Summary
The Thirteenth Chair is play by the American writer Bayard Veiller which premiered in 1916.[1] It enjoyed a lengthy run on Broadway initially at the 48th Street Theatre before later transferring to the Fulton Theatre. A mystery the action takes place entirely in the drawing room of a large, wealthy house in New York City. The author's English wife Margaret Wycherly played a prominent role in the original production which ran for 328 performances. Mrs Patrick Campbell took over the role when it debuted in London's West End the following year.[2] In 1937 actor John Craven performed in it at Harold Lloyd's Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals before making his broadway debut.[3]
| The Thirteenth Chair | |
|---|---|
 1922 edition | |
| Written by | Bayard Veiller |
| Date premiered | November 20, 1916 |
| Place premiered | 48th Street Theatre, New York City |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Mystery |
| Setting | New York City, present day |
Adaptations edit
The play has been adapted into films on three occasions: the 1919 silent film The Thirteenth Chair directed by Léonce Perret, a 1929 early sound remake The Thirteenth Chair directed by Tod Browning and starring Conrad Nagel and a final 1937 version The Thirteenth Chair directed by George B. Seitz and featuring Madge Evans and Elissa Landi.[4] The latter films shifted the setting from New York to British India.
References edit
Bibliography edit
- Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.
- Lachman, Marvin. The Villainous Stage: Crime Plays on Broadway and in the West End. McFarland, 2014.
- Pitts, Michael R. Thrills Untapped: Neglected Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1928-1936. McFarland, 2018.