Michael Morton

Michael Morton was born in 1864 in London Joseph Morton and Ameila Marks. He was one of eight children. His sister Martha Morton (1865-1925) was American born and also a well-known Jewish female playwright in her own right. Other literary ancestors include Thomas Morton (1764-1838), a well-know English dramatist of the early 1800’s, his son Thomas Maddison Morton (1811-1891) who wrote comedies, melodramas and farces including 'Box and Cox' and Edward Arthur Morton an English critic. The family moved to America when Morton was a young child and later returned to London when he was 13 years old. They lived at Gloucester Crescent, Regent Park and had as their neighbour Mrs Charles Dickens. Morton became a student of the South Kensington School of Art and worked under Millais and Leighton. At the age of 19 Morton returned to America where his family wanted him to go into business but he had decided to write plays. After some time acting, he wrote his first play, a farce entitled, 'Miss Frances of Yale' in 1897. It was performed in both New York and London. Morton married Florence Mary, (nee Speight) (1873-1934) widow of Captain Harry Mainwaring Dunstan on 11 May 1904 in London. He had no children of his own but had one stepson, Guy Mainwaring Dunstan,(1896-1968) who was also a playwright under the name Peter Trailland, and with whom Morton collaborated in later years. In 1911 Morton was living with his wife Florence at 12 Whitehall Court, London During the First World War his plays 'The Yellow Ticke't, (which was also made into a film) and 'Remnant' were often performed. He wrote the play 'Alibi' which was an adaptation of the book 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' (1926) by Agatha Christie. Her biography notes that she was far from happy with the changes Morton wanted to make including changing Poirot to a younger and more romantic figure and to call him “Beau” Poirot. Morton spent most of his life in London but also spent some time working in Paris and returned to New York a number of times. He died at his home in Walton-on-the Hill, Surrey, on 11 January 1931, aged 66 years. He left estate in the region of £13,700.