One of the foremost critics and commentators on the New York scene during the early decades of the twentieth century, Alexander Woollcott was a larger than life character
20 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 14 hours, 1193 min)
available in the following formats:
1 MP3 CD
or
15 Audio CDs
Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.
Alexander Woollcott
(1887 – 1943)
"All of the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or
- Alexander Woollcott
One of the foremost critics and commentators on the New York scene during the early decades of the twentieth century, Alexander Woollcott was a larger than life character. Bombastic, given to extremes, he is the basis for the stereotypical critic, but in many ways he had a heart of gold and had genuine affection for the artists, actors, and writers he commented on. He also had an inflated view of himself and his importance, which he readily acknowledged. Woollcott loved to laugh, and the thing he loved most to laugh at was Alexander Woollcott.
Woollcott is best remembered as the inspiration for the character Sheridan Whiteside, from The Man Who Came to Dinner. He was also convinced that he inspired Rex Stout's detective Nero Wolfe. Stout and Woollcott were friends, but the detective writer denied any connection. Woollcott is also listed as a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a famous group of writers who met daily for lunch at New York's Algonquin Hotel. In fact, Woollcott was more than a founding member of the Round Table, he was the reason the group began to meet in the first place.
Theater press agent John Peter Toohey was irritated at Woollcott for refusing to plug one of Toohey's clients in his New York Times column. Toohey organized a luncheon at the Algonquin, supposedly to welcome Woollcott home from WWI. Instead of a welcome, Woollcott found himself the subject of a well organized roast. The event was such a success that the attendees agreed to continue to meet at the hotel daily for lunch, a tradition that continued from 1919 to about 1929.
Woollcott was born in a ramshackle 78 room house in Colts Neck, New Jersey, known as the North American Phalanx. The Phalanx had been the home of a failed Utopian commune that was taken over by the Bucklin family, Woollcott's maternal grandparents. His father was somewhat of a drifter, a transplanted Cockney who spent a good deal of time away from his wife and children. Although poverty was close at had during his youth, both the
The family moved to Kansas City where Alexander attended Central High School. As an outsider, Woollcott had a tough time in
In 1909, Woollcott joined the staff of the New York Times as a cub
In 1924, Woollcott was dragged to the Broadway
Woollcott became one of New York's most prolific theater critics, and in
The Man Who Came to Dinner debuted at the Music Box Theater in
Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.
You have reached the maximum number of votes for a unregistered user.
Please login or create a new account to continue...
You have reached the maximum number to down votes in this page.
Alexander Woollcott Disc A001
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A002
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A003
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A004
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A005
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A006
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A007
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A008
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A009
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A010
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A011
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A012
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A013
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A014
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Alexander Woollcott Disc A015
|
Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00 |
Please wait...
COMMENTS
Mark Verified Purchase
Robert Verified Purchase
Leave a comment