Daddy Long-Legs

Daddy Long-Legs is the name of a very popular American novel by Jean Webster (1876-1916), as well as several stage and film adaptations.

Also written Daddy Longlegs, or Daddy Long Legs by some South African sources.

The original text

The epistolary novel for young adults was first published by Grosset and Dunlap in New York in 1912, with illustrations by the author and scenes from the play. It was followed by a similar book called Dear Enemy.

Stage adaptations

was adapted by the author herself

Translations

The novel was adapted by the author herself from her own 1912 epistolary novel, the play was first produced in the United States in 1914.

once more adapted into a 1952 British stage musical comedy called Love from Judy and in 2009, adapted as a two-person musical play by John Caird (book) and Paul Gordon (music), and performed by the Rubicon Theatre Company and TheatreWorks in that year. It premiered Off-Broadway at the Davenport Theatre on September 27, 2015.

The play was translated into Dutch and Afrikaans as Vadertjie Langbeen

The book was filmed several times, beginning in 1919 (starring Mary Pickford), 1931 (starring Janet Gaynor and Warner Baxter), 1935 (a Shirley Temple adaptation called Curly Top) and a 1955 film, Daddy Long Legs (starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron).

1918: The American Dramatic Company brought it to His Majesty's Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, opening on 21 February 1918. The cast consisted of Eileen Errol (Judy Abbott), Charles H. White (Jervis Pendleton), Ray Brown (Cyrus Wycoff), Albert Lawrence (Jimmie McBride), George R. Montford (John Codman), Richard Scott (Griggs), Edward Donnelly (Walters), Caroline Locke (Miss Pritchard), Florence Roberts (Mrs. Lippett), Naomi Rutherford (Sally McBride), Hilda Attenboro (Julie Pendleton), Martha Rowson (Sadie Kate), Jacky Turnbull (Freddie Perkins). It was directed by George R. Montford, with scenery designed by Frank Tyars.

An Afrikaans translation entitled Vadertjie Langbeen was staged by James Norval in 1934 and a film version directed by Pierre de Wet for Afrikaanse Rolpentproduksies came out in 1955.

198*: Produced by ** with Diane Todd, Bob Courtney, Jill Girard.

Source

Stage & Cinema, 16 February 1918

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