Laurence Stallings
Encyclopedia
Laurence Tucker Stallings (November 25, 1894 - February 28, 1968) was an American playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, literary critic, journalist, novelist, and photographer. Best known for his collaboration with Maxwell Anderson
on the 1924 play What Price Glory
, Stallings also produced a groundbreaking autobiographical novel, Plumes about his service in World War I
, and published an award-winning book of photographs, The First World War: A Photographic History.
to Larkin Tucker Stallings, a bank clerk, and Aurora Brooks Stallings, a homemaker and avid reader who inspired her son's love of literature. He entered Wake Forest University in North Carolina in 1912 and became the editor of the campus literary magazine, the Old Gold and Black.
He met Helen Poteat while at Wake Forest. She was the daughter of daughter of Dr. William Louis Poteat, the university president, and the sister of Stallings's classics professor. They were sweethearts throughout their school years. He graduated from Wake Forest College in 1916, and got a job writing advertising copy for a local recruiting office. He was so convinced by his own prose, that he joined the United States Marine Reserve himself in 1917. He was assigned to active duty and arrived in France in time to participate in the fighting at Château-Thierry
, where he was wounded in the leg in the Battle of Bealleau Wood. After begging the doctors not to amputate, he came home to spend two painful years recuperating (He later damaged it with a fall on the ice, and it was amputated in 1922. Many years later he had to have his remaining leg amputated as well). After finishing his convalescence, Stallings and Poteat married on March 8, 1919; they had two daughters, Sylvia (born 1926) and Diana (born 1931), before divorcing in 1936.
The following year he married Louise St. Leger Vance, his secretary at Fox Studios. They had two children, Laurence, Jr. (born 1939) and Sally (born 1941). Stallings died of a heart attack in Pacific Palisades, California. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
in Point Loma near San Diego.
degree from Georgetown University
, after which he worked as a reporter, critic, and entertainment editor at the New York World
. He was impressed by Maxwell Anderson
's first play, White Desert, and the two joined forces to collaborate on What Price Glory, which opened at the Plymouth Theatre in New York City in 1924. The critically acclaimed play ran for 435 performances and spawned two film adaptations.
The two went on to co-write the plays The First Flight and The Buccaneer, both in 1925. Stallings continued his theatre career with the book and lyrics for the musical
Deep River (1926), adapted Ernest Hemingway's
novel A Farewell to Arms
for the stage in 1930, co-wrote the book for the musicals Rainbow (1928) with Oscar Hammerstein
and Virginia (1937) with Owen Davis
, and penned the play The Streets Are Guarded in 1944. He was a member of the Algonquin Round Table
.
Stallings novel, the autobiographical
Plumes, was published in 1924 and was a huge success, with nine printings in that year alone. It was adapted into King Vidor
's The Big Parade
, which was quite successful and remained MGM's largest grossing film until Gone with the Wind
in 1939. He was regarded as a key influence on three of John Ford
's greatest films, serving as writer or co-writer for 3 Godfathers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
, and The Sun Shines Bright
. Additional screenwriting credits included Northwest Passage, The Man from Dakota
, and On Our Merry Way
.
Stalling's last book, The Doughboys: The Story of the AEF, 1917-1918, was published in 1963. The non-fiction
account of World War I partly explores the racism and discrimination faced by the black
troops during the war.
Stallings was called back to service with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as a Lieutenant Colonel but did not serve overseas.
Maxwell Anderson
James Maxwell Anderson was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist and lyricist.-Early years:Anderson was born in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to William Lincoln "Link" Anderson, a Baptist minister, and Charlotte Perrimela Stephenson, both of Scots and Irish descent...
on the 1924 play What Price Glory
What Price Glory? (play)
What Price Glory?, a comedy-drama written by Maxwell Anderson and critic/veteran Laurence Stallings was Anderson's first commercial success, with a long run on Broadway.The play depicted the rivalry between two U.S...
, Stallings also produced a groundbreaking autobiographical novel, Plumes about his service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and published an award-winning book of photographs, The First World War: A Photographic History.
Life
Stallings was born Laurence Tucker Stallings in Macon, GeorgiaMacon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
to Larkin Tucker Stallings, a bank clerk, and Aurora Brooks Stallings, a homemaker and avid reader who inspired her son's love of literature. He entered Wake Forest University in North Carolina in 1912 and became the editor of the campus literary magazine, the Old Gold and Black.
He met Helen Poteat while at Wake Forest. She was the daughter of daughter of Dr. William Louis Poteat, the university president, and the sister of Stallings's classics professor. They were sweethearts throughout their school years. He graduated from Wake Forest College in 1916, and got a job writing advertising copy for a local recruiting office. He was so convinced by his own prose, that he joined the United States Marine Reserve himself in 1917. He was assigned to active duty and arrived in France in time to participate in the fighting at Château-Thierry
Château-Thierry
Château-Thierry is a commune in northern France about east-northeast of Paris. It is a sub-prefecture of the Aisne department in Picardy.-History:...
