Ben Travers
The master architect of the British 'Aldwych farce,' whose perfectly timed door-slamming comedies defined an era of theatrical hilarity.
1886–1980 (age 94)·English writer·Birthday: November 12·The Lost Generation
Biography
Ben Travers didn't just write comedies; he engineered them with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, creating a specific brand of mayhem that came to be known as the Aldwych farce. After a stint in the Royal Naval Air Service during WWI, he turned to the stage, finding his perfect collaborators in a repertory company led by actors like Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn. His plays, such as 'Rookery Nook' and 'Thark,' were less about witty dialogue than about intricate plots spiraling out of control, featuring errant husbands, formidable aunts, and seaside villas with far too many doors. The success was phenomenal, transferring seamlessly to cinema and creating a template for British screen comedy for decades. Travers's genius lay in understanding that the laughter came from the audience's omniscience—they saw the catastrophe coming long before the flannel-clad hero on stage did.
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.
Ben was born in 1886, 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 Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1886
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1886Born
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1891Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1899Became a teenager
President: William McKinley
1902Could drive
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Could vote
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Turned 21
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 30
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 40
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 50
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 60
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 70
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 80
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1980Died at 94
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
Key Achievements
- Wrote the series of eight 'Aldwych farces' that dominated the London stage from 1925 to 1933.
- Adapted most of his successful stage farces into popular early British film comedies.
- Authored over 30 screenplays, including work for Alfred Hitchcock on 'The 39 Steps' (uncredited).
- Received a CBE in 1976 for his services to drama and continued writing into his nineties.
Did You Know?
He was a passionate cricket fan and wrote a comic novel about the sport titled 'The Last Coupon.'
Travers served as a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I.
He outlived almost all of the original Aldwych company, witnessing several major revivals of his work.
His first writing success was a children's book, 'The Dippers,' published in 1922.
“A farce is the logical conclusion of a situation that is in itself illogical.”
