Over a period of eleven years, from 1930 until 1940, George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart collaborated on eight plays, all of them financially successful, two or three of them among the best comedies ever presented on the Broadway stage. On that basis alone, it is safe to say that they made an enormous contribution to the American theater. More important, plays such as You Can’t Take It with You, which continues to be staged in revivals across the country, have influenced several generations of dramatists and theatergoers, helping to create and shape a brand of comedy that is enduringly funny—and distinctly American.