Laurence Stallings
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Laurence Stallings (November 25, 1894 - February 28, 1968) was an American playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, literary critic, journalist, novelist, and photographer. The World War I veteran was noted for his anti-war book The First World War: A Photographic History.
Stallings was born Laurence Tucker Stallings in Macon, Georgia. He graduated from Wake Forest College prior to his war service. In 1917, he joined the United States Marine Reserve. He was assigned to active duty and arrived in France in time to participate in the fighting at Chateau-Thierry, where he was wounded in the leg. (He further damaged it with a fall on the ice, and it was amputated in 1922. Many years later he had to have his remaining leg amputated as well.)
Stallings received a Master of Science degree from Georgetown University, after which he worked as a reporter, critic, and entertainment editor at the New York World. He was impressed by Maxwell Anderson's first play, White Desert, and the two joined forces to collaborate on What Price Glory, which opened at the Plymouth Theatre in New York City in 1924. The critically acclaimed play ran for 433 performances and spawned two film adaptations. The two went on to co-write the plays The First Flight and The Buccaneer, both in 1925. Stallings continued his theatre career with the book and lyrics for the musical Deep River (1926), adapted A Farewell to Arms for the stage in 1930, co-wrote the book for the musicals Rainbow (1928) with Oscar Hammerstein II and Virginia (1937) with Owen Davis, and penned the play The Streets Are Guarded in 1944.
Stallings was called back to service with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as a Lieutenant Colonel but did not serve overseas.
Stallings first (and only) novel, the autobiographical Plumes, was published in 1924 and was a huge success, with nine printings in that year alone. It was adapted into King Vidor's The Big Parade, which was quite successful and remained MGM's largest grossing film until Gone with the Wind in 1939. He was regarded as a key influence on three of John Ford's greatest films, serving as writer or co-writer for 3 Godfathers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and The Sun Shines Bright. Additional screenwriting credits included Northwest Passage, The Man from Dakota, and On Our Merry Way.
Stalling's last book, The Doughboys: The Story of the AEF, 1917-1918, was published in 1963. The non-fiction account of World War I partly explores the racism and discrimination faced by the black troops during the war.
On March 8, 1919, Stallings married Helen Purefoy Poteat, the daughter of Dr. William Louis Poteat, who was president of Wake Forest College. The couple had two daughters, Sylvia (born 1926) and Diana (born 1931), before divorcing in 1936. The following year he married Louise St. Leger Vance, his secretary at Fox Studios. They had two children, Laurence, Jr. (born 1939) and Sally (born 1941).
Stallings died of a heart attack in Pacific Palisades, California. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma near San Diego.
