Shirley Warde

Born in Washington Heights, Manhattan,{{cite news |author= |date=February 29, 1920 |title=Miss Warde And Her Ambition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-union-miss-warde-and-her-am/146823568/ |work=The Standard Union |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} Warde first began acting at the age of six when she put together a self-written play for her Ethical Culture School. At the drama school, she was taught by Ada Currier and worked on writing several plays in addition to acting.{{cite news |author= |date=May 14, 1922 |title=Shirley Warde Has Grand Ambitions |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-shirley-warde-has-grand/146843672/ |work=The Boston Globe|access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} Her official debut was at fourteen in the cast of The Merry Wives of Windsor production at the Criterion Theatre. The theatre roles she had available expanded afterwards, leading to her having a major position in The Music Master and a series of stock company performances in the years following at the theater she personally opened and organized.{{cite news |author= |date=October 12, 1932 |title=Shirley Warde Helping Baha'i |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-shirley-warde-helping-bahai/146882935/ |work=The Record |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} Her follow-up major casting was as the female lead in Smooth as Silk. The play's massive success facilitated her lead positions in most productions afterwards, such as playing the "wicked woman" in the 1926 production of Yellow.{{cite news |last=Silver |first=Ann Ruth |date=December 9, 1928 |title=A Stage Scarlet Lady Displays Other Tints |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-a-stage-scarlet-lady-display/146808291/ |work=Brooklyn Times-Union |access-date=May 7, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

At the same time, she also had her own thoughts about plays and began writing pieces of plots and scripts in her free time, constantly carrying a notepad and pencil whenever she left home. She stated in a 1922 interview with The Boston Globe that she strongly desired to become a theater producer and be involved in every part of production, including choosing the cast and the sets, even directing. In 1924, she submitted her play script for What's the Use to a best American screenwriter competition. Rupert Hughes suggested to her in 1927 that she take her notes and put together full stories that could be submitted to magazines, which she started doing with her short stories in publications such as Nash's Magazine{{cite news |author= |date=July 27, 1928 |title=Nash's Magazine |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lichfield-mercury-nashs-magazine/146874173/ |work=The Lichfield Mercury |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} and Cosmopolitan.

By that time, she had also finished writing two full plays, which had already seen use by the stock company she had created in years prior. The manuscripts were being considered for full theatre production by separate theater managers in 1927.{{cite news |author= |date=March 21, 1927 |title=Shirley Warde a Playwright |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-union-shirley-warde-a-playw/146869284/ |work=The Standard Union |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} One of her stories was later in 1929 chosen for production in Samuel Goldwyn's talkies and Warde began working on a novel about theatrical life with Vivien Crosby as her co-author.{{cite news |author= |date=October 6, 1929 |title=Here's An Actress Who Writes Fiction |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-heres-an-actress-who-writes/146877493/ |work=Brooklyn Times Union |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} During the same time period when she published her short story The Economist in the New York Daily News in 1934, Warde had officially quit acting and moved into radio broadcasting.{{cite news |last=Warde |first=Shirley |date=May 5, 1934 |title=The Economist |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-the-economist-by-shirley-ward/146886470/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Warde joined the commercial production department of the Columbia Broadcasting Company in 1934{{cite news |author= |date=February 16, 1935 |title=Bergen Residents File Petitions In Newark Federal Court |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-bergen-residents-file-petitio/146886514/ |work=The Record |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} and was noted by Peter Dixon in The World-News as having made "a reputation as one of the most skillful producers and directors in radio."{{cite news |last=Dixon |first=Peter |date=June 28, 1935 |title=Studio Chatter |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-world-news-studio-chatter-by-peter-d/146886539/ |work=The World-News |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} She ended up being writer and assistant producer for the Charlie McCarthy radio show.{{cite news |last=Armstrong |first=Dale |date=January 23, 1938 |title=Notes On An Envelope |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-notes-on-an-envelo/146908486/ |work=The Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} After the United States entered into World War II, she joined the Writers' War Board and began producing radio plays for the war effort.{{cite news |author= |date=February 19, 1943 |title=Successful Radio Program Given |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-pasadena-review-successful-radio-p/146910837/ |work=South Pasadena Review |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

