NICHOLSON, KENYON

(1894-1986)

A native of Crawfordsville, Indiana, Kenyon Nicholson completed his undergraduate studies at Wabash College in 1917 before studying playwriting at Columbia University. His first Broadway play,Honor Bright(1921), garnered scant attention, but in collaboration with S. N. Behrman he scored a hit withThe Barker(1927), starring Walter Huston, which achieved a 221-performance run at the Biltmore Theatre.Sailor, Beware! (1933), Nicholson's most successful play, coauthored with Charles Robinson, played 500 performances at the Lyceum Theatre. Later works, most of which were comedies or light dramas, includedLove Is Like That(1927),Confession(1927),Eva the Fifth(1928),Before You're 25(1929),Stepdaughters of War(1930),Torch Song(1930),Swing Your Lady! (1936),Dance Night(1938), andApple of His Eye(1946). Nicholson also wrote scripts for about 20 motion pictures during the early sound era, several of which were adaptations of his stage plays.