*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