Existing comment:
Damon Runyon, 1880-1946
Damon Runyon had a wonderful ear for dialect, and his short stories depicting Times Square in the 1920s and 1930s left an indelible mark on American culture between the wars. His Times Square denizens were a mix of hustlers, gamblers, gangsters, and chorus girl "dolls." They spent their nights in Broadway bolt-holes and communicated in a colorful slang that became known as "Runyonesque." His short stories were hugely popular, and twenty of them were made into films, including Little Miss Marker, which made Shirley Temple a star in 1934. Runyon's biggest success came posthumously, with Frank Loesser's 1950 musical, Guys and Dolls; Loesser drew on two of his stories and showcased such quintessential Runyon characters as Nathan Detroit, Sky Masterson, Nicely Nicely, and Miss Adelaide. The show ran for 1,200 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical.
William Auerbach-Levy, c 1935 |