Walter Hackett

Walter Hackett was born in Oakland, California on November 10, 1876. His father, Edward Hackett, was Canadian, having moved to the US in 1860. He married Marion Lorne MacDougall in 1911. They visited England for their honeymoon in 1914, and ended up staying there for 25 years. Marion Lorne, an actress, often played a role in Hackett's plays (including 'Freedom of the Seas' during its run at the Haymarket and 'The Invisible Foe' at the Savoy). Hackett was a prolific playwright, penning 50 plays during his career. He earned the nickname Walter "Long Run" Hackett due to the popularity of his plays in the West End with over 20 running for more than 100 performances. In 1930 he became the manager of the Duke of York theatre. The same year he helped build and opened the Whitehall Theatre as its licensee. The theatre opened with Hackett's play 'The Way to Treat a Woman' which transferred from the Duke of York after already having completed 100 performances there. He and his wife moved to New York in 1940 where died in January 1944, aged 67.