Benn Wolfe Levy
Benn Wolfe Levy was a British playwright and a prominent figure in the theater world, born in London and educated at University College, Oxford. He had a multifaceted career that included roles in publishing and as a managing director at Harrod’s department store. Levy's writing career was marked by the production of sixteen plays before World War II, showcasing a range of genres from farce to psychological drama, and he was known for adapting works from notable authors like Gustav Flaubert. His most recognized play, *Springtime for Henry*, achieved immense success on Broadway and became a defining piece for actor Edward Everett Horton.
During the war, Levy contributed to British Intelligence efforts and served in the Royal Navy, sustaining injuries in combat. Post-war, he transitioned into politics, being elected to Parliament until 1950. Levy's plays often featured intricate character dynamics and carefully chosen names that added layers of meaning. He continued to create works until his death in 1973, leaving behind several unproduced plays that reflect his enduring engagement with the theater. His legacy includes a reputation for versatility, technical sensitivity, and the ability to craft compelling dramatic tensions.
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Benn Wolfe Levy
Playwright
- Born: March 7, 1900
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: December 7, 1973
Biography
Born in London, Benn Wolfe Levy attended University College, Oxford. Upon completing his studies there, he worked first in publishing and then as a managing director of Harrod’s, the famed London department store. In 1933, he married an American actress, Constance Cummings, who regularly acted in the London productions of his plays and who received a Tony Award for her performance in Arthur Kopit’s Wings (1978).
Levy’s career as playwright falls into two distinct periods. During the years between 1925, when his first play, This Woman Business, was produced, and 1939, when World War II began, sixteen of his plays, ranging from farces and comedies to musicals and psychological melodramas, were produced. He wrote adaptations of works by such authors as Gustav Flaubert, Bruno Frank, and Hugh Walpole, and provided the book for Ever Green, for which Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote the music.
During the war, Levy worked first for a New York-based British Intelligence operation designed to bring together prominent dramatists charged with convincing skeptical Britons and Americans that Adolf Hitler could be defeated. Levy later served in the Royal Navy and was wounded in action. Upon his return from combat in 1945, Levy was elected to Parliament, where he served until 1950. During the 1950’s, he held numerous administrative and organizational posts. From the war’s end until his death in 1973, six more of his plays were produced.
Springtime for Henry is the Levy play seen by the largest number of people. It enjoyed a successful run on Broadway in 1931, but this success did not characterize its London run in 1932. However, in 1933, it again reached Broadway, this time with Edward Everett Horton in the lead. This production was an overwhelming success that led to Horton’s taking the play on the road, where it was performed continually for the next eighteen years, serving to define Horton’s career. Finally, in 1951, Horton returned the play to Broadway, for another highly successful run. Some critics considered it one of the most skillful farces in English.
Levy’s plays often have four major characters, two pairs of couples, whose cross-machinations create the dramatic tensions necessary for rapid-fire stage action. Notable among his plays that use this technique are Springtime for Henry, Clutterback, The Rape of the Belt, and The Jealous God. Levy calculatedly chose names with special meanings for some of his characters. For example in Mud and Treacle: Or, The Course of True Love, naming his leading character Polly Andrews is a subtle choice that suggests the adjective “polyandrous.” Similarly, in The Devil, the malevolent intimidator in the play is named Nicholas Lucy, subtly suggesting “Old Nick” and “Lucifer.”
Levy was admired for his versatility as well as for his sensitivity to the technical aspects of theater. On his death, he left behind seven full-length, unproduced plays and three one-act plays.