James Bridie (3 January 1888 in Glasgow – 29 January 1951 in Edinburgh) was the pseudonym of a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and surgeon whose real name was Osborne Henry Mavor. He took his pen-name from his paternal grandfather's first name and his grandmother's maiden name.Mavor studied medicine at the University of Glasgow graduating in 1913, then served as a military doctor during World War I, seeing service in France and Mesopotamia. His comedic plays saw success in London, and he became a full-time writer in 1938. Despite this, he returned to the army during World War II, again serving as a doctor.He was the main founder of the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, with his cousin, the author Guy McCrone and was also instrumental in the establishment of the Edinburgh Festival.Bridie worked with the director Alfred Hitchcock in the late 1940s. They worked together on: The Paradine Case (1947). Bridie originally wrote the screenplay, and Ben Hecht contributed some additional dialogue. But due to casting, the characters had to be changed. So David O. Selznick had to write another script. Under Capricorn (1949) Stage Fright (1950)In 1923, he married Rona Locke Bremner (1897–1985). Their son was killed in World War II. His other son Ronald (1925–2007) was also both a physician and playwright. Ronald became drama critic of The Scotsman after retiring from medicine, Director of the Scottish Arts Council and Deputy Chairman of the Edinburgh Festival. He was Professor of Drama and Head of the Drama Department at the University of Saskatchewan and was appointed C.B.E. in 1971.James Bridie died in Edinburgh of a stroke and is buried in Glasgow Western Necropolis. The Bridie Library at the Glasgow University Union is named after him, as is the annual Bridie Dinner that takes place in the Union each December.
James Bridie wrote mainly comedies, but comedies that dealt with oftentimes fearsome themes. His play "The Sunlight Sonata", for example was subtitled The Seven deadly sins, and the plays that followed it focused on such harsh realities as death, damnation, disease, and drunkenness James Bridie's famous biblical plays are Tobias and the angel, Susanna and the Elders, and Jonah and the Whale. James Bridie is also famous for his play "Dr. Angelus." James Bridie worked with famous Director Alfred Hitchcock in 3 films - The Paradine Case, Under Capricorn, and Stage Fright.
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One of the instigators of the Edinburgh Festival.
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Co-founder of the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Anatomist by James Bridie
1980
TV Movie
Daphne Laureola
1978
TV Movie play
Jonah and the Whale
1975
TV Movie
ITV Play of the Week
TV Series story - 1 episode, 1973 play - 1 episode, 1957 play "The Anatomist" - 1 episode, 1956
Colonel Wotherspoon
1967
play
Daphne Laureola
1965
TV Movie play
Daphne Laureola
1962
TV Movie play
BBC Sunday-Night Play
TV Mini-Series english adaptation - 1 episode, 1962 play - 1 episode, 1960
There Was a Crooked Man
1960
play "The Odd Legend of Schultz"
Meeting at Night
1959
TV Movie play
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
TV Series play - 2 episodes, 1955 - 1959 play "Jonah and the Whale" - 1 episode, 1950
The Black Eye
1958
TV Movie play
Saturday Playhouse
1958
TV Series play - 1 episode
Daphne Laureola
1958
TV Movie play
Folio
1957
TV Series play - 1 episode
Mr. Gillie
1957
TV Movie
The Dragon and the Dove
1957
TV Movie play
What Say They?
1956
TV Movie play
The Anatomist
1956
TV Movie play
Encounter
1953-1954
TV Series play - 2 episodes
Folly to Be Wise
1952
play: "It Depends What You Mean" / screenplay - uncredited