American Drama in the 1940s

During the post—World War II era, when Detective Story was first written and produced, American drama was dominated by two playwrights, Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams, in comparison to whom Kingsley is considered a minor playwright. Arthur Miller (born 1915) is best known for his works Death of a Salesman (1949) and The Crucible (1953). Tennessee Williams (1911—1983), a southern writer, is considered to be perhaps the best American playwright of the twentieth century. His many great works include The Glass Menagerie (1944), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955).

The Cold War

In the wake of World War II, which ended in 1945, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union soon developed into what became known as the Cold War (a term first used in 1947). It is referred to as a "cold" war because it did not primarily involve...