Emerson, John

(1874-1956)

   Born in Sandusky, Ohio, John Emerson studied for the ministry at Oberlin College, in Heidelberg, and at the University of Chicago, but abandoned his studies in 1904 to become an actor. He made his first appearance in Tit for Tat that year and toured with Minnie Maddern Fiske before switching from acting to directing under the banner of the Shuberts, Charles Frohman, and A. H. Woods. Among the important productions Emerson staged, Clyde Fitch's drama The City (1909) and the Julian Eltinge musical The Crinoline Girl (1914) stand out as demonstrations of his versatility. He was centrally involved in the Actors' Equity Association strike in 1919, serving as president, and he collaborated on plays with his wife, Anita Loos, including The Whole Town's Talking (1923) and the enduringly popular Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1926).