, where he was wounded in the leg in the Battle of Bealleau Wood. After begging the doctors not to amputate, he came home to spend two painful years recuperating (He later damaged it with a fall on the ice, and it was amputated in 1922. Many years later he had to have his remaining leg amputated as well). After finishing his convalescence, Stallings and Poteat married on March 8, 1919; they had two daughters, Sylvia (born 1926) and Diana (born 1931), before divorcing in 1936.
The following year he married Louise St. Leger Vance, his secretary at Fox Studios. They had two children, Laurence, Jr. (born 1939) and Sally (born 1941). Stallings died of a heart attack in Pacific Palisades, California. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is situated in the city of San Diego, California, on the Fort Rosecrans Military Reservation. The cemetery is located approximately 10 miles west of downtown San Diego, overlooking the bay and the city...
in Point Loma near San Diego.
Career
Stallings received a Master of ScienceMaster of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, after which he worked as a reporter, critic, and entertainment editor at the New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
. He was impressed by Maxwell Anderson
Maxwell Anderson
James Maxwell Anderson was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist and lyricist.-Early years:Anderson was born in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to William Lincoln "Link" Anderson, a Baptist minister, and Charlotte Perrimela Stephenson, both of Scots and Irish descent...
's first play, White Desert, and the two joined forces to collaborate on What Price Glory, which opened at the Plymouth Theatre in New York City in 1924. The critically acclaimed play ran for 435 performances and spawned two film adaptations.
The two went on to co-write the plays The First Flight and The Buccaneer, both in 1925. Stallings continued his theatre career with the book and lyrics for the musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Deep River (1926), adapted Ernest Hemingway's
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
novel A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Ernest Hemingway concerning events during the Italian campaigns during the First World War. The book, which was first published in 1929, is a first-person account of American Frederic Henry, serving as a Lieutenant in the ambulance...
for the stage in 1930, co-wrote the book for the musicals Rainbow (1928) with Oscar Hammerstein
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
and Virginia (1937) with Owen Davis
Owen Davis
Owen Gould Davis, Sr. was an American dramatist. He received the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his 1923 play Icebound, and penned hundreds of plays and scripts for radio and film. Before the First World War, he also wrote racy sketches of New York high jinks and low life for the Police Gazette...
, and penned the play The Streets Are Guarded in 1944. He was a member of the Algonquin Round Table
Algonquin Round Table
The Algonquin Round Table was a celebrated group of New York City writers, critics, actors and wits. Gathering initially as part of a practical joke, members of "The Vicious Circle", as they dubbed themselves, met for lunch each day at the Algonquin Hotel from 1919 until roughly 1929...
.
Stallings novel, the autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
Plumes, was published in 1924 and was a huge success, with nine printings in that year alone. It was adapted into King Vidor
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose career spanned nearly seven decades...
's The Big Parade
The Big Parade
The Big Parade is a 1925 silent film. It tells the story of an idle rich boy who joins the US Army's Rainbow Division and is sent to France to fight in World War I, becomes friends with two working class men, experiences the horrors of trench warfare, and finds love with a French girl.The film was...
, which was quite successful and remained MGM's largest grossing film until Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
in 1939. He was regarded as a key influence on three of John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
's greatest films, serving as writer or co-writer for 3 Godfathers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a 1949 Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. The film was the second of Ford's trilogy of films focusing on the US Cavalry ; the other two films were Fort Apache and Rio Grande...
, and The Sun Shines Bright
The Sun Shines Bright
The Sun Shines Bright is a 1953 comedy film directed by John Ford, based on material taken from a series of Irvin S. Cobb stories. Ford had adapted some of the same material in 1934 in his film Judge Priest. That film originally had a scene depicting the lynching of Stepin Fetchit’s character , but...
. Additional screenwriting credits included Northwest Passage, The Man from Dakota
The Man from Dakota
The Man from Dakota is a 1940 film directed by Leslie Fenton and starring Wallace Beery. The movie was adapted by Laurence Stallings from the novel by MacKinlay Kantor.-Cast:*Wallace Beery as Bar Barstow*John Howard as Oliver Clark...
, and On Our Merry Way
On Our Merry Way
On Our Merry Way is an American comedy film, produced by Benedict Bogeaus and Burgess Meredith, and released by United Artists. At the time of its release, King Vidor and Leslie Fenton were credited with its direction, although the DVD lists John Huston and George Stevens, who assisted with one of...
.
Stalling's last book, The Doughboys: The Story of the AEF, 1917-1918, was published in 1963. The non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
account of World War I partly explores the racism and discrimination faced by the black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
troops during the war.
Stallings was called back to service with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as a Lieutenant Colonel but did not serve overseas.
Books
- Plumes, 1925.
- Three American Plays, by Stallings and Maxwell Anderson (includes What Price GloryWhat Price Glory? (play)What Price Glory?, a comedy-drama written by Maxwell Anderson and critic/veteran Laurence Stallings was Anderson's first commercial success, with a long run on Broadway.The play depicted the rivalry between two U.S...
