Biography

Summary

BBC Television production of S. N. Behrman’s American comedy Biography.

Theatre play

Biography by S. N. [Samuel Nathaniel] Behrman (1893-1973) [more information]

Play synopsis

Biography is set in the New York apartment of the artist Marion Froude. She is visited by the editor of a popular magazine, an elderly composer, and her erstwhile politician lover. The politician wishes her to paint his portrait to aid his success but this commission comes into conflict with the frank life story she has agreed to write for the magazine editor.

Production history

1932, New York.

Date of transmission

Sunday 22 June 1958

Time

8.30pm (90 mins)

Series

Sunday-Night Theatre

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

John Jacobs

Playwright

S. N. [Samuel Nathaniel] Behrman (1893-1973)

Designer

Barry Learoyd

Cast

Vivian Matalon	Richard Kurt
Ferdy Mayne	Melchior Feydak
Betty McDowall	Slade Kinnicott
Patricia Neal	Marion Froude
Robert Perceval	Orrin Kinnicott
Henzie Raeburn	Minnie
Gordon Sterne	Leander Nolan

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

American drama; art world; comedy

Print sources

Title

Discourse on Method (Newspaper review)

Author/creator

Maurice Richardson (Reviewer)

Reference

The Observer, 29 June 1958, p. 15

Title

Radio Times, 20 June 1958 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article and listing on p. 9

Title

Too Sweet to be True: Wrong Ingredients for Biography Cocktail (Newspaper review)

Reference

The Times, 23 June 1958, p. 5