James Kirkwood | |
|---|---|
 Kirkwood in 1975 | |
| Born | James Kirkwood Jr. (1924-08-22)22 August 1924 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | 21 April 1989(1989-04-21) (aged 64) New York City, U.S. |
| Notable works | P.S. Your Cat Is Dead |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1976) |
| Parents | |
James Kirkwood Jr. (August 22, 1924 – April 21, 1989) was an American playwright, author and actor. In 1976 he received theTony Award, theDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and thePulitzer Prize for Drama for the Broadway hitA Chorus Line.
Kirkwood was born in Los Angeles. His fatherJames Kirkwood Sr. was an actor and director in silent films, and his mother was actressLila Lee. He had a half sister Joan Mary Kirkwood Thompson. After their divorce, he spent much of his time with his mother's family inElyria, Ohio, where he graduated from high school.
From 1953 to 1957, he played Mickey Emerson on the soap operaValiant Lady.[1] Kirkwood wrote the semi-autobiographical novelThere Must Be a Pony!, made intoa television film starringElizabeth Taylor andRobert Wagner. Other novels includeP.S. Your Cat Is Dead (adapted into a play of the same name, which was, in turn, adapted into a film bySteve Guttenberg),Good Times/Bad Times,Some Kind of Hero, andHit Me with a Rainbow.
In 1959, Kirkwood appeared onPerry Mason as Johnny Baylor, son of Sen. Harriman Baylor, in "The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll."
In 1970,Simon & Schuster published Kirkwood'sAmerican Grotesque about thetrial of Clay Shaw.[2]Shaw, a New Orleans businessman, was tried by New Orleans District AttorneyJim Garrison on charges that he was involved in aconspiracy to assassinate United States President John F. Kennedy and later acquitted.[2][3]Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Kirkwood's portrait of Shaw asSt. Sebastian is overdone to the point of self defeat" and that "the book does clinch the impression that legal grounds for the conspiracy charges were insufficient."[2]
Kirkwood won the 1976Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, theDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical, theNew York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and thePulitzer Prize for Drama with collaboratorNicholas Dante forA Chorus Line.
Kirkwood also wrote the comedic playLegends! which toured the United States withMary Martin andCarol Channing in 1987. The plot concerns a producer with a sure-fire commercial script, but no credibility, who lures two out-of-work but long-time feuding actresses "of a certain age" to star in his putative Broadway production.Legends! was the most financially successful road production of that season, but at some point during the tour, the actress declared she would complete her contractual obligation for the tour but would not open the play on Broadway, and the show closed on the road.[citation needed] There were apparently multiple reasons for Martin's decision, including her disappointment that a scene including a monologue about breast cancer by her character was cut from the script, as well as the fact that Martin was having trouble remembering her lines, and tensions and conflicts with her co-star had developed during the tour. Kirkwood wrote a book about the production ofLegends! titledDiary of a Mad Playwright: Perilous Adventures on the Road with Mary Martin and Carol Channing.
A revival ofLegends! was mounted withJoan Collins andLinda Evans ofDynasty fame. It toured more than 30 cities in the United States and Canada beginning in autumn 2006, but did not appear on Broadway as had been planned.
In 1968, Kirkwood signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War (his novelSome Kind of Hero is centered on a prisoner of war in, and back home from, Vietnam).[4]
Kirkwood died in his Manhattan apartment of AIDS-related complications in 1989.[5]
In Kirkwood's memory, his friends and admirers established the James Kirkwood Literary Prize to honor new generations of fiction writers for their literary achievements. The competition is hosted by theUCLA Extension Writers' Program, and the winner is determined by Andrew Morse, the prize's benefactor.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 1958 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Dave | Season 4 Episode 3: "The Jokester" |
| 1980 | Oh, God! Book II | Psychiatrist 2 | |
| 1981 | Mommie Dearest | Master of Ceremonies | |
| 1986 | The Supernaturals | Captain | (final film role) |
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