. tionably a more rough-and- flawed characters they the resonances that Hecht newspapers in Chicago. Yes, headlines and “Breaking tumble world that Hecht were, as well as provide and MacArthur’s world have Hilton’s painstakingly eight—eight print editions! News” banners even before and MacArthur aimed a snapshot of a particular with modern media. detailed dissection of And, truth be told, there any news officially occurred. to celebrate and scorch. time in our beloved city’s The Front Page includes were other Chicago papers I was glued to a highly We are delighted to wel- Though the overall story blemished past. historical analysis and in the ‘20s that weren’t esteemed website midway come you to their world— remained intact, celebra- page-by-page annotations, To accentuate that real- included in the play. Today, through his speech when inside that world! Thank tion increasingly became along with photographs ity, and to strive against the form may be rapidly a breaking-news banner you for being here and for the goal of each subsequent and insight into the real-life the presentational quality shifting away from good old- popped up: “Mubarak to helping to make TimeLine’s version. The cumulative personalities that inspired often associated with this fashioned newsprint, but step down.” I immediately 14th season a stunning year effect of the changes, in each character in the play, director Nick Bowling the competition between clicked to another esteemed of growth and a stimulating Hilton’s assessment, was play. Most important, the and his design team have news outlets to publish the site to read its banner: year of conversation. We “to weaken the play.” book includes the earli- put you—the audience— story first—even perhaps “Mubarak refuses to step look forward to having a est surviving text of the In revised versions, the squarely in the middle of before the entire story has down.” vibrant discussion about play, from August 1928. It wiseacres of The Front Page the action, sitting within revealed itself or been fully The Front Page with you. I Site No. 2 had it right, and is this original version that pressroom evolved into the pressroom at Chicago’s investigated—continues also hope you’ll stick around site No. 1 had jumped provides a revealing window more lovable loudmouths, famed Criminal Courts to ring true in our world of and be a part of the exciting the gun, ultimately by a into Hecht and MacArthur’s charming in their foibles Building. As we’ve featured minute-by-minute online lineup we have put together full day. (Mubarek did, of 1920s Chicago, warts and all. and more endearing for later in this Backstory, the and cable-news reporting. for TimeLine’s 15th anniver- course, step down, but on Plagued by censorship since their audacity. But to look flexibility of TimeLine’s sary season. This point was never so clear Friday, Feb. 11.) But were the the original 1928 production, back at the original text, theater is being employed to me than just a few weeks diligent, yet trigger-happy, All the best, the script has gone through much of their language yet again, as this show is before we began rehearsals journalists and editors at numerous changes in vari- and actions were deplor- staged with the audience for The Front Page, watch- fault? They were giving Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur the playwrights TIMELINE: Sources of A Partnership churning out newspaper col- ing, a teen-aged MacArthur the story umns, short stories, novels, is Born moved to the Chicago area. The Front Page was egend has it the first poetry and plays as if his life His first newspaper job was written in the summer Lcollaboration between depended on it. MacArthur, at The Oak Leaves, an Oak of 1927, but years of who also married more than important moments are Ben Hecht and Charles Park paper owned by his referenced in the play. MacArthur was a piece of once, was known for his siblings. In 1914 he joined Not to mention the life The Front Page gallows humor—literally. humor, his valor as a soldier the City News Bureau of has had and his love of a good brawl. Ben Hecht in 1918, from the Chicago Charles MacArthur photographed at since its world-premiere As Hecht writes in his biog- Daily News negatives collection. the height of The Front Page success. Chicago, a news-service production in 1928. Their writing was not gener- (Chicago History Museum) (photo by Nickolas Murray) cooperative where cub Following are some key raphy of MacArthur, the day dates in the play’s legacy. before a condemned man ated through a process of Hecht claims to have once front-page story about a reporters cut their teeth. calm reflection and careful February 1894 Ben Hecht is scheduled to hang, they stolen an oil painting Bulgarian princess. Hecht Described by historian is born in New York City. In construction. The belief that visit him. When they dis- because it was the only was nearly fired. Wayne Klatt as “restless, a later account of his birth, cover he has not planned his the right novel, play or film likeness he could find. For Hecht will write he was born in Sherman Duffy, a sports romantic [and a] prank- last words, MacArthur and could make one instantly another story, he plugged puller,” MacArthur became a toilet. In truth, it is a cousin editor at the Journal, took who was born prematurely in Hecht pen a “spicy attack” wealthy lent a sense of oil the chimney of a bereaved “everything his father the somewhat chastened a toilet. Hecht simply steals on the city editors at their wildcatting to the whole mother’s home. When she Hecht under his wing and detested: someone who the story. respective newspapers. enterprise. Hecht and Mac- ran outside to escape the craved excitement, neon taught him the ropes of November 1895 Arthur lived hard, wrote fast smoke, he slipped inside Unfortunately, the prison- actual newspaper reportage. lights, women, and liquor.” Charles MacArthur is born in and carried themselves with to steal a picture of her er’s arms are bound when By 1914, Hecht had become Scranton, Pa. an air of braggadocio that recently deceased daughter. Searching for that excite- he steps onto the gallows. wouldn’t have been out of a top reporter at the Journal. ment, MacArthur joined 1903 Walter Howey, then a cub reporter for the City Press The convict manages to place in a con artist—or a Hecht’s success led his the U.S. Army and served Having conquered the Association, files a story on keep hold of the typewrit- supervisor to send him out as a doughboy in World newspaperman. newspaper business, he set the tragic Iroquois Theater ten speech, but is unable to to look for news stories.