Martha Cheavens
Encyclopedia
Martha Cheavens was an American novelist, short-story writer and poet, several of whose works were adapted for the screen.
, Martha Louise Cheavens was raised in Mexico and Texas. She graduated in 1922 from the University of Missouri Journalism School. She was married to Hugh J. Schuck, a foreign editor for the New York Daily News. They raised a son, Hugh Schuck Junior, and an adopted daighter, Nancy Proudman. The couple lived in Great Neck, New York and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. (New York Times obituary, 28 March 1975)
"Dream Market," in Women's Home Companion, December, 1936;
"A Japanese Carol," The American Magazine, January 1937;
"Missouri Rose," Good Housekeeping
, July 1939;
"Sleep Not My Country," Good Housekeeping
, June 1942;
"Eighteen to Twenty," McCall's
, May, 1943;
"For All the Time There Is," McCall's
, June, 1945;
"The Ringing Stars," Ladies Home Journal, December, 1946.
Her first novel, Spun By an Angel, is a young-adult story set in the Sierra Madre mountains, and based upon the author's own experience.
, a 1941 movie starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Loosely adapted from an incident in Cheavens' own life, it tells the story of a newspaperman and his wife whose marriage suffers when their adopted daughter dies.
The less well-known Sunday Dinner for a Soldier
(1944) is "a warm, sentimental little tale about an impoverished, parentless brood who have their hearts set on entertaining a service man." (New York Times review, 25 January 1945)
A third story, "The Ringing Stars," was optioned by Hollywood, but apparently never produced. It concerns a Navy chaplain who loses his faith during the war, but rediscovers it while serving his flock at home in Texas. (Although not necessarily the inspiration for this story, Cheavens' brother Frank Cheavens served briefly as a Baptist minister in Texas before becoming a psychologist). The script was retitled twice, as Fall on Your Knees and Crosswinds. (New York Times article, 26 January 1947). It was published in hardcover under the latter title in 1948. A reviewer considered it overly sentimental, saying that "Miss Cheavens poses a stark enough dilemma for her hero, but takes care to avoid coming to grips with reality from that point on." (Andrea Parke, New York Times review, 17 October 1948).
Some of Cheavens' personal papers, including a script for Penny Serenade
, are preserved in the archives of the University of Missouri at Columbia (link below).
Life
The oldest child of John Self Cheavens, a Baptist missionary and founder of the National Baptist Convention of MexicoNational Baptist Convention of Mexico
The Convención Nacional Bautista de México is the oldest and largest Baptist group in Mexico. The first evangelical church in Mexico was a Baptist church organized on January 30, 1864 in Monterrey, Nuevo León...
, Martha Louise Cheavens was raised in Mexico and Texas. She graduated in 1922 from the University of Missouri Journalism School. She was married to Hugh J. Schuck, a foreign editor for the New York Daily News. They raised a son, Hugh Schuck Junior, and an adopted daighter, Nancy Proudman. The couple lived in Great Neck, New York and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. (New York Times obituary, 28 March 1975)
Work
Martha Cheavens published widely in magazines intended for a female readership, including:"Dream Market," in Women's Home Companion, December, 1936;
"A Japanese Carol," The American Magazine, January 1937;
"Missouri Rose," Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
, July 1939;
"Sleep Not My Country," Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
, June 1942;
"Eighteen to Twenty," McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
, May, 1943;
"For All the Time There Is," McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
, June, 1945;
"The Ringing Stars," Ladies Home Journal, December, 1946.
Her first novel, Spun By an Angel, is a young-adult story set in the Sierra Madre mountains, and based upon the author's own experience.
Works Adapted for the Screen
Cheavens' best-known works are those made into motion pictures. The first, and most enduringly popular, is Penny SerenadePenny Serenade
Penny Serenade is a 1941 film melodrama starring Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Beulah Bondi, and Edgar Buchanan. It was directed by George Stevens and written by Martha Cheavens and Morrie Ryskind. It depicts the story of a loving couple who must overcome adversity to keep their marriage and raise a child...
, a 1941 movie starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Loosely adapted from an incident in Cheavens' own life, it tells the story of a newspaperman and his wife whose marriage suffers when their adopted daughter dies.
The less well-known Sunday Dinner for a Soldier
Sunday Dinner for a Soldier
Sunday Dinner for a Soldier is a 1944 motion picture directed by Lloyd Bacon andbased on a novelette by Martha Cheavens.The film tells the story of a poor family in Florida who wants to host a meal for a serviceman from the Army airbase nearby....
(1944) is "a warm, sentimental little tale about an impoverished, parentless brood who have their hearts set on entertaining a service man." (New York Times review, 25 January 1945)
A third story, "The Ringing Stars," was optioned by Hollywood, but apparently never produced. It concerns a Navy chaplain who loses his faith during the war, but rediscovers it while serving his flock at home in Texas. (Although not necessarily the inspiration for this story, Cheavens' brother Frank Cheavens served briefly as a Baptist minister in Texas before becoming a psychologist). The script was retitled twice, as Fall on Your Knees and Crosswinds. (New York Times article, 26 January 1947). It was published in hardcover under the latter title in 1948. A reviewer considered it overly sentimental, saying that "Miss Cheavens poses a stark enough dilemma for her hero, but takes care to avoid coming to grips with reality from that point on." (Andrea Parke, New York Times review, 17 October 1948).
For Further Research
As of February, 2007, no works by Martha Cheavens were in print. Used copies of her books are readily available, and magazines containing her work can occasionally be found as well.Some of Cheavens' personal papers, including a script for Penny Serenade
Penny Serenade
Penny Serenade is a 1941 film melodrama starring Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Beulah Bondi, and Edgar Buchanan. It was directed by George Stevens and written by Martha Cheavens and Morrie Ryskind. It depicts the story of a loving couple who must overcome adversity to keep their marriage and raise a child...
, are preserved in the archives of the University of Missouri at Columbia (link below).