Daddy Long-Legs is also a book, I think. My mother loved it when she was young; was always trying to get me to read it.  I knew about the connection with Twain, but I don't think anyone has seriously followed it up, so yes, Barb Schmidt is right; there's a paper topic here!  Someone should do it! -- susan harris

Sent from my iPad

On Jan 13, 2013, at 7:36 PM, "Gretchen Sharlow" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hey People, there's a paper here for the Elmira Conference..... See you in August!
> ---- John Davis <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 
>> *Daddy Long-legs *was the basis of several films beginning in the silent
>> era, one with Mary Pickford, including a Fred Astaire musical in the
>> fifties. I didb't know the Mark Twain connection.
>> 
>> On Sun, Jan 13, 2013 at 3:46 PM, Wesley Britton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Editing a biography of actor Ruth Chatterton, I ran across a dmention of
>>> Mark Twain's niece,  Jean Webster.  Apparently, actor/producer Henry Miller
>>> had picked up a copy of Webster's popular book Daddy Long-Legs at a
>>> newsstand and contacted the authorh about adapting it for the stage in
>>> 1914.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The book has some comments on Webster, stressing Jean Webster combined
>>> writing with social activism.  "The story was inspired by her work on
>>> behalf
>>> of orphans.  She drew her material from monthly visits to orphanages in New
>>> England."
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Variety praised, "Daddy Long-Legs is a full-grown comedy in which the
>>> author
>>> has blended a laugh and a tear in almost every line."[i]
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Apparently, the play was quite a success for several years and perhaps
>>> helped pave the way for the sufferage movement. Never heard of it
>>> before-anyone know more?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Dr. Wesley Britton
>>> 
>>> Co-host, Dave White Presents
>>> 
>>> www.audioentertainment.org/dwp
>>> 
>>> Spywise website
>>> 
>>> www.spywise.net
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>  _____
>>> 
>>> [i] Review of Daddy Long-Legs, Variety, February 27, 1914
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> John H. Davis, Ph.D.
>> Professor of English
>> Department of Language and Literature
>> Chowan University
>> Murfreesboro, North Carolina 27855
>