Edgar Selwyn

Edgar Selwyn (October 20, 1875 – February 13, 1944) was an American actor, playwright, director, and producer known for his work on Broadway. He was an important figure in American theatre and film during the early 1900s.

Selwyn worked closely with his brother, Archibald Selwyn, and together they founded a theatrical production company. He also owned several Selwyn Theatres across the United States.

In addition to his stage work, Selwyn moved into motion pictures. He directed a film that helped Helen Hayes win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

In 1916, Selwyn played a key role in creating Goldwyn Pictures, which became an important part of the early film industry. His contributions helped shape both theatre and film in America.

Biography

Edgar Selwyn was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and became well-known in Broadway theater as an actor, playwright, director, and producer from 1899 to 1942. With his brother Archibald Selwyn, he started a theater company called The Selwyns. This company made plays from 1919 to 1932, including one called Wedding Bells. They owned several theaters across the United States, such as the Park Square Theatre in Boston, the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, the Selwyn in Chicago, and theaters in New York City like the Selwyn, Apollo, and Times Square.

Selwyn also worked in Hollywood, producing and directing eight films from 1929 to 1942. One of these films was The Sin of Madelon Claudet from 1931, which he directed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The movie starred Helen Hayes, who won an Academy Award for her acting. Selwyn also wrote two screenplays, and many more films were based on his plays. He passed away in Los Angeles, California.

Titanic sailing

In April 1912, Edgar Selwyn and his wife, playwright Margaret Mayo, had tickets to travel to New York on the RMS Titanic. However, they did not board the ship because Edgar had to stay in Paris to hear a new play. This decision likely kept them safe. They had been traveling in Europe and Algiers with Broadway producer Henry B. Harris and his wife Renee.

Later, Edgar married actress Ruth Selwyn, who was the sister of director Fred M. Wilcox and the sister-in-law of Nicholas Schenck.

Partial filmography

Edgar Selwyn acted in and directed several plays and films. Some of his works include:

• Pierre of the Plains (1914) (actor, play)
• The Arab (1915) (actor, play)
• For Better, for Worse (1919) (play)
• The Mirage (1924) (play)
• The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) (director)
• Skyscraper Souls (1932) (director)
• Men Must Fight (1933) (director)
• Turn Back the Clock (1933) (director and co-writer)
• The Mystery of Mr. X (1934) (director)