Jean Kerr
Encyclopedia
Jean Kerr was an American author and playwright born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
and best known for her humorous bestseller, Please Don't Eat the Daisies
, and the plays King of Hearts and Mary, Mary
. She was married to drama critic Walter Kerr
and was the mother of six children.
to Tom and Kitty Collins, Kerr grew up on Electric Street in Scranton, and attended Marywood Seminary, the topic of her humorous short story "When I was Queen of the May." She received a Bachelor's Degree from Marywood College
in Scranton and later attended The Catholic University of America
, where she received her Masters' Degree and met then-professor Walter Kerr
. She later married Kerr, who went on to become a well-known New York drama critic, and they had six children—Christopher, twins Colin and John, Gilbert, Gregory, and Kitty. The Kerrs bought a home in New Rochelle, New York
, where Jean wrote 'King of Hearts', before settling in Larchmont
. She died in White Plains, New York
, of pneumonia, in 2003.
. She wrote several highly successful plays, including the Tony Award
-winning King of Hearts, as well as the comedy Mary, Mary
, which ran for over 1,500 performances and, for a time, held the record for the longest-running non-musical play on Broadway
.
She also wrote many humorous magazine essays, typically about her family. Several collections of these were later published in book form and became best-sellers. Her best-known book was Please Don't Eat the Daisies
(1957
), a humorous look at suburb
an life from the point of view of former city dwellers. The book was a national bestseller, later adapted for the screen as a vehicle for Doris Day
and David Niven
and subsequently the basis of a television situation comedy starring Pat Crowley
.
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
and best known for her humorous bestseller, Please Don't Eat the Daisies
Please Don't Eat The Daisies
Please Don't Eat the Daisies is a best-selling collection of humorous essays by American humorist and playwright Jean Kerr about suburban living and raising four boys. The essays do not have a plot or through-storyline, but the book sold so well it was later adapted into a film starring Doris Day...
, and the plays King of Hearts and Mary, Mary
Mary, Mary (play)
Mary, Mary is a play by Jean Kerr. The play became one of the longest-running productions of the decade. After two previews, the Broadway production opened on March 8, 1961 at the original Helen Hayes Theatre , where it ran for nearly three years and nine months before transferring to the Morosco...
. She was married to drama critic Walter Kerr
Walter Kerr
For the RN admiral see Lord Walter KerrWalter Francis Kerr was an American writer and Broadway theater critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals.-Biography:...
and was the mother of six children.
Personal life
Born Bridget Jean Collins in Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
to Tom and Kitty Collins, Kerr grew up on Electric Street in Scranton, and attended Marywood Seminary, the topic of her humorous short story "When I was Queen of the May." She received a Bachelor's Degree from Marywood College
Marywood University
Marywood University is a selective, coeducational, Catholic liberal arts university located on a campus in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Established in 1915 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and currently enrolls approximately 3,500 students on a national award-winning campus...
in Scranton and later attended The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
, where she received her Masters' Degree and met then-professor Walter Kerr
Walter Kerr
For the RN admiral see Lord Walter KerrWalter Francis Kerr was an American writer and Broadway theater critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals.-Biography:...
. She later married Kerr, who went on to become a well-known New York drama critic, and they had six children—Christopher, twins Colin and John, Gilbert, Gregory, and Kitty. The Kerrs bought a home in New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
, where Jean wrote 'King of Hearts', before settling in Larchmont
Larchmont, New York
Larchmont is a village in Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,864 at the 2010 census. It is located within the town of Mamaroneck, on the shore of Long Island Sound, northeast of Midtown Manhattan...
. She died in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
, of pneumonia, in 2003.
Career
With her husband, Kerr wrote Goldilocks (1958), a short-lived Broadway musical comedy about the early days of silent filmSilent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
. She wrote several highly successful plays, including the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning King of Hearts, as well as the comedy Mary, Mary
Mary, Mary (play)
Mary, Mary is a play by Jean Kerr. The play became one of the longest-running productions of the decade. After two previews, the Broadway production opened on March 8, 1961 at the original Helen Hayes Theatre , where it ran for nearly three years and nine months before transferring to the Morosco...
, which ran for over 1,500 performances and, for a time, held the record for the longest-running non-musical play on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
.
She also wrote many humorous magazine essays, typically about her family. Several collections of these were later published in book form and became best-sellers. Her best-known book was Please Don't Eat the Daisies
Please Don't Eat The Daisies
Please Don't Eat the Daisies is a best-selling collection of humorous essays by American humorist and playwright Jean Kerr about suburban living and raising four boys. The essays do not have a plot or through-storyline, but the book sold so well it was later adapted into a film starring Doris Day...
(1957
1957 in literature
The year 1957 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Lawrence Durrell publishes the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet. The final of the four volumes will be published in 1960....
), a humorous look at suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an life from the point of view of former city dwellers. The book was a national bestseller, later adapted for the screen as a vehicle for Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
and David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
and subsequently the basis of a television situation comedy starring Pat Crowley
Pat Crowley
Patricia "Pat" Crowley is an American film and television actress.Crowley was often confused with her acting contemporary Kathleen Crowley, who appeared as guest leading lady in different episodes of many of the same television series and is not related.Pat Crowley appeared in The Untouchables...
.
Books
- Please Don't Eat the DaisiesPlease Don't Eat The DaisiesPlease Don't Eat the Daisies is a best-selling collection of humorous essays by American humorist and playwright Jean Kerr about suburban living and raising four boys. The essays do not have a plot or through-storyline, but the book sold so well it was later adapted into a film starring Doris Day...
- The Snake Has All the Lines
- Penny Candy (1970)
- How I Got to be Perfect
Plays
- The Song of Bernadette (1946)
- Jenny Kissed Me (1948)
- Touch-and-Go (1949)
- John Murray Anderson's AlmanacJohn Murray Anderson's AlmanacJohn Murray Anderson's Almanac is a musical revue, featuring the music of the songwriting team of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, as well as other composers...
(1953) - King of Hearts (1954)
- Goldilocks: A Musical (1958)
- Mary, MaryMary, Mary (play)Mary, Mary is a play by Jean Kerr. The play became one of the longest-running productions of the decade. After two previews, the Broadway production opened on March 8, 1961 at the original Helen Hayes Theatre , where it ran for nearly three years and nine months before transferring to the Morosco...
(1961) - Poor Richard (1964)
- Finishing Touches (1973)
- Lunch Hour (1980)