, First Flight, and The Buccaneer.), 1926 - The First World War--A Photographic History, (edited by Stallings), 1933
- The Doughboys, 1963
Periodicals
- "Celluloid Psychology," New Republic, 33 (7 February 1923): 282-284.
- "The Whole Art of a Wooden Leg," Smart Set, 70 (March 1923): 107-111.
- "The Big Parade," New Republic, 40 (17 September 1924): 66-69.
- "How a 'Great' Play Is Written," Current Opinion, 77 (November 1924): 617-618.
- "Esprit de Corps," Scribner's, 84 (August 1928): 212-215.
- "Turn Out the Guard," Saturday Evening Post, 201 (13 October 1928): 16-17, 96, 99-100.
- "Gentleman in Blue," Saturday Evening Post, 204 (20 February 1932): 8-9, 95.
- "Return to the Woods," Collier's, 89 (5 March 1932): 30-31, 52.
- "Lt. Richard Plume Comes Home from the War," Scholastic, 25 (10 November 1934): 4-6.
- "Bush Brigades and Blackamoors," American Mercury, 37 (April 1936): 411-419.
- "The War to End War," American Heritage, 10 (October 1959): 4-17, 84-85.
- "Bloody Belleau Wood," American Heritage, 14 (June 1963): 65-77.
Theatre Productions
- What Price GloryWhat Price Glory? (play)What Price Glory?, a comedy-drama written by Maxwell Anderson and critic/veteran Laurence Stallings was Anderson's first commercial success, with a long run on Broadway.The play depicted the rivalry between two U.S...
, by Stallings and Maxwell Anderson, New York, Plymouth Theatre, 5 September 1924. - First Flight, by Stallings and Anderson, New York, Plymouth Theatre, 17 September 1925.
- The Buccaneer, by Stallings and Anderson, New York, Plymouth Theatre, 2 October 1925.
- Deep River, New York, Imperial Theatre, 4 October 1926.
- Rainbow, by Stallings and Oscar Hammerstein II, New York, Gallo Theatre, 21 November 1928.
- A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Ernest Hemingway concerning events during the Italian campaigns during the First World War. The book, which was first published in 1929, is a first-person account of American Frederic Henry, serving as a Lieutenant in the ambulance...
, New York, National Theatre, 22 September 1930. - Eldorado, by Stallings and George S. Kaufman, New Haven, 19 October 1931.
- Virginia, by Stallings and Owen Davis, New York, Center Theatre, 2 September 1937.
- The Streets Are Guarded, New York, Miller's Theatre, 20 November 1944.
Screenplays
- The Big ParadeThe Big ParadeThe Big Parade is a 1925 silent film. It tells the story of an idle rich boy who joins the US Army's Rainbow Division and is sent to France to fight in World War I, becomes friends with two working class men, experiences the horrors of trench warfare, and finds love with a French girl.The film was...
(M-G-M, 1925), story. - Old Ironsides (Paramount Famous Lasky, 1926), story.
- Show People (M-G-M, 1928), treatment by Stallings and Agnes Christine Johnston.
- Billy the Kid (M-G-M, 1930), dialogue.
- Way for a Sailor (M-G-M, 1930), scenario and dialogue by Stallings and W. L. Rivers.
- After Office Hours (M-G-M, 1935), story by Stallings and Dale Van Eveky.
- So Red the Rose (Paramount, 1935), screenplay by Stallings, Edwin Justus Mayer, and Maxwell Anderson.
- Too Hot to Handle (M-G-M, 1938), screenplay by Stallings, John Lee Mahin, and Len Hammond.
- Stand Up and Fight (M-G-M, 1939), additional dialogue.
- The Man from Dakota (M-G-M, 1940), screenplay.
- Northwest Passage (M-G-M, 1940), screenplay by Stallings and Talbot Jennings.
- The Jungle Book (United Artists, 1942), screenplay.
- Salome, Where She Danced (Universal, 1945), screenplay.
- Christmas Eve (United Artists, 1947), story by Stallings, Arch Oboler, and Richard H. Landau; screenplay; retitled Sinners' Holiday.
- A Miracle Can Happen (United Artists, 1948), screenplay by Stallings and Lou Breslow; retitled On Our Merry Way.
- 3 Godfathers (M-G-M, 1949), screenplay by Stallings and Frank Nugent.
- She Wore a Yellow RibbonShe Wore a Yellow RibbonShe Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a 1949 Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. The film was the second of Ford's trilogy of films focusing on the US Cavalry ; the other two films were Fort Apache and Rio Grande...
(RKO, 1949), screenplay by Stallings and Nugent. - The Sun Shines BrightThe Sun Shines BrightThe Sun Shines Bright is a 1953 comedy film directed by John Ford, based on material taken from a series of Irvin S. Cobb stories. Ford had adapted some of the same material in 1934 in his film Judge Priest. That film originally had a scene depicting the lynching of Stepin Fetchit’s character , but...
(Republic, 1954), screenplay.