Wikipedia

Molly Kazan

Molly Day Kazan(/kəˈzæn/kə-ZAN;néeThacher;December 16, 1906 – December 14, 1963) was an American dramatist and the first wife of directorElia Kazan.

Molly Kazan
Kazan during rehearsal for the stage productionThe Eggheadin 1957
Born
Molly Day Thacher

(1906-12-16)December 16, 1906
South Orange, New Jersey,U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 1963(1963-12-14)(aged 56)
New York City,U.S.
Occupation(s)Dramatist, playwright
Spouse
​
(m.1932)​
Children4, includingNicholas Kazan
Relatives

Biography

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Molly Day Thacher was born inSouth Orange, New Jersey,[1][2]the daughter of Emma Cecelia (née Erkenbrecher) and Alfred Beaumont Thacher, a lawyer.[3][4]Her grandparents were Elizabeth (Day) andThomas Anthony Thacher,aclassicistand college administrator. Her uncle,Thomas Thacher,was a lawyer.

Molly's husband, directorElia Kazan

Kazan graduated fromVassar Collegeand attended theYale Drama Schoolfor two years, where she met Elia Kazan.[2]Molly was dating Elia's friend and roommateAlan Baxterat the time, until Molly left Baxter for Elia.[5][6]Molly and Elia Kazan married in 1932.[2][7]

Molly Day Kazan was the head of the playwriting division ofActors Studiofor several years before resigning in May 1962.[2][8][9]

In 1949, she wrote the book for a musical titled "Queen of Sheba".[2]She wrote the playThe Eggheadin 1957, which ran for twenty-one performances onBroadwayat theEthel Barrymore Theatre.The play was directed byHume Cronyn.[10][11][12][13]She wrote theone-act playsRosemary,andThe Alligatorin 1960.[2][14][15][16]

Elia had numerousextramarital affairswhich caused serious rifts with Molly, including withConstance DowlingandMarilyn Monroe.[17]Elia has also been characterized as a narcissist, having written to Molly after admitting to the affair with Monroe, "If you divorce me, I'll tell you plainly I will in time get married again and have more children. I feel I'm a family man and I want a family, and am a damned good one. I dont care what your judgment is on that. I think I see the world around me (us) a hell of a lot more clearly than you do or anyone else does for that matter."[18]Despite this, the couple stayed together, and Molly was very influential on his professional life.[18]

She died on December 14, 1963, two days before her 57th birthday, inBellevue HospitalinNew York Cityfollowing acerebral hemorrhage.[2][19]Her funeral was held atSt. Clement's Protestant Episcopal Churchwith over 400 people in attendance.[20]She was survived by her husband and four children, including the playwrightNicholas Kazan.[20]Her granddaughters are the actressesZoeandMaya Kazan.[21]

References

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  1. ^Yale University. Class of 1874; Farnam, H. W. (1912).Biographical Record of the Class of 1874 in Yale College: Part Fourth, 1874–1909.Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company.RetrievedAugust 27,2015.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^abcdefg"MOLLY KAZAN, 56, PLAYWRIGHT, DIES; Active in Theater--Wife of Elia Kazan, the Director".The New York Times.December 15, 1963.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  3. ^Roberts, G. B.; Dearborn, D. C. (1998).Notable kin: an anthology of columns first published in the NEHGS nexus, 1986–1995.Vol. 2. Published in cooperation with the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, by Carl Boyer, third.ISBN9780936124209.RetrievedAugust 27,2015.
  4. ^Thacher, E. J. (1980).Thomas Thacher, 1620-1678, Boston branch, progenitors and descendants.Thacher.RetrievedAugust 27,2015.
  5. ^Schickel, Richard (2006).Elia Kazan: a biography(1st Harper Perennial ed.). New York: Harper Perennial.ISBN978-0060955120.
  6. ^Bernstein, Walter (December 26, 2005)."Loving Tribute to Kazan Nearly Derailed by Politics".Observer.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  7. ^Rothstein, Mervyn (September 28, 2003)."Elia Kazan, Influential Director, Dies at 94".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  8. ^Gardner, Paul (June 29, 1962)."ARCHIBALD IN JOB AT ACTORS STUDIO; Will Head Playwrights' Unit Reorganizing Committee".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  9. ^Funke, Lewis (May 27, 1962)."NEWS OF THE RIALTO: DUKE ELLINGTON; Band Leader-Composer Will Prepare Score for New Musical--Items".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  10. ^Digital Collections, The New York Public Library."(still image) Director Hume Cronyn, Phyllis Love, Karl Malden, producer Hope Ableson? and playwright Molly Kazan during rehearsal for the stage production The Egghead, (1957)".The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  11. ^"The Theater: New Plays in Manhattan, Oct. 21, 1957".Time.October 21, 1957.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  12. ^"Molly Kazan Succeeds In Husband's Field".The Montreal Star.November 28, 1957. p. 39.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  13. ^Calta, Louis (October 22, 1957)."THERESA HELBURN OFFERS PRIZE FUND; $10,000 to Be Divided by Four Plays on Freedom-- 'Egghead' Ends Saturday Molly Kazan Play to Fold Concert Reading Sunday".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  14. ^Zolotow, Sam (October 9, 1957)."'EGGHEAD' FACES CRITICS TONIGHT; Molly Kazan's Play to Open at Barrymore--Dispute on 'Compulsion' Ends ".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  15. ^Taubman, Howard (November 15, 1960)."Theatre: Faultless Acting; Jo Van Fleet in Two Molly Kazan Plays".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  16. ^Weiler, A.H. (December 11, 1960)."'The Alligators' Bought -- Other New Projects ".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  17. ^Simon, John (November 27, 2005)."On the Kazan Front".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  18. ^abMaslin, Janet (April 16, 2014)."Combative Director, Even in Letters".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  19. ^Theatre World (Season 1962–1963)obituary. Library of Congress Catalog Card #46-13321.
  20. ^ab"400 ATTEND RITES FOR MOLLY KAZAN".The New York Times.December 18, 1963.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
  21. ^McGlone, Peggy (July 6, 2012)."East of Hollywood: Actress Maya Kazan enters the family business".NJ Advance Media.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.

Further reading

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  • Who’s Who of American Women, 1st ad.(1958–59), p. 679 (re Molly Thacher Kazan)
  • Yale UniversityObituary Record of Graduates Deceased During the Year Ending July 1, 1928,pp. 58–59 (re Alfred Beaumont Thacher)
  • Biographical and Historical Record of the Class of 1835 in Yale College for the Fifty Years from the Admission of the Class to College(1881), pp. 165–68 (reThomas Anthony Thacher)
  • C. T. Cobb, L. E. Thacher, & D. W. Allen,Genealogy and Biographical Sketches of the Descendants of Thomas and Anthony Thacher(1872), pp. 12–15.
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