Worlds collide in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Sheridan Whiteside noted critic and acerbic wit gets a meal while on a lecture tour at the very respectable Rotarian home of Mr.and Mrs. Stanley in small town Ohio. Upon leaving their home, Whiteside trips going down their porch stairs and breaks a leg. He's then confined to their home and literally takes over the place.
Authors George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart use The Man Who Came for Dinner as an opportunity to satirize both their elite world of ideas and wits and the stifling world of small town Ohio. There are so many concurrent plot lines going in this story, I can't begin to list them all. Suffice it to say that just corraling them all together to make a coherent play was enough of a triumph for Kaufman and Hart.
The play ran on Broadway from 1939 to 1941 for 739 performances. Besides Monty Woolley in the title role the only other two cast members who came over from Broadway were Ruth Vivian as the pixillated sister of Mr. Stanley and Mary Wickes as Ms. Preen the much put upon nurse that has to deal with Woolley's insults. Though Ruth Vivian made only one other screen appearance besides The Man Who Came To Dinner, Mary Wickes had an over 50 year career in Hollywood right up to her appearances in the Sister Act films.
Though a whole lot of people, most particularly Orson Welles in a made for television movie, have played Sheridan Whiteside the part has remained Monty Woolley's. The Whiteside character is based on fellow Algonquin Club member Alexander Woollcott who like Woolley was acerbic, witty and gay. You will also recognize Noel Coward in Reginald Gardiner, Gertrude Lawrence in Ann Sheridan, and Jimmy Durante lampooning his fellow comedian, Harpo Marx. Though Harpo never said a word in film, he was every bit the wit his brother Groucho was and more.
Bette Davis who was fighting for better roles continually with Jack Warner takes the supporting part as Woolley's wise and efficient girl Friday. You won't see any of Bette's real talent here, she's not the center of the film. But she did agree to appear in this to give the film a box office name. I think she did it because she liked the play and wanted to be associated with the screen version.
Could it be done with references to today's celebrities instead of those of 1939? Very easily and I can see the persona of Sheridan Whiteside today embodied in Rush Limbaugh.
If The Man Who Came to Dinner is broadcast again, don't ever miss an opportunity to see a great American piece of literature performed.
Authors George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart use The Man Who Came for Dinner as an opportunity to satirize both their elite world of ideas and wits and the stifling world of small town Ohio. There are so many concurrent plot lines going in this story, I can't begin to list them all. Suffice it to say that just corraling them all together to make a coherent play was enough of a triumph for Kaufman and Hart.
The play ran on Broadway from 1939 to 1941 for 739 performances. Besides Monty Woolley in the title role the only other two cast members who came over from Broadway were Ruth Vivian as the pixillated sister of Mr. Stanley and Mary Wickes as Ms. Preen the much put upon nurse that has to deal with Woolley's insults. Though Ruth Vivian made only one other screen appearance besides The Man Who Came To Dinner, Mary Wickes had an over 50 year career in Hollywood right up to her appearances in the Sister Act films.
Though a whole lot of people, most particularly Orson Welles in a made for television movie, have played Sheridan Whiteside the part has remained Monty Woolley's. The Whiteside character is based on fellow Algonquin Club member Alexander Woollcott who like Woolley was acerbic, witty and gay. You will also recognize Noel Coward in Reginald Gardiner, Gertrude Lawrence in Ