Clyde Fitch

Born into an upper-class family in Elmira, NY, the son of an army officer and an indulging socialite, Clyde Fitch would become the first major American playwright, ending European-sourced dominance of the American stage (somewhat ironic, seeing that many of his plays were set abroad). His career would barely span 20 years, but he proved extremely prolific, writing 36 original plays and 24 adaptations from other works. Fitch graduated from Amherst College in 1886, rejecting a career in business. He spent the next four years, supported by his mother, learning the craft of writing.

At 25 he enjoyed his first great success with his very first play, set in England, "Beau Brummell" (1890), which became the trademark role for actor Richard Mansfield, who would continue in the title role for the remainder of his life.

For Broadway's #1 producer Charles Frohman, Fitch's "Masked Ball" (1892) paired star Maude Adams with John Drew Jr. , making them the most popular acting duo of the decade.

Interestingly, Fitch's "Barbara Frietchie" (1899) led later to Ruby Catherine Stevens changing her surname to Barbara (Barbara Stanwyck, her last name being lifted from British actress Joan Stanwyck).

Fitch's big hit, "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines" (1900), made Ethel Barrymore a major star. Fitch's personal life involved constant socializing; a gregarious homosexual, he thoroughly enjoyed the notoriety he was achieving on both continents and the enormous wealth that came with it. His health, however, did not stand up to his raconteur lifestyle. He had long suffered from intense abdominal troubles and, against the advice of his personal physician, sought out non-surgical alternatives to his, as it turned out, appendicitis in Europe.