Beggar on Horseback
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Beggar on Horseback is a play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly.
A parody of the expressionistic parables that were popular at the time, it rails against the perils of trading one's artistic talents for commercial gain. At its core is Neil McRae, a poor, young classical composer. Concerned about how hard he's working at odd jobs to make ends meet, his friends - a doctor visiting from back home and his neighbor, Cynthia Mason, in whom he has more than a passing interest - urge him to marry Gladys Cady, whose father is a wealthy industrialist. Unfortunately, the man also favors the Tin Pan Alley school of musical composition, against which McRae is staunchly opposed. Conflict arises when he is offered a job making widgets at a substantial salary if he agrees to give up his "foolish" interest in the classics.
The original Broadway production opened on February 12, 1924 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 223 performances. The cast included Roland Young, Osgood Perkins, and Spring Byington.
The play was revived with most of the original cast a mere 7 months later, opening on March 23, 1925 at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 16 performances.
Forty-five years later, after 13 previews, another revival opened on May 14, 1970 at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, where it ran for 52 performances. The cast included Leonard Frey and Susan Watson.
A 1925 silent film version was directed by James Cruze, and starred Edward Everett Horton.
