Reflected Glory: A Play

by George Kelly

Broadway play in three acts of a "colorful actress who lives only for the joy of dramatizing herself on an off the stage". Illustrated with stills from the production starring Tallulah Bankhead.

Reflected Glory opened at the Morosco Theatre, New York City, on September 21, 1936 and ran for 127 performances, closing in January of the following year.

238 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1937

About the author

George Edward Kelly (16 January 1887 – 18 June 1974) was an American playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. He began his career in vaudeville as an actor and sketch writer. He became best known for his satiric comedies, including The Torch-Bearers (1922) and The Show-Off (1924).


Kelly was born in Philadelphia, the second of ten children of Mary Ann (Costello) and John Henry Kelly, Irish immigrants. He was the brother of American businessperson and Olympic champion sculler John B. Kelly Sr. and the uncle of actress Grace Kelly and rower John B. Kelly Jr. Not much is known about his early life, but he was an actor in his early years. He did not like the dramatic material available during the turn of the century, and wanted to change that. He served in France during World War I and after he came home starting writing.

George Kelly maintained a 55-year relationship with his lover William Ellsworth Weagley, Jr., (January 12, 1891 - November 25, 1975) up until his death and was often referred to as his valet. That Kelly was gay was a closely guarded secret and went unacknowledged by his family to the point of not inviting Weagley to his funeral; he instead slipped in and sat quietly on a back seat. Kelly died in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.