Author: Esther McCracken
Alternate names: Esther Helen Armstrong McCracken
Born: 25 June 1902
Died: 9 August 1971
Bio: Esther Helen McCracken (née Armstrong), born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, was a British actress and playwright.  Esther was educated at the Central Newcastle High School, where she won the cricket-ball throwing competition every year.

From 1929, she acted with the Newcastle Repertory Company. Her first play *The Willing Spirit* was produced in 1936. It was her second play, *Quiet Wedding*, in 1938, which made her reputation as a writer of domestic comedy and took her to London. It was later filmed by Anthony Asquith in 1941, and by Roy Boulting in 1958, as *Happy Is the Bride*.

Her next plays were less successful, but *Quiet Weekend*, in 1941, surpassed her earlier success and ran for over a thousand performances. It was filmed in 1946. She also wrote more serious plays in her later career, including *Living Room* in 1943, *No Medals* in 1944 (filmed as *The Weaker Sex*), and Cry Liberty in 1950. Esther introduced the BBC radio variety programme *Wot Cheor Geordie*, which ran from 1940 to 1956.

Source: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_McCracken)