• What's the Use, a play in a prologue (1925){{cite news |author= |date=March 13, 1924 |title=Theatre Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-theatre-notes-shirley-warde/146846449/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Just a Pal (1930){{cite news |author= |date=May 1, 1930 |title=Moss to Produce |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-moss-to-produce/146879358/ |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Queen at Home (1930){{cite news |author= |date=October 12, 1930 |title=Play, Not Planes, On Mears' Mind |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-play-not-planes-on-mears-m/146879563/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• What Could The Poor Girl Do (1931){{cite news |author= |date=March 17, 1931 |title=Eunice Keeper Has Best Role In Play At Jeff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-express-eunice-keeper-has-best-r/146881091/ |work=Evening Express |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Trick for Trick (1932){{cite news |last=Mantle |first=Burns |date=February 19, 1932 |title="Trick for Trick" Full of Tricks |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-trick-for-trick-full-of-tri/146882681/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Boss King (1965), reprised in 1976

• The Merry Wives of Windsor
• The Music Master (1917){{cite news |author= |date=September 13, 1917 |title=Warfield In "Music Master" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-warfield-in-music-m/146820083/ |work=The Courier-Journal |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• All The King's Horses (1919){{cite news |author= |date=October 12, 1919 |title=Coming To Academy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-coming-to-academy/146823368/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Aphrodite (1920) as Moussarian
• Smooth as Silk (1921) as Boots Carrola{{cite news |author= |date=September 8, 1921 |title=In The Theaters |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-in-the-theaters/146815023/ |work=Lansing State Journal |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Goose Hangs High (1924) as Dagmar Carroll{{cite news |author= |date=January 30, 1924 |title=An Excellent Comedy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-an-excellent-comedy/146844929/ |work=Brooklyn Times Union |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Cat and the Canary (1925){{cite news |author= |date=July 15, 1925 |title=Theater |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-theater/146854786/ |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Old Soak (1925){{cite news |author= |date=September 26, 1925 |title=Music Literature Drama |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-worker-music-literature-drama/146854395/ |work=The Daily Worker |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Kick In (1925){{cite news |author= |date=November 13, 1925 |title=Excellent Bill Is Offered at Proctor's |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/mount-vernon-argus-excellent-bill-is-off/146856530/ |work=Mount Vernon Argus |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Green Beetle (1926){{cite news |author= |date=May 16, 1926 |title=Changing Playbills |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-changing-playbills-the/146862460/ |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Deep Yellow (1926) as Daisy Lingard{{cite news |author= |date=November 7, 1926 |title=Shirley Warde |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-shirley-warde/146802511/ |work=Brooklyn Times-Union |access-date=May 7, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Money From Home (1927){{cite news |author= |date=February 19, 1927 |title=Notes of the Theater |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-notes-of-the-th/146863810/ |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} as Jennie Patrick{{cite news |last=Mantle |first=Burns |date=March 1, 1927 |title=Craven Is Back With "Money From Home" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-craven-is-back-with-money-fr/146866444/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Blood Money (1927) as Julie Jones{{cite news |author= |date=May 22, 1927 |title=Majestic Theatre |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-majestic-theatre/146812745/ |work=Brooklyn Times-Union |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Among the Married (1927){{cite news |author= |date=October 21, 1927 |title="Among Married" At Masque Nov. 1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-among-married-at-masque-nov/146871346/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Red Dust (1928){{cite news |author= |date=January 1, 1928 |title=Wronged Girl of "Yellow" Acts in "Red Dust" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-wronged-girl-of-yellow-acts/146872350/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Lady Lies (1928) as Joyce Roamer
• House Unguarded (1929){{cite news |last=Mantle |first=Burns |date=January 16, 1929 |title='House Unguarded' Is Both Novel and Exciting Vehicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-house-unguarded-is-both-nov/146816301/ |work=New York Daily News |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} as Laura Thorne{{cite news |author= |date=December 26, 1928 |title=Parson's |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-parsons-house-unguar/146874559/ |work=Hartford Courant |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Maggie the Magnificent (1929) as Margaret{{cite news |last=Field |first=Rowland |date=October 15, 1929 |title=George Kelly's Play, "Maggie the Magnificent," At Werba's Brooklyn |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-george-kellys-play-maggie/146818879/ |work=Brooklyn Times Union |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The First Mrs. Fraser (1933) as the second Mrs. Fraser{{cite news |author= |date=July 13, 1933 |title=Teaneck Actress In Suffern Play |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-teaneck-actress-in-suffern-pl/146884676/ |work=The Record |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

• Little Cog (1942){{cite news |author= |date=March 15, 1942 |title=Little Cog |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-little-cog/146910367/ |work=Tampa Bay Times |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• All Out for Davy (1943)

• The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939){{cite book |last=Hanson |first=Patricia King |date=1993 |title=The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1931-1940 · Volumes 1-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e024jm9X7gQC |publisher=University of California Press |page=725|isbn=978-0-520-07908-3}}
• Murder Over New York (1940) as Mrs. Felton{{cite book |last=Berlin |first=Howard M. |date=2000 |title=The Charlie Chan Film Encyclopedia |url=https://archive.org/details/charliechanfilme0000berl/page/250/mode/2up?q=%22Shirley+Warde%22+%22Murder+Over+New+York%22 |publisher=McFarland & Company |page=251|isbn=978-0-7864-0709-5 }}
• We Who Are Young (1940)
• The Devil Commands (1941) as Helen Blair{{cite news |last=Worden |first=Virginia |date=February 27, 1941 |title=Granada Shows Karloff Film |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune-granada-shows-kar/146910037/ |work=The South Bend Tribune |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

During her theatre years, Warde lived in an apartment next to Central Park so she could engage in her hobby of horse riding. She married Reginald Warde and they had a daughter together. But she filed for divorce in September 1925, citing his abandonment of the family on July 26, 1925.{{cite news |author= |date=September 25, 1925 |title=Shirley Warde Seeks Decree; Cites 'Desertion' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-washington-herald-shirley-warde-seek/146855652/ |work=The Washington Herald |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} In March 1927, Warde inherited her late uncle's horse farm in Mansfield, Wyoming and its 500 horses. She planned to not only breed more Blue Ribbon winning saddle horses, but also organized with New York City mayor Jimmy Walker to have some of the horses be used in Central Park and in summer camps so children could enjoy them.{{cite news |author= |date=March 17, 1927 |title=Actress Inherits 500 Horses; Aims for Blue Ribbon Here |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-actress-inherits-500-horses/146867259/ |work=Brooklyn Times Union |access-date=May 8, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Warde was a member of the Baháʼí Faith and frequently attended the annual public conference.{{cite news |author= |date=July 1, 1935 |title=Unity Feast Is Held By Baha'is |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-unity-feast-is-held-by-bahai/146907311/ |work=The Record |access-date=May 9, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} She later became an expatriate to Belize as a missionary for the Baháʼí Faith in the 1960s and stayed longer than expected to produce local plays.{{cite book |editor-last1=Phillips |editor-first1=Michael D. |date=1996 |title=Belize: Selected Proceedings from the Second Interdisciplinary Conference |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m0CxblvE40EC |publisher=University Press of America |page=117 |isbn=9780761802464}}

• Belizean Writers Series

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Category:American stage actresses

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Category:American Bahá'ís

Category:20th-century Bahá'ís

Category:American women dramatists and playwrights

Category:American women novelists

Category:American women short story writers

Category:American women religious writers

Category:20th-century American women writers

Category:American radio producers

Category:American expatriates in Belize

Category:Actresses from Manhattan

Category:20th-century American novelists

Category:Writers from Manhattan

Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights