born Nov. 23, 1884, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, Eng.
died Sept. 5, 1979, London
British-born U.S. playwright and librettist.
The son of American parents, Bolton studied architecture before he began writing plays. His first play appeared on Broadway in 1911, but it was not until he began contributing to Broadway musicals that his fame spread. In collaboration with P.G. Wodehouse and others, he wrote dozens of scripts scored by composers such as Jerome Kern ( Oh, Boy! , 1917), George Gershwin ( Lady, Be Good! , 1924; Girl Crazy , 1930), and Cole Porter ( Anything Goes , 1934).