Album relating to Merton Hodge in England and America

Includes photos of Student's Review, Dunedin, 1927; Selwyn College, Dunedin, late 1920s; Dunedin Student's Carnival, 1920s; house staff, Dunedin Hospital; Clifton Firth; Morice family, Wellington, 1930; picnic at Waikouaiti, 1929; marriage of Norrie Fyns Fenwick to John Henry Frothingham, 1931 (cuttings); Panama Canal from the deck of the "Port Piri" on the way to England in 1931; flyer advertising Geoffrey Wardwell in van Druten's "There's Always Juliet"; Merton and friends in London in 1931; photographs of Ireland relating to Merton's transfer to Spike Island, County Cork, as a military doctor; travells in Ireland with John van Druten; travells in Ireland with Geoffrey Wardwell, 1932 or 1933; photos relating to plays in 1933; Merton on the "Berengaria" on the way to New York, December 1933; views of Washington D C, December 1933; New York and friends there in 1933 and 1934; an Atlantic storm photographed by Merton Hodge from the deck of the "Berengaria" on the journey back to London, 1935; trip to Charleston and New Orleans for Mardi Gras early in 1935; a trip in England in 1935; street views of Merton's play "Grief Goes Over" in letters on the Oueens and Globe theatres, London; trip to possibly the south coast of France; snaps from an English trip including views of Whitby Abbey; trips to Germany (1936), Scandinavia, 1836/37 ?) with Geoffrey Wardwell; trip to Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, France and Paris in 1937; Return to New York late 1938 or early 1939; views of the deck and passengers on the Queen Mary, March/April, 1939.

Except for the New Zealand section at the beginning of this album the rest of the photographs date from Hodge's arrival in London in 1931 to his return to London from America in 1939. They relate to the period when he was a successful playwright.

Most of the the photographs from 1931 are of people he met when he first arrived in London which was the time that he made friends with Auriol Lee, Geoffrey Wardwell, and John van Druten who continued to be close friends and collegues throughout the 1930s. Auriol Lee supported him as a playwright and directed a number of his plays. John van Druten was an actor and playwright, and Geoffrey Wardwell was an actor friend who often accompanied Merton Hodge on his travells.

Merton Hodge returned to London after postgraduating at the Edinburgh Medical School during which time he wrote his first play \"As it was in the Beginning\" which became \"The Wind and the Rain.\" In London he took a job as a doctor with the British Army. After some time in London he was posted to Spike Island, County Cork, Ireland. This must have been in 1932-1933. All the photographs in the album relating to Ireland were taken at this time and record friends, places and holidays taken with John van Druten and Geoffrey Wardwell. 1933 was also the year that \"The Wind and The Rain\" was trialled at Manchester in October and began its 1,000 performances run in London.

In late 1933 Merton Hodge sailed for New York on the \"Berengaria\" as \"The Wind And The Rain\" was to open at the Ritz Theatre, 48th Street, New York on the 1 Feburary 1934. Though it was directed by Walter Hart, Auriol Lee also had a hand in its New York production.

The group of photographs of Washington relate to a trip made by Hodge in December 1933. He accompanied a theatre group taking a play \"The Lake\" to the National Theatre in Washington. Geoffrey Wardwell and Katharine Hepburn were members of the group. He was back in New York for Christmas 1933.

After the New York opening of the \"Wind and the Rain\" Hodge, John van Drusen, and Auriol Lee, travelled to New Orleans for the Madi Gras. On the way they spent some time at Charleston, South Carolina. While there, they met Mrs Gordon Hastie who as well as a town house in Charleston, owned a large country house called \"Magnolia.\" This may be the pillared house in this group of photographs. The coloured postcards were also aquired in Charleston.

Merton Hodge and Geoffrey Wardwell returned to London on the \"Beringaria\" in 1935. The group of photographs of the storm at sea were taken by Hodge during this voyage. Some were published in London papers on his return.

Another English section follows which includes exterior views of the Queens and Globe theatres posting his second play \"Grief Goes Over\" which ran concurently with the \"Wind and the Rain.\" At this time Hodge was working on an adaptation for English consumption of an American play \"Men in White.\" After \"Men in White\" was produced Hodge and Wardwell went for a trip to France.

There are no photographs of the trip to Berlin in 1936 with Geoffrey Wardwell where \"The Wind and the Rain\" was running successfully. Hitler saw it three times. It was also performed in Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Gottingen, Hamburg, Leipsig, Munich, and Vienna.

In 1935 \"Grief Goes Over\" opened in London after a weeks trial run in Manchester. After the opening Hodge went on a trip to the South of France in 1936. On his return from France, he decided to go to Scandinavia where \"The Wind and the Rain\" was being produced in Sweden, Norway and Finland in a Swedish translation. He was accompanied by Geoffrey Wardwell. There are a large group of photographs relating to this trip, most being of Stocholm.

He was back in London in May 1937 and saw the coronation. Then he went on a holiday to Switzerland which was the location for a film in which Geoffrey Wardwell was acting. They returned to London via Austria, Hungary, Italy, France and Paris. There are a lot of snaps which relate to this trip.

Late 1937-early 1938 was taken up with the production of \"An African Farm.\" The French version of \"The Wind and the Rain\" opened in Paris in 1938. There are no photographs relating to these events in this album.

In 1938/39 Hodge returned to New York and there are a group of snaps taken at this time. With the outbreak of war threatening, Merton Hodge along with many others decided to head back to London. He returned on the \"Queen Mary\" in 1939 and the last group of photographs in this album were taken during the journey.

Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s).