Kaufman, << KAWF muhn, >> George S. (1889-1961), was an American playwright. He wrote more than 40 plays and musical comedies, nearly all of which were collaborations with other authors. Kaufman’s best-known works are lively, satirical comedies that often poke fun at big business and government. Kaufman also wrote a number of essays and film scripts. In addition, he was one of the leading stage directors of his time.
Kaufman’s first important collaborator was Marc Connelly. Most of their plays concern ambitious young men who succeed with the help of a young woman. Kaufman wrote Dulcey (1921), his first hit comedy, with Connelly. Kaufman and Edna Ferber wrote two popular plays about the theater, The Royal Family (1927) and Stage Door (1936). Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, and Ira Gershwin shared the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for drama for their musical comedy Of Thee I Sing (1931).
Kaufman’s favorite collaborator was Moss Hart. Their plays are full of wisecracks and amusing characters who usually work in show business. Perhaps their best-known play is You Can’t Take It with You (1936), a comedy about an eccentric but loving family. It won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Other comedies by Kaufman and Hart include Once in a Lifetime (1930) and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939). George Simon Kaufman was born on Nov. 16, 1889, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He died on June 2, 1961. A collection of nine of his comedies was published as Kaufman & Co. (2004).
