UNITED STATES AUTHOR · DRAMA
John Cecil Holm
Also known as: Holm, John Cecil, 1904-1981, Holm, John Cecil
John Cecil Holm was an American dramatist, theatre director and actor. He is best known for his 1935 play Three Men on a Horse, co-written with George Abbott. He was often billed as Cecil Holm as an actor, reserving his full name for his writing credits.
Most acclaimed
Best foot forward
2005
On a lark, Bud Hooper asks his idol, a Hollywood actress, to come to Philadelphia to be his partner at a school dance, and she accepts — for publicity reasons. The celebrity’s arrival at Winsocki Military Academy causes much excitement, and Bud abandons his girlfriend Helen Schlessinger to accompany the star to the ball. Out of jealousy, Helen damages the actress’s sash during the dance, and when other students see a chance to get a celebrity souvenir, chaos ensues. The school regards the incident as a scandal, and Bud faces potential expulsion, but of course all problems are resolved for a happy ending. The score includes the rousing "Buckle Down, Winsocki."
the southwest corner
1951
At eighty-three Marcia Elder was alert and active but felt insecure about facing another winter alone, yet she dreaded giving up her old home and entering a re-tirement facility. So, with great resourcefulness, she advertised for a companion and eventually staked out a corner of her own—one with a view.
Brighten the Corner
An absent-minded bachelor spends his life inventing things and going to school, but he never finds time to learn everything he wants to know. He is interested also in his young nephew and the nephew's wife, and he drops in on the couple on his way south. Having money, he wants to make the young people comfortable but is especially concerned in giving them an incentive to raise a family, and he is anxious to provide bonuses for children who will come later on. When he arrives he mistakenly identifies a charming bride, a neighbor of the young people, as his nephew's wife. For sufficient reasons, the truth is concealed. In order not to disappoint Uncle, all the young people involved must play out the comedy until almost the very end. What with this bride and that dashing in and out, and Uncle meantime happily involved in his schemes for helping his own young people, we are involved in a series of misadventures. But Uncle finally gets everything straightened out and generously gives presents not only to his nephew and his wife but to everyone else.