About Gladys Buchanan Unger
Lived 1885 – 1940 (aged 54). Gladys Buchanan Unger was an American screenwriter and playwright.
Gladys Buchanan Unger (September 16, 1884 or 1885 – May 25, 1940) was an American author who also lived in England, and who wrote plays for Broadway and the West End, as well as screenplays for Hollywood. She was the author of well over a dozen works for the London stage, Broadway, and Hollywood.
Biography She was born either on September 16, 1884, or September 16, 1885 in San Francisco, the daughter of Frank Unger. From the age of 3, she lived in England and was educated at South Hampstead. Her initial aim was to become an artist, but she turned to play writing. She was a protegee of Charles Tyson Yerkes, and had $5000 a year from him, enabling her to live in some style in Mayfair, London. There was speculation in the American press about the nature of the relationship between them (e.g. The Oakland Tribune, 19 August 1904, quoting The Wasp). From about 1907 to 1914, she lived with her mother (critic Mrs Minnie Goodman) at Loughton in a house then called Hacienda, now Kilindini, Steeds Way, Loughton. In 1920, she married a dramatic collaborator, Kai K. Ardaschir, in London. She returned to the United States intermittently and in the 1920s, permanently, and died on May 25, 1940, at the Medical Arts Center in Manhattan at age 55. The Marriage Market (1911) English adaptation Betty (1916) The Monkey (1924) English adaptation of Le Singe qui parle by René Fauchois The Werewolf (1924) English adaptation of Der Werwolf by Rudolph Lothar Starlight (1925) - the play was adapted as The Divine Woman (1928) by Victor Sjöström Two Girls Wanted (1926) The Heart Thief (1927) Dynamite (1929) Marianne (1929) (silent and musical versions) Madam Satan (1931) Many a Slip (1931) Sylvia Scarlett (1935) Music Is Magic (1935) Night of Mystery (1937) Daughter of Shanghai (1937) Paradise for Three (1938)
Filmography Wayward (1932)
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Important facts
People in Gladys Buchanan Unger's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Gladys Buchanan Unger's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Gladys Buchanan Unger?
American writer
When was Gladys Buchanan Unger born?
Gladys Buchanan Unger was born on 16 September 1885 in San Francisco.
When did Gladys Buchanan Unger die?
Gladys Buchanan Unger died on 25 May 1940 in New York City.
What was Gladys Buchanan Unger's occupation?
Gladys Buchanan Unger was a screenwriter and playwright.
What nationality was Gladys Buchanan Unger?
Gladys Buchanan Unger was American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Gladys Buchanan Unger
· DBpedia: Gladys Buchanan Unger
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gladys Buchanan Unger. https://biography.guide/gladys-buchanan-unger/
MLA: "Gladys Buchanan Unger." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gladys-buchanan-unger/.
Chicago: "Gladys Buchanan Unger." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gladys-buchanan-unger/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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