Arthur Wimperis Video | Clips from Films Written and Interviews

Arthur Harold Wimperis (3 December 1874 – 14 October 1953) was an English illustrator, playwright, lyricist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. Early in his career, Wimperis was an illustrator. For 25 years beginning in 1906, he became a librettist and lyricist for musical comedies, including the hit The Arcadians in 1909 and many other musicals. Beginning in 1930, he moved into writing screenplays for British films, and later Hollywood films, contributing to dozens of screenplays. Wimperis was born in London, England and educated at Dulwich College and University College London. He... MORE

Arthur Harold Wimperis (3 December 1874 – 14 October 1953) was an English illustrator, playwright, lyricist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. Early in his career, Wimperis was an illustrator. For 25 years beginning in 1906, he became a librettist and lyricist for musical comedies, including the hit The Arcadians in 1909 and many other musicals. Beginning in 1930, he moved into writing screenplays for British films, and later Hollywood films, contributing to dozens of screenplays. Wimperis was born in London, England and educated at Dulwich College and University College London. He began a career as an illustrator on the Daily Graphic, but this was soon interrupted by service in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902 with Paget's Horse. Wimperis then began a theatre writing career as a lyricist and librettist for Edwardian musical comedies in London. His first major show was The Dairymaids (1906), which was favourably reviewed by The Times, though the derivative nature of the plot was noted, as was the similarity between the lyrics for the song "Mary in the Dairy" and an earlier Punch magazine parody of a musical comedy number which contained the words, "Mary, Mary, managed a LESS