Alexander Woollcott
A wasp-tongued New York critic whose radio voice and Algonquin Table wit made him a defining cultural personality between the World Wars.
1887–1943 (age 56)·American drama critic and commentator·Birthday: January 19·The Lost Generation
Biography
Alexander Woollcott was less a mere reviewer and more a one-man institution of early 20th-century American taste. From his perches at The New York Times and, most famously, The New Yorker, his criticism was personal, barbed, and impossible to ignore. He didn't just assess plays; he anointed or destroyed careers with a turn of phrase, championing the likes of the Marx Brothers while savaging others. His true stage was the social scene. As a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table, his bons mots fueled the legend of that literary lunch club. But Woollcott's greatest reach came through the radio. As 'The Town Crier,' his peculiar, high-pitched voice entered millions of homes, where he opined on books, theater, and current events with the intimate authority of a gossipy, supremely well-connected uncle. He lived his life as a performance, a corpulent, cat-loving character who became the inspiration for the vitriolic drama critic in the play 'The Man Who Came to Dinner'—a role he adored.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Alexander was born in 1887, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1887
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1887Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1892Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Became a teenager
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1903Could drive
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Could vote
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Turned 21
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1917Turned 30
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 40
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 50
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1943Died at 56
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
Key Achievements
- Was a central and influential member of the famed Algonquin Round Table in the 1920s.
- Became a national celebrity as the radio host of 'The Town Crier' for CBS.
- Was a founding contributor and drama critic for The New Yorker magazine.
- His persona was directly immortalized as the character Sheridan Whiteside in the play 'The Man Who Came to Dinner.'
Did You Know?
He was a passionate collector of murder memorabilia and wrote true crime articles.
He briefly acted on stage and in film, including a role in the 1934 movie 'The Scoundrel.'
He was a close friend of Harpo Marx and the godfather to Harpo's son.
He died of a heart attack while participating in a radio panel discussion about Adolf Hitler.
“All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening.”
