Nationality American Role Critic | Name George Nathan | |
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Books The American credo, The critic and the drama, A Book Without a Title, Passing judgments, The Popular Theatre Similar People H L Mencken, Julie Haydon, Clarence Darrow, F Scott Fitzgerald, Edgar Lee Masters |
Jonathan Kalb on Marathon Theatre+Peter Stein’s Faust (Germany), April 15th 2013
George Jean Nathan (February 14, 1882 – April 8, 1958) was an American drama critic and editor. He worked closely with H.L. Mencken, bringing the literary magazine The Smart Set to prominence as an editor, and co-founding and editing The American Mercury and The American Spectator.
Contents
- Jonathan Kalb on Marathon TheatrePeter Steins Faust Germany April 15th 2013
- Early life
- Relationships and marriage
- Death
- Legacy
- Quotations
- Quotes
- References

Early life
Nathan was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He graduated from Cornell University in 1904, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger society, and an editor of the Cornell Daily Sun.
Relationships and marriage

Though he published a paean to The Bachelor Life in 1941, Nathan had a reputation as a "ladies man"—and one not averse to dating within his field; indeed the character of Addison De Witt, the waspish theater critic who squires a starlet (played by a then-unknown Marilyn Monroe) in the film All About Eve, was based on Nathan. His most famous relationship was probably with actress Lillian Gish. Their relationship began in the late 1920s and lasted almost a decade, with Gish repeatedly refusing his marriage proposals.
Nathan eventually married considerably younger stage actress Julie Haydon in 1955.
Death
Nathan died in New York City in 1958, aged 76.
Legacy

The George Jean Nathan Award, an honor in dramatic criticism, is named after him. Nathan is also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Quotations

Quotes
Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote
I only drink to make other people seem interesting
Love is an emotion experienced by the many and enjoyed by the few