author
Donald Ogden Stewart
1894–1980
A sharp-witted humorist and Oscar-winning screenwriter, he helped define the polished sparkle of classic Hollywood comedy. His work moved easily from New York literary satire to films like The Philadelphia Story, where elegant dialogue was everything.
2 Audiobooks
A Parody Outline of History Wherein May Be Found a Curiously Irreverent Treatment of American Historical Events, Imagining Them as They Would Be Narrated by America's Most Characteristic Contemporary Authors
by Donald Ogden Stewart
Perfect Behavior: A Guide for Ladies and Gentlemen in All Social Crises
by Donald Ogden Stewart
About the author
Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1894, Donald Ogden Stewart built his early reputation as a humorist, novelist, and playwright before becoming one of Hollywood’s most admired screenwriters. He studied at Yale and later became known for a light, sophisticated style that fit the Jazz Age and the golden age of American film especially well.
Stewart is best remembered for writing or adapting films such as The Philadelphia Story, which won him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was also associated with other smart, stylish comedies and dramas of the 1930s and 1940s, and his writing was widely praised for its wit, polish, and social ease.
Later in life, his career was shaped by politics as well as art. During the blacklist era, he spent years away from Hollywood, and he died in London in 1980. Even so, his best work still stands out for its breezy intelligence and for the way it captured a very particular kind of American sophistication.