Wikipedia

George V. Hobart

Not to be confused with the 18th-century British aristocrat George Vere Hobart.

George Vere Hobart (1867–1926) was a Canadian-American humorist who authored more than 50 musical comedy librettos and plays as well as novels and songs.[1] At the time of his death, Hobart was "one of America's most popular humorists and playwrights".[2] Hobart gained initial national fame for the "Dinkelspiel" letters, a weekly satirical column written in a German-American dialect.[3][1] The Library of Congress includes several of his songs in the National Jukebox.[4]

George V. Hobart
Portrait of George V. Hobart from the 1915 playbill for Experience: A Morality Play of Today
Portrait of George V. Hobart from the 1915 playbill for Experience: A Morality Play of Today
BornGeorge Vere Hobart
(1867-01-16)January 16, 1867
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedJanuary 31, 1926(1926-01-31) (aged 59)
Cumberland, Maryland, USA
OccupationPlaywright, humorist
Period1890-1926
GenreComedy, farce, satire
Notable worksDinkelspiel
Spouse
Sara De Vries
​
​
(m. 1897; died 1923)​
Children2

Hobart also wrote under the pseudonym Hugh McHugh.[5] Many of his works were adapted into films.

Early life

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Hobart was born 16 January 1867 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1] He immigrated to the Cumberland, Maryland to work as a telegraph operator for the United Press.[1]

Career

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Hobart wrote humorous sketches and columns for the Sunday Scimitar and Baltimore News-American newspapers.[1] He then worked for a short time at the New York Journal, before turning his attention to writing musicals, librettos, novels and children's books.[1] Hobart is noted as an "exceptionally prolific" and versatile writer.[3]

His better-known stage plays include the morality tale Experience; Our Mrs. McChesney cowritten with Edna Ferber and starring Ethel Barrymore; Miss Prinnt with Marie Dressler; Sonny ; Hitchy-Koo of 1919 with music by Cole Porter ; Buddies and Sweet Sixteen.[1]

Among Hobart's notable books are John Henry, Down the Line, Back to the Woods, You Can Search Me and the 1904 novel Jim Hickey, A Story of the One-Night Stands.[2][6][7]

He wrote the lyrics to numerous songs.[8]

Hobart was also a member of the Lambs Club in New York City.[1]

Personal life

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Hobart was married to the short story writer Sarah Humbird De Vries,[9] with whom he had two children.[10] She died in 1923. He died in Cumberland, Maryland, on 31 January 1926 following a "general break down" at age 59.[1]

Work

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Songs

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Plays

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Bibliography

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  • Boobs
  • John Henry (1901)
  • Skiddoo
  • You Should Worry
  • Jim Hickey, A Story of the One-Night Stands (1904)
  • Get Next! (1905)
  • Down the Line With John Henry (1901)
  • Back to the Woods : the Story of a Fall From Grace (1903)
  • I'm from Missouri: (They Had to Show Me) (1904)
  • The Silly Syclopedia (1905)
  • Go to It (1908)
  • D. Dinkelspiel: his gonversationings (1900)
  • Out For the Coin

Films

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Screenwriter

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "G.V. Hobart, Humorist and Author Dies: Playwright and Author of Children's Books Has Break Down". The Fresno Morning Republican. Vol. 69, no. 32. Cumberland, MD. February 1, 1926. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b "George V. Hobart, Playwright and humorist, Is Dead". San Francisco Examiner. February 1, 1926. p. 5.
  3. ^ a b Kersten, Holger (1999). ""Nonsense, Satire, and Language Art: George V. Hobart's German-American Dialect Writing"". Thalia. 19 (1): 43–51 – via www.academia.edu.
  4. ^ "George V. Hobart". www.loc.gov.
  5. ^ Smith, Geoffrey D. (13 August 1997). American Fiction, 1901-1925: A Bibliography. Cambridge University Press. p. 320. ISBN 978-0-521-43469-0.
  6. ^ "Hobart, George V. 1867-1926 (George Vere) [WorldCat Identities]".
  7. ^ Acting version of Experience, produced by William Elliott, F. Ray Comstock and Morris Gest: A morality play of today. H.K. Fly Co. 1915.
  8. ^ "George V. Hobart (lyricist)'s scientific contributions". ResearchGate.
  9. ^ "The Creator of "Dinkenspiel"". The Texas Magazine. 1 (4): 47. February 1910.
  10. ^ "George V. Hobart, Playwright, Dies: Prolific Writer of Musical Comedy Librettos Succumbs After a Breakdown". New York Times. 1 February 1926. p. 19.
  11. ^ Hoffmann, Max; Hobart, George V. (January 1, 1903). By the Sycamore Tree. The Rogers Bros. Music Publishing Co – via digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu.
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  Media related to George V. Hobart at Wikimedia Commons

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