# Frederic Chapin > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frederic_Chapin > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frederic_Chapin.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Chapin > Source revision: 1352018698 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American screenwriter and composer}} {{for|the United States diplomat|Frederic L. Chapin}} '''Frederic Chapin''' (December 1, 1873 – December 27, 1947) was an American [screenwriter](/source/screenwriter) and [composer](/source/composer). His name was also written as '''Frederick Chapin'''. He wrote the [score](/source/theatre_music)s for several [Broadway musicals](/source/Broadway_musicals).Bordman p.209 In addition he worked writing screenplays during the [silent](/source/silent_era) and early [sound era](/source/sound_era)s.Erish p.126 ==Biography== Chapin was born in [Cleveland, Ohio](/source/Cleveland%2C_Ohio) in 1873. His popular work ''The Storks'' (1902) with Guy F. Steeley led to his work with [L. Frank Baum](/source/L._Frank_Baum), as he was recommended by [M. Witmark & Sons](/source/Tams-Witmark), the publisher. Chapin is best known for his work with [Baum](/source/Baum) on ''[The Woggle-Bug](/source/The_Woggle-Bug_(musical))'', a 1905 [musical](/source/Musical_theatre) based on Baum's novel, ''[The Marvelous Land of Oz](/source/The_Marvelous_Land_of_Oz)''. He also wrote songs with lyricist [Arthur Gillespie](/source/Arthur_Gillespie), two of which appeared, credited to Baum, in ''The Woggle-Bug''. His other stage works include ''[Pussy in a Corner](/source/Pussy_in_a_Corner)'' (1904), ''[The Forbidden Land](/source/The_Forbidden_Land)'' (1904), ''[The American Girl](/source/The_American_Girl_(play))'' (1906), and ''[The Maid and the Millionaire](/source/The_Maid_and_the_Millionaire)'' (1907). Chapin took up writing, and wrote the book and lyrics for ''The Maid and the Millionaire'', and then produced a 1908 fantasy novel modeled on the [Oz books](/source/Oz_books) titled ''[Toodles of Treasure Town and her Snow Man](/source/Toodles_of_Treasure_Town_and_her_Snow_Man)'',{{Cite web|url=https://theozenthusiast.blogspot.com/2010/06/book-fairtime.html|title = The Oz Enthusiast: Book Fair Time|date = 26 June 2010}} which he followed with ''[Pinkey and the Plumed Knight](/source/Pinkey_and_the_Plumed_Knight)'' (1909), both illustrated by [Merle De Vore Johnson](/source/Merle_De_Vore_Johnson). On November 11, 1912, he opened a four-act [farce](/source/farce) called ''[C.O.D.](/source/C.O.D._(play))'' on [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) at the [Gaiety Theatre](/source/Embassy_Five_Theatre), which was fairly successful, in spite of many negative reviews such that one reviewer felt the need to quote reviews from ''[The Sun](/source/The_Sun_(New_York))'' and others, while ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' found the play funny and well acted."''C.O.D.'' Is a Funny Farce" ''The New York Times'' November 12, 1912. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/11/12/100556823.pdf The day before the play opened, he told ''The Detroit New Tribune'', "I wrote six plays--every one turned out to have a great theme, but all were faulty in the way it was developed." He claims to have completely rewritten ''C.O.D.'' prior to its production, claiming he threw the original script in the garbage and started from scratch after the fourth producer finally accepted it."A Playwright's Confession." ''The Detroit New Tribune'', November 10, 1912. [Tefft Johnson](/source/Tefft_Johnson) directed a film version of ''C.O.D.'' in 1914 with [Harry Davenport](/source/Harry_Davenport_(actor)), [Hughie Mack](/source/Hughie_Mack), and [Charles Brown](/source/Charles_Brown_(writer)) in the title roles (men with the initials, C.O.D.). ===Scenarist=== From 1914 to 1932, Chapin worked as a scenarist in Hollywood. His work included ''[The Woman in 47](/source/The_Woman_in_47)''. ===Return to composing=== Chapin returned to composing with ''Unashamed'', a 1938 [nudist](/source/nudist) romance. He also appeared as a film [stand-in](/source/stand-in), for which he use the name "Fred Fuller."''[The New York Post](/source/The_New_York_Post)'', February 8, 1938. According to the [Internet Movie Database](/source/Internet_Movie_Database), "Fuller" played "Younger Dolittle" in ''[Made for Each Other](/source/Made_for_Each_Other_(1939_film))'' and was a stand-in and had an undetermined role in ''[Bachelor Mother](/source/Bachelor_Mother)''. ==Family== His son, [James Chapin](/source/James_Chapin_(director)), became a director, but died in 1924 after making only six films. His daughter, [Margery Chapin](/source/Margery_Chapin), was married to [William A. Wellman](/source/William_A._Wellman) from 1925 to 1926 (the second of his four wives), and had a cameo role in ''[Wings](/source/Wings_(1927_film))'' that was also seen in ''[The Celluloid Closet](/source/The_Celluloid_Closet_(film))''. William and Margery adopted a daughter, Gloria, who was the natural daughter of screenwriter [Robert Emmett Tansey](/source/Robert_Emmett_Tansey).{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} Chapin died in [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California), in 1947. ==Selected filmography== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''[C.O.D.](/source/C.O.D._(1914_film))'' (1914) * ''[The Woman in 47](/source/The_Woman_in_47)'' (1916) * ''[The Ragged Princess](/source/The_Ragged_Princess)'' (1916) * ''The House of Mirrors'' (1916) * ''[The Argyle Case](/source/The_Argyle_Case_(1917_film))'' (1917) * ''[The Empress](/source/The_Empress_(film))'' (1917) * ''[The Easiest Way](/source/The_Easiest_Way_(1917_film))'' (1917) * ''The Peddler'' (1917) * ''[The Antics of Ann](/source/The_Antics_of_Ann)'' (1917) * ''[The Turn of a Card](/source/The_Turn_of_a_Card)'' (1918) * ''[Heart of the Sunset](/source/Heart_of_the_Sunset)'' (1918) * ''[The Marionettes](/source/The_Marionettes_(film))'' (1918) * ''[Ravished Armenia](/source/Ravished_Armenia_(film))'' (1919) * ''[Daredevil Jack](/source/Daredevil_Jack)'' (1920) * ''[The Lost City](/source/The_Lost_City_(1920_serial))'' (1920) * ''[Against All Odds](/source/Against_All_Odds_(1924_film))'' (1924) * ''[Virtue's Revolt](/source/Virtue's_Revolt)'' (1924) * ''[Gold Heels](/source/Gold_Heels_(film))'' (1924) * ''[Turned Up](/source/Turned_Up_(film))'' (1924) * ''[The Prince of Broadway](/source/The_Prince_of_Broadway)'' (1926) * ''[The Little Firebrand](/source/The_Little_Firebrand)'' (1926) * ''[Hour of Reckoning](/source/Hour_of_Reckoning)'' (1926) * ''[The Trunk Mystery](/source/The_Trunk_Mystery_(1926_film))'' (1926) * ''[The Night Bride](/source/The_Night_Bride)'' (1927) * ''[Soft Cushions](/source/Soft_Cushions)'' (1927) * ''[Mark of the Spur](/source/Mark_of_the_Spur)'' (1932) * ''[Out of Singapore](/source/Out_of_Singapore)'' (1932) {{div col end}} ==References== ==Bibliography== * Bordman, Gerald. ''American Musical Theater: A Chronicle''. Oxford University Press, 2001. *Erish, Andrew A. ''Col. William N. Selig, the Man Who Invented Hollywood''. University of Texas Press, 2012. ==External links== * {{imdb name|152165}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Chapin, Frederic}} Category:1873 births Category:1947 deaths Category:American male composers Category:Composers from Ohio Category:20th-century American writers Category:Musicians from Cleveland Category:Writers from Cleveland Category:Screenwriters from Ohio --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Frederic Chapin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Chapin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Chapin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.