Barry, Philip

Barry, Philip, 1896–1949, American dramatist, b. Rochester, N.Y., grad. Yale, 1919, and studied under George Pierce Baker at Harvard. He is primarily known for his satirical, somewhat unconventional comedies of manners, such as Holiday (1928), Tomorrow and Tomorrow (1931), The Animal Kingdom (1932), and The Philadelphia Story (1939). His serious, symbolic plays—Hotel Universe (1930) and Here Come the Clowns (1938)—are clouded with mystical overtones. Barry's last play, Second Threshold, left unfinished at his death, was completed by Robert Sherwood and produced in 1951.

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Barry, Philip (Jerome Quinn) (1896–1949) playwright; born in Rochester, N.Y. After serving with the U.S. State Department in World War I, he attended George Pierce Baker's "47 Workshop" at Harvard. He spent the rest of his life as a playwright. His greatest success was with light social comedies, including Holiday (1928) and The Philadelphia Story (1939). But his ambitions toward serious psychological and philosophical theater could be seen in his plays Hotel Universe (1930), Bright Star (1935), and Here Come the Clowns (1938). These more somber pieces, however, did not appeal to his public and he returned to comedy.