Born into an upper-class family in Elmira, NY, the son of an army
officer and an indulging socialite, Clyde Fitch would become the first
major American playwright, ending European-sourced dominance of the
American stage (somewhat ironic, seeing that many of his plays were set
abroad). His career would barely span 20 years, but he proved extremely
prolific, writing 36 original plays and 24 adaptations from other
works.
Fitch graduated from Amherst College in 1886, rejecting a career in
business. He spent the next four years, supported by his mother,
learning the craft of writing. At 25 he enjoyed his first great success
with his very first play, set in England, "Beau Brummell" (1890), which
became the trademark role for actor Richard Mansfield, who would
continue in the title role for the remainder of his life. For
Broadway's #1 producer Charles Frohman,
Fitch's "Masked Ball" (1892) paired star Maude Adams with John Drew
Jr., making them the most popular acting duo of the decade.
Interestingly, Fitch's "Barbara Frietchie" (1899) led later to Ruby
Catherine Stevens changing her surname to Barbara
(Barbara Stanwyck, her last name being
lifted from British actress Joan Stanwyck). Fitch's big hit, "Captain
Jinks of the Horse Marines" (1900), made
Ethel Barrymore a major star.
Fitch's personal life involved constant socializing; a gregarious
homosexual, he thoroughly enjoyed the notoriety he was achieving on
both continents and the enormous wealth that came with it. His health,
however, did not stand up to his raconteur lifestyle. He had long
suffered from intense abdominal troubles and, against the advice of his
personal physician, sought out non-surgical alternatives to his, as it
turned out, appendicitis in Europe. He died in Châlons-sur-Marne,
France on September 4, 1909 at age 44 from blood poisoning after
emergency surgery. After several moves over a period of time, his body
was finally cremated and his ashes were installed in a special
Tuscan-style sarcophagus commissioned by his mother.
