The Thirteenth Chair (play)

The Thirteenth Chair is a play by the American writer Bayard Veiller which premiered in 1916. It enjoyed a lengthy run on Broadway initially at the 48th Street Theatre before later transferring to the Fulton Theatre. A mystery, the action takes place entirely in the drawing room of a large, wealthy house in New York City. The author's English wife Margaret Wycherly played a prominent role in the original production which ran for 328 performances. Mrs Patrick Campbell took over the role when it debuted in London's West End the following year. In 1937 actor John Craven performed in it at Harold Lloyd's Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals before making his broadway debut.

Adaptations
The play has been adapted into films on three occasions: the 1919 silent film The Thirteenth Chair directed by Léonce Perret, a 1929 early sound remake The Thirteenth Chair directed by Tod Browning and starring Conrad Nagel and a final 1937 version The Thirteenth Chair directed by George B. Seitz and featuring Madge Evans and Elissa Landi. The latter films shifted the setting from New York to British India.