In 1924 Coward wrote, directed and starred in The Vortex, an intensely serious play about drug abuse among the upper classes. This brought him overnight fame.

In 1925 his comedy Hay Fever was a success both in London and New York. It was quickly followed by the revue On with the Dance which was also highly successful. Soon thereafter he composed the hugely popular song Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

In 1929, his operetta, Bitter Sweet, with its ever popular song, I'll see You Again, was one of his greatest successes.

During the next decade, Coward's work went from strength to strength, with such brilliant and frequently-revived classics as Private Lives (1930), Words and Music (1932), Design for Living (1933) and Blithe Spirit (1941).

From "Private Lives"

Coward also had a serious side as could be seen in his 1931 pageant, Cavalcade, which delineated the lives of 2 families, one rich, one poor, from the beginning of the century onwards.

His patriotism was evident in his war work when he entertained the troops all over the globe, and in his film In Which We Serve (1942), describing the heroic activities of a British naval destroyer.

His short play, Still Life, rewritten as the film Brief Encounter in 1945 with Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson, is a masterpiece.

After the war, Coward's style of theatre fell out of favor in England, and he spent an increasing amount of time in the United States. He became a popular figure on American television, appearing with Mary Martin in Together with Music (1955).

In Las Vegas

His plays and musicals, such as Sail Away (1960) and The Girl who Came to Supper (1963) were followed by a very successful revival of Private Lives that led to a renaissance of interest in his works.

In 1969, his 70th birthday was enthusiastically celebrated in England, and in 1970 he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II who had been a friend since her childhood.

By the time of his death in 1973 at Firefly, his Caribbean home, Noël Coward was regarded as a national treasure, responsible for some of the best-loved songs and plays in the world.

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