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 >