Peggy Webling

Biography

Margaret "Peggy" Webling was an English playwright and novelist from Westminster, London. She is primarily remembered for her 1927 play "Frankenstein", a loose adaptation of the 1818 novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley. Her play was the main source used for the horror film "Frankenstein" (1931) by James Whale. In 1871, Webling was born in Westminster, London. Her father was a silversmith and jeweler. During her early life, Webling was an amateur actress. She became a minor celebrity by performing in London with her three sisters. She became acquainted with the leading actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928), the novelist Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), and the polymath John Ruskin (1819-1900). During the 1890s, Webling lived primarily in Canada and the United States. In 1896, she published her debut work, a poetry collection In 1905, she published her debut novel "Blue Jay". She continued regularly writing novels over the following years, such as "The Spirit of Mirth" (1910), "Edgar Chirrup" (1915), and "Boundary House" (1916). In 1919, she wrote the Christian-themed illustrated children's book "Saints and Their Stories". In 1924, Webling published her memoir, "Peggy: The Story of One Score Years and Ten". In 1927, she was approached with a business offer by the actor-producer Hamilton Deane (1880 -1958). He had used a stage adaptation of "Dracula" to rise to fame. He wanted to introduce a stage adaptation of "Frankenstein" as well, and wanted Webling to write it for him. Webling's play debuted in Preston, Lancashire in December 1927. She continued revising it over the next few years. The play had its London debut in February 1930. There were a total of 72 performances in London, though contemporary critics ridiculed the play's "flimsy" plot. In Webling's version of the story, the term "Frankenstein" applied to both the scientist and the monster. She was the first writer to name the creature with the family name of his creator. In April 1931, the film studio Universal Pictures purchased the film rights to an unproduced American adaptation of Webling's play. As part of the deal, Webling received 20,000 dollars. She was also promised 1% of the gross earnings on all showings of any films based on her dramatic work. Her play served as the basis of the horror film "Frankenstein" (1931), which was a box office hit. During the late 1930s, Webling published her last known works: "Aspidistra's Career" (1936), "Opal Screens" (1937), and "Young Lætitia" (1939). She spend the 1940s in retirement. She died in June 1949, at the age of 78. Her works fell in obscurity following her death, but her version of Frankenstein influenced most screen adaptations of the Frankenstein story during the 20th century.