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)