Frederic Chapin

Frederic Chapin (December 1, 1873 – December 27, 1947) was an American composer, book writer, and scenarist whose career spanned Broadway, Hollywood, and prose fiction. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Chapin also had his first name rendered as Frederick in some records.

His early stage career gained momentum with The Storks (1902), a collaboration with Guy F. Steeley that brought him to the attention of the publisher M. Witmark & Sons. That connection led to his most prominent theatrical association: a working relationship with L. Frank Baum. Chapin composed the score for The Woggle-Bug (1905), a musical Baum derived from his novel The Marvelous Land of Oz. During that project, Chapin also wrote songs with lyricist Arthur Gillespie, two of which were published under Baum's name. Among his other stage works from this period were Pussy in a Corner (1904), The Forbidden Land (1904), and The American Girl (1906).

For The Maid and the Millionaire (1907), Chapin took on the additional responsibilities of writing both the book and the lyrics. Around the same time, he turned to fiction, producing two fantasy novels modeled on the Oz books: Toodles of Treasure Town and her Snow Man (1908) and Pinkey and the Plumed Knight (1909), both illustrated by Merle De Vore Johnson.

On November 11, 1912, Chapin's four-act farce C.O.D. opened at the Gaiety Theatre on Broadway. The production received a mixed critical reception, drawing negative notices from several outlets while The New York Times found it funny and well acted. The day before the opening, Chapin told the Detroit New Tribune that he had written six plays prior to C.O.D. and considered each flawed in its development. He also stated that after a fourth producer accepted the script, he discarded the original entirely and rewrote it from the beginning. A film adaptation of C.O.D. followed in 1914, directed by Tefft Johnson and featuring Harry Davenport, Hughie Mack, and Charles Brown in the title roles — three characters whose names share the initials C., O., and D.

From 1914 to 1932, Chapin worked as a scenarist in Hollywood, with credits that included The Woman in 47. He subsequently returned to composing, contributing to Unashamed (1938), a nudist romance. During his time in the film industry he also worked as a stand-in under the name Fred Fuller, appearing in that capacity on Made for Each Other and Bachelor Mother, according to the Internet Movie Database.

Chapin's family had its own ties to the entertainment industry. His son, James Chapin, worked as a film director before his death in 1924, having completed six films. His daughter, Margery Chapin, was married to director William A. Wellman from 1925 to 1926 and appeared in a cameo role in Wings, a moment later included in the documentary The Celluloid Closet. During that marriage, William and Margery adopted a daughter, Gloria, who was the natural daughter of screenwriter Robert Emmett Tansey. Chapin died in Los Angeles, California, on December 27, 1947.