J. P. McEvoy

Joseph Patrick McEvoy (January 10, 1897 – August 8, 1958), also sometimes credited as John P. McEvoy or Joseph P. McEvoy, was an American writer whose stories were published during the 1920s and 1930's in popular magazines such as "Liberty", "The Saturday Evening Post" and "Cosmopolitan". Many of his stories were adapted to movies during this period. McEvoy also had a hit play, "The Potters" (1924), contributed to the "Ziegfeld Follies" and wrote a number of novels, including "Show Girl" (1928) and "Hollywood Girl" (1929). These two novels were adapted into the movies "Show Girl" (1928) and "Show Girl in Hollywood" (1930), both starring Alice White.

J. P. McEvoy is perhaps best known as the creator and writer for the popular newspaper comic strip character "Dixie Dugan", syndicated by the McNaught Syndicate. Based on "Show Girl", with the title character looking like actress Louise Brooks and illustrated by John H. Striebel, the comic strip ran from 1929 to 1966.

He was the originator of the quote often attributed to Mark Twain: "Whenever the impulse to exercise comes over me, I lie down until it passes away". [cite book|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=d6JZryGvfxYC | author = Keyes, Ralph | title = The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When | publisher = St Martin's Griffin | year = 2006] He also is credited as the originator of the phrase, "Cut to the chase", in 1928.

During the 1940s and 1950s, he was a regular contributor to the "Reader's Digest".

McEvoy had four children: Dorothy and Dennis with his first wife, and Patricia and Margaret with his third wife, New York journalist Margaret Santry.

References

Bibliography

* [http://reneesletterstonowhere.blogspot.com/2007/04/pretty-damn-seldom.html Full text of J.P. McEvoy's "Pretty Damn Seldom"]

External links

* [http://www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/s1308.htm#A49803 The FictionMags Index]
*imdb name|id=0568571
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/dixiedug.htm "Dixie Dugan" comic strip]