Arthur Harold Wimperis (3 December 1874 – 14 October 1953) was an English playwright, lyricist and screenwriter, who contributed lyrics and libretti to popularEdwardian musical comedies written for the stage. But, with the advent oftalking films, he switched to screenwriting, finding even greater success in this medium.
Early in his career, Wimperis was an illustrator. For 25 years beginning in 1906, he became a lyricist and librettist formusical comedies, including the hitThe Arcadians in 1909 and many others. After serving in the First World War, he resumed his career, writing for shows likePrincess Charming (1926). Beginning in 1930, he moved into writing screenplays for British films, and, by 1940, forHollywood films, contributing to dozens of screenplays. He won anOscar for his contribution to the screenplay ofMrs. Miniver (1942) and was nominated for another Oscar for his contribution to the screenplay ofRandom Harvest (1942). He continued writing screenplays until his death.
Wimperis was born in London, the son ofEdmund Morison Wimperis and Anne Harry Edmonds.[1] Educated atDulwich College andUniversity College London, he began a career as an illustrator on theDaily Graphic.[2][3] This was soon interrupted by service in theSecond Boer War from 1899 to 1902 withPaget's Horse.[2][4]
Wimperis then began a theatre writing career as a lyricist and librettist forEdwardian musical comedies in London. His first major show wasThe Dairymaids (1906), which was favourably reviewed byThe Times, though the derivative nature of the plot was noted, as was the similarity between the lyrics for the song "Mary in the Dairy" and an earlierPunch magazine parody of a musical comedy number which contained the words, "Mary, Mary, managed a dairy". This similarity was attributed to the paucity of rhymes for Mary, rather than deliberate plagiarism.[5] The show was followed byThe Gay Gordons written withSeymour Hicks in 1907. He next contributed songs (including "The Pipes of Pan", "I've Got a Motter", "Arcady Is Always Young", and "Half Past Two") for one of the most popular musicals of the Edwardian age,The Arcadians (1909), as well as to the short-livedThe Mountaineers. In addition to contributing lyrics or dialogue to other shows, he then began adapting Viennese operettas into English. The best-known of these areThe Balkan Princess (1910) andThe Girl in the Taxi (Die keusche Susanne; 1912). He also wrote forThe Sunshine Girl (1912). Wimperis also wrote lyrics for reviews such asThe Follies andThe Passing Show of 1914, and many of his songs becamemusic hall hits, such as "Gilbert the Filbert" and "I'll Make a Man of You".[6]
He served in theRoyal Artillery as a temporarysecond lieutenant during the First World War,[7] and then resumed playwriting and songwriting, including forMy Lady Frayle (1916) andPamela (1917). In 1925, he wrote the English-language adaptation of for the American production ofSigmund Romberg'sLouie the Fourteenth, and the next year he had another hit withPrincess Charming in London. His last London success was a vehicle forBinnie Hale in 1930 calledNippy. Wimperis also contributed lyrics and scenes to many other reviews and musicals in London and New York and created English-language adaptations of several French and German plays.[6]
Wimperis then wrote screenplays and additional dialogue for British films. His first major film wasHarmony Heaven in 1930. His film career quickly began to flourish under the guidance of director and producerAlexander Korda.[8] He collaborated on many screenplays withLajos Bíró.[4] Some of his best-known films of the 1930s wereMen of Tomorrow (1932),Wedding Rehearsal (1932),Cash (1933),The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933),The Private Life of Don Juan (1934),Catherine the Great (1934),The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934),Princess Charming (1934),Brewster's Millions (1935),Knight Without Armour (1937),The Divorce of Lady X (1938),[9]The Drum (1938) andThe Four Feathers (1939).[4]
Wimperis also wrote the lyrics for the songs heard in thePaul Robeson filmSanders of the River (1936). In the 1940s, and until his death, Wimperis worked inHollywood forMGM.[4] He survived the sinking of the passenger linerSSCity of Benares while crossing the Atlantic in 1940 at the height of theSecond World War during theBattle of the Atlantic; it was torpedoed by a Nazi submarine. He escaped in a lifeboat with 32 people aboard (only 8 of them survived) and was rescued byHMSHurricane.[2][10] He won anAcademy Award forBest Writing for his contribution to the screenplay ofMrs. Miniver (1942), in which he also had a small acting part. He was also nominated for another Oscar for his contribution to the screenplay ofRandom Harvest (1942).[11] His later films includedIf Winter Comes (1947),Julia Misbehaves (1948),The Red Danube (1949),That Forsyte Woman (1949),Calling Bulldog Drummond (1951),Young Bess (1953) andStorm Over the Nile (1955).[8][9]
Wimperis died inMaidenhead,Berkshire, England, at the age of 78.
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