Molly Kazan | |
---|---|
![]() Kazan during rehearsal for the stage production The Egghead in 1957 | |
Born | Molly Day Thacher December 16, 1906
South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
Died | December 14, 1963
New York City, U.S. | (aged 56)
Occupation(s) | Dramatist, playwright |
Spouse | |
Children | 4, including Nicholas Kazan |
Relatives |
|
Molly Day Kazan ( /kəˈzæn/ kə-ZAN; née Thacher; December 16, 1906 – December 14, 1963) was an American dramatist and the first wife of director Elia Kazan.
Molly Day Thacher was born in South Orange, New Jersey, [1] [2] the daughter of Emma Cecelia (née Erkenbrecher) and Alfred Beaumont Thacher, a lawyer. [3] [4] Her grandparents were Elizabeth (Day) and Thomas Anthony Thacher, a classicist and college administrator. Her uncle, Thomas Thacher, was a lawyer.
Kazan graduated from Vassar College and attended the Yale Drama School for two years, where she met Elia Kazan. [2] Molly was dating Elia's friend and roommate Alan Baxter at the time, until Molly left Baxter for Elia. [5] [6] Molly and Elia Kazan married in 1932. [2] [7]
Molly Day Kazan was the head of the playwriting division of Actors Studio for several years before resigning in May 1962. [2] [8] [9]
In 1949, she wrote the book for a musical titled " Queen of Sheba". [2] She wrote the play The Egghead in 1957, which ran for twenty-one performances on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The play was directed by Hume Cronyn. [10] [11] [12] [13] She wrote the one-act plays Rosemary, and The Alligator in 1960. [2] [14] [15] [16]
Elia had numerous extramarital affairs which caused serious rifts with Molly, including with Constance Dowling and Marilyn Monroe. [17] Elia has also been characterized as a narcissist, having written to Molly after admitting to the affair with Monroe, "If you divorce me, I'll tell you plainly I will in time get married again and have more children. I feel I'm a family man and I want a family, and am a damned good one. I dont care what your judgment is on that. I think I see the world around me (us) a hell of a lot more clearly than you do or anyone else does for that matter." [18] Despite this, the couple stayed together, and Molly was very influential on his professional life. [18]
She died on December 14, 1963, two days before her 57th birthday, in Bellevue Hospital in New York City following a cerebral hemorrhage. [2] [19] Her funeral was held at St. Clement's Protestant Episcopal Church with over 400 people in attendance. [20] She was survived by her husband and four children, including the playwright Nicholas Kazan. [20] Her granddaughters are the actresses Zoe and Maya Kazan. [21]
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Molly Kazan | |
---|---|
![]() Kazan during rehearsal for the stage production The Egghead in 1957 | |
Born | Molly Day Thacher December 16, 1906
South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
Died | December 14, 1963
New York City, U.S. | (aged 56)
Occupation(s) | Dramatist, playwright |
Spouse | |
Children | 4, including Nicholas Kazan |
Relatives |
|
Molly Day Kazan ( /kəˈzæn/ kə-ZAN; née Thacher; December 16, 1906 – December 14, 1963) was an American dramatist and the first wife of director Elia Kazan.
Molly Day Thacher was born in South Orange, New Jersey, [1] [2] the daughter of Emma Cecelia (née Erkenbrecher) and Alfred Beaumont Thacher, a lawyer. [3] [4] Her grandparents were Elizabeth (Day) and Thomas Anthony Thacher, a classicist and college administrator. Her uncle, Thomas Thacher, was a lawyer.
Kazan graduated from Vassar College and attended the Yale Drama School for two years, where she met Elia Kazan. [2] Molly was dating Elia's friend and roommate Alan Baxter at the time, until Molly left Baxter for Elia. [5] [6] Molly and Elia Kazan married in 1932. [2] [7]
Molly Day Kazan was the head of the playwriting division of Actors Studio for several years before resigning in May 1962. [2] [8] [9]
In 1949, she wrote the book for a musical titled " Queen of Sheba". [2] She wrote the play The Egghead in 1957, which ran for twenty-one performances on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The play was directed by Hume Cronyn. [10] [11] [12] [13] She wrote the one-act plays Rosemary, and The Alligator in 1960. [2] [14] [15] [16]
Elia had numerous extramarital affairs which caused serious rifts with Molly, including with Constance Dowling and Marilyn Monroe. [17] Elia has also been characterized as a narcissist, having written to Molly after admitting to the affair with Monroe, "If you divorce me, I'll tell you plainly I will in time get married again and have more children. I feel I'm a family man and I want a family, and am a damned good one. I dont care what your judgment is on that. I think I see the world around me (us) a hell of a lot more clearly than you do or anyone else does for that matter." [18] Despite this, the couple stayed together, and Molly was very influential on his professional life. [18]
She died on December 14, 1963, two days before her 57th birthday, in Bellevue Hospital in New York City following a cerebral hemorrhage. [2] [19] Her funeral was held at St. Clement's Protestant Episcopal Church with over 400 people in attendance. [20] She was survived by her husband and four children, including the playwright Nicholas Kazan. [20] Her granddaughters are the actresses Zoe and Maya Kazan. [21]
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)