Richard Walton Tully

Richard Walton Tully (May 7, 1877 – February 1, 1945) was an American playwright.

Richard Walton Tully
From a 1921 magazine
Born	May 7, 1877 Nevada City, California
Died	February 1, 1945(1945-02-01) (aged 67) New York City
Nationality	American
Education	University of California
Occupation	Playwright
Spouse	Eleanor Gates[1]

Biography

Tully was born on May 7, 1877, in Nevada City, California. Tully was married to another playwright Eleanor Gates until he divorced her in 1914.^[1]

His best known work was the 1912 play The Bird of Paradise,^[2] which caused a long-running court case over alleged plagiarism. A schoolteacher named Grace Fender was initially successful in persuading the court that Tully's play was based on her play In Hawaii, however the case was reversed on appeal.^[3]

Tully retired to breed horses. He died on February 1, 1945, in New York City at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.^[4]

Filmography

• Rose of the Rancho, directed by Cecil B. DeMille (1914, based on the play Rose of the Rancho)
• Omar the Tentmaker, directed by James Young (1922, based on the play Omar the Tentmaker)
• Bird of Paradise, directed by King Vidor (1932, based on the play The Bird of Paradise)
• Rose of the Rancho, directed by Marion Gering (1936, based on the play Rose of the Rancho)
• Bird of Paradise, directed by Delmer Daves (1951, based on the play The Bird of Paradise)

Screenwriter

• The Masquerader, directed by James Young (1922)
• Trilby, directed by James Young (1923)
• Flowing Gold, directed by Joseph De Grasse (1924)

References

A 1916 advertisement for the famous play Bird of Paradise. The 1912 Broadway show popularized Hawaiian music to Americans.

1. "R.W. Tully Seeks Divorce. Playwright Sues Eleanor Gates on Ground of Desertion". New York Times. March 24, 1914. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
2. "The Bird of Paradise: A Broadway Show – Hawai'i Digital Newspaper Project".
3. Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Tully, Richard Walton" The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved October 16, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com:
4. "Richard W. Tully, Dramatist, is Dead; Author of 'Bird of Paradise,' Was the Victor in Notable Plagiarism Suit Here Law Career Put Aside Decision Is Reversed". New York Times. February 2, 1945. Retrieved October 17, 2010.

External links

• Richard Walton Tully at the Internet Broadway Database
• Richard Walton Tully at IMDb
• Works by Richard Walton Tully at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)