Probably more than any other dramatist in American theatrical history, S.N. Behrman's dramas exemplify the mastery of high or sophisticated comedy. Stark Young compared him favorably with George Bernard Shaw and called him “...one of those rare authors in the theatre who do not mistrust civilized society, and do not think that Times Square must understand or no tickets will be sold.” Behind Behrman's sophisticated dramas, of which The Second Man (1927), Biography (1932), Rain from Heaven (1934), End of Summer (1936), and No Time for Comedy (1939) represent his early finest work, there is always a sound and intelligent purpose and frequently a theme of social or political significance.
Behrman was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1893. After studying at Clark College and George Pierce Baker's Workshop 47 at Harvard, Behrman went to New York where he wrote reviews and short stories for magazines such as The Smart Set. It was not long until his first artistic and commercial success, The Second Man, started him on a career as an important American dramatist. Turning his talents partially to Hollywood, he achieved recognition for his screenplays: He Knew Women (1930), Anna Karenina and The Tale of Two Cities (1935), Conquest (1937), Waterloo Bridge (1948), Quo Vadis (1950), and Bonjour Tristesse (1956).
Behrman frequently collaborated on or adapted plays. Amphitryon 38 and The Pirate, both vehicles for the acting team of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, were adaptations as were Jacobowsky and the Colonel, Jane, and the S.N. Behrman-Joshua Logan musical Fanny. Behrman was distinctive in American theatre in achieving a high degree of success during five widely varied decades of the twentieth century. Besides his dramatic writings, he also wrote a biography of critic Max Beerbohm, Portrait of Max, and often contributed pieces to The New Yorker.
