Hubert Osborne

Hubert Benjamin Osborne (1881 - 1958) was a Canadian-born playwright and screenwriter who worked in the USA.

He was born in Kingston, Ontario and attended Queen's University for two years before progressing to Harvard University. He later worked as professor of drama at the Carnegie Institute of Technology until 1925, and then at Yale University until 1928. [http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/a_shake_play.cfm Hubert Benjamin Osborne and the Shakespeare Play] ]

Osborne also worked at several American theatres, and scripted films, Broadway and off-Broadway shows. In 1928 his play "Eve's Complaint" was produced in Paris. This was the first so-called "American play" to have a Paris première. Osborne also worked on Broadway during this period. He wrote "The Good Men Do" (1917), "April" (1918), "Shore Leave" (1922), "Rita Coventry" (1923) and "The Blue Bandanna" (1924). His most successful works were light comedies. [ [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=6388 Internet Broadway Database] ]

Osborne also created a pioneering synthetic stage lighting system, which was used in productions of Shakespeare, with whose work he had a particular fascination. His play "The Good Men Do" was about a meeting between Anne Hathaway and an earlier fiancée of the playwright's. He also co-wrote "The Shakespeare Play: A Drama in Rhythmic Prose" (c.1911), about Shakespeare's life, but this was never produced on Broadway. In addition he created many adaptations of Shakespeare's works.

Osborne was also credited in a number of film adaptations of his plays, including "Don't Call It Love" (1923) (based on the play "Rita Coventry"); "Hit the Deck" (1930) (play "Shore Leave"); "Follow the Fleet" (1936) (also based on "Shore Leave"); "Strange Experiment" (1937) (play "Two Worlds"). [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0651661/ IMBd data] ]

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