American playwright and librettist perhaps best known for his witty and articulate librettos, on which he collaborated with such notables as P.G. Wodehouse, George Middleton, and Fred Thompson.

The son of American parents, Bolton studied architecture before he began writing plays. Bolton's 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 Wodehouse and others, Bolton turned out scripts that were enhanced with music by composers such as Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter. Among his finer works are Oh, Boy! (1917; with Wodehouse, music by Kern), Oh, Lady! Lady! (1918; with Wodehouse, music by Kern), Sally (1920; with music by Kern), Lady, Be Good! (1924; with Fred Thompson, music by George and Ira Gershwin), Oh, Kay! (1926; with Wodehouse, music by the Gershwins and Howard Dietz), and Anything Goes (1934; with Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay, and Russel Crouse, music by Cole Porter). Bolton also wrote for a number of London productions. He is considered a major contributor to the development of the musical.