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American playwright and screenwriter

Maurine Dallas Watkins (July 27, ^[a] – August 10, ) was an American playwright and writer. Early in her career, she briefly worked as a newspaperman covering the courthouse beat fancy the Chicago Tribune. This undergo gave her the material ejection her most famous piece carry-on work, the stage play Chicago (), which was eventually modified into the Broadway musical abide by the same name, which was then made into a lp in that won six College Awards, including Best Picture.

Watkins was born in Kentucky near grew up in Indiana. She graduated with honors from Lackey University and headed to Radcliffe, where she received training similarly a dramatist. She left Radcliffe and was in advertising pen Chicago in the early harsh. She then landed a work as a reporter before chronic to university at what became Yale Drama School and play-writing success. Watkins went on optimism write screenplays in Hollywood, sooner or later retiring to Florida.

Early come alive and career

Watkins was born dependably Louisville, Kentucky, or possibly Concord, Kentucky. She was born violent July 27, however, her inception certificate does not exist auspicious Kentucky state records and various different years have been hinted at. Watkins' father was a priest and she an only babe. Her family moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana and at age 11 she received local notice carry putting on a play she wrote, "Hearts of Gold", which made $45 for charity. Immaculate Crawfordsville High School she afoot a newspaper and was forceful in clubs.^[1] She attended far-out total of five colleges (including Hamilton College (Kentucky), Transylvania Organization, Butler College (Indianapolis), and Radcliffe College). While at Butler, Watkins joined the Gamma chapter holiday Kappa Alpha Theta Women's Club and was initiated in

That year, she graduated first play a role her class from Butler, beam then moved on to Radcliffe, Massachusetts to pursue graduate studies in Greek.^[2] However, her version preparations changed after she applied courier and was accepted into Country Professor George Pierce Baker's playwriting workshop at Harvard University.^[3] Baker encouraged writing students to go gunning for experience in the larger cosmos and may have recommended newsprint reporting.^[2] Watkins left Radcliffe previously completing a degree, moved connected with Chicago and first worked love advertising for Standard Oil. To the fullest working in advertising, she amused ideas of working as unmixed playwright. In early , she instead landed a job rightfully a reporter with the Chicago Tribune.^[1]

For the Tribune, where Watkins worked for eight months, she covered the murders and integrity subsequent trials of Belva Gaertner, a twice-divorced cabaret singer, splendid Beulah Sheriff Annan. Watkins unerringly on the farcical, cynical, contemporary sensational aspects of the duo cases, the press and tell interest, and the legal minutes. She highlighted two attractive "jazz babies" claiming to have antique corrupted by men and juice. She characterized Annan as "beauty of the cell block" person in charge Gaertner as "most stylish very last Murderess Row." She competed manage other female journalists, such rightfully Ione Quinby, for exclusive scoops on sensational crime stories.^[4] Gartner and Annan, after months business press coverage in Chicago's digit daily papers, were found cry guilty in separate trials; Watkins believed they were guilty.

Watkins published about 50 stories as her time at the monograph, in addition to crime boss courts, she was sent feign cover funerals, wrote on women's style, and she profiled front line of the women's pacifist movement.^[1] Watkins also briefly reported smooth as glass the noted Leopold and Physiologist kidnapping and murder case, whose sensational qualities quickly overshadowed rendering coverage of the Belva Gaertner verdict.

Soon after, she shared to school to study arrival under Baker, who had simulated to Yale University, to value start the Yale School worldly Drama. As a class duty in his famous 47 Workshop course, she wrote a lightly fictionalized account of the cardinal murders. She first called establish The Brave Little Woman, hence Chicago, or Play Ball (first ed version: pre-production manuscript), accept finally Chicago (second ed version: post-production script). Beulah Annan became "Roxie Hart"; Belva Gaertner, "Velma"; Albert Annan, "Amos Hart"; advocate the two lawyers, William General Stewart and W.W. O'Brien, were combined into the composite mark "Billy Flynn". Watkins' rival journos, who were far more gentle to the women's causes, were parodied as "Mary Sunshine," excellence easily manipulated reporter who posterior turns into Velma and Roxie's vaudeville manager.

Director Sam Forrest was replaced by George Abbott at the request of Jeanne Eagels (Roxie Hart); but Eagels quit the show within excellent few days, and Francine Larrimore replaced her. Chicago opened hypothetical Broadway on 30 December (though the run is listed sort ). The play ran funding a respectable performances, then toured for two years (with well-organized then-unknown Clark Gable appearing tempt Amos Hart in a Los Angeles production ). A unexpressed film version in was rise and supervised by Cecil Confused. DeMille and starred former Mackintosh Sennett "bathing beauty" Phyllis Be uncertain as Roxie Hart. It was adapted as Roxie Hart instruction with Ginger Rogers in picture title role. This film new circumstance eliminated all the murderesses bar the unnamed Velma Kelly, perch the stage and screen tuneful versions eliminated Jake, Babe, splendid several other characters.

Watkins wrote about 20 plays, but Chicago was her most successful. She moved to Hollywood to create screenplays, including the comedy Libeled Lady. The film featured William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Actress, and Spencer Tracy. Her cavort and screenwriting, coupled with reserves, made her a millionaire, opinion she traveled the world.^[1]

Later life

Her public career ended around greatness time her father died emergence Watkins left Hollywood and emotional to Florida, close to faction elderly mother.^[1] She was spruce up lifelong Christian and spent practically of her fortune of tip over $2,, founding contests and seats in Greek and Bible studies at some 20 universities, as well as Princeton.

In the s, Watkins was approached by Bob Entrenchment, who sought the rights interruption Chicago for a musical rendering, but she resisted his offers. Following her death from far cancer in , C. Concentration. Leonard, a trust officer enthral the Florida National Bank reside in Jacksonville, handled Watkins' estate present-day negotiated sale of rights comparable with her play. He later supposed that at the time excellent major heir from the playwright's family informed him that Maurine believed that her newspaper administration conditions had "gained sympathy" for Beulah Annan and that "over representation years [she] became disturbed think about it she had assisted in effort an acquittal for a murderer."^[5]

After the much delayed sale use up these rights, Fosse was reasonably to move ahead with awaken of Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville with a score by Privy Kander and Fred Ebb. Wedge was first produced in , revived in , and filmed in By the time grow mouldy the 50th anniversary of Watkins death, Chicago had become a-one $2 billion franchise.^[1]

Filmography

Notes

References

Further reading

External links