Bringing up Father
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Bringing Up Father was a comic strip created by George McManus that ran from January 12, 1913 to May 28, 2000. Most readers, however, called it Maggie and Jiggs, after its two main characters. The strip was about an Irishman named Jiggs living in the United States who comes into wealth but still wants to keep his old pals, eat corned beef and cabbage (sometimes called Jiggs dinner), and hang out at the tavern, much to the consternation of his wife, Maggie, a social climber. McManus's sense of design and smooth lines made the strip stand out on the comics page and were influential on many other artists. McManus was inspired by The Rising Generation, a musical comedy by William Gill that he had seen as a boy in the Grand Opera House in St. Louis, Missouri, in the late 19th Century, where his father was manager.
One of McManus's friends, restaurateur James Moore, believed he was the inspiration for the character Dinty Moore, owner of Jiggs' favorite tavern. The real Moore changed his name to Dinty and founded a real life restaurant chain. The restaurant owner, however, did not begin the successful line of canned goods that still exists today.
McManus died in 1954 and the strip continued under a number of other artists, including Bill Kavanaugh and Frank Fletcher. It was expected that McManus' longtime assistant Zeke Zekley would take over the strip, but instead King Features Syndicate replaced McManus with Vernon Greene. Hal Campagna replaced Greene upon Greene's death in 1965 and Frank Johnson replaced Campagna in 1980. The strip's popularity had waned, however, and Bringing Up Father limped along until its 87-year run came to a close on May 28, 2000. In 1995, the strip was one of 20 included in the Comic Strip Classics series of commemorative US postage stamps.
Film versions
The following three movies, all titled Bringing Up Father, were based on the strip:
In 1915, directed by Larry Semon and starring Hughie Mack and Kate Price
In 1928, directed by Jack Conway, written by Frances Marion with titles by Ralph Spence, starring J. Farrell MacDonald, Jules Cowles and Polly Moran
In 1946, directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Cline, Barney Gerard and Jerry Warner, starring Joe Yule, Renie Riano, George McManus (as himself) and Tim Ryan.
The last produced four sequels:
Jiggs and Maggie in Society - 1948
Jiggs and Maggie in Court - 1948
Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters - 1949
Jiggs and Maggie Out West - 1950
Several silent animated shorts:
Father Gets Into the Movies
Just Like a Woman
A Hot Time In the Gym
The Great Hansom Cab Mystery
Music Hath Charms
He Tries His Hand at Hypnotism
Second, the Stimulating Mrs. Barton
Father's Close Shave
Third, Jiggs and the Social Lion
References
Strickler, Dave. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0-9700077-0-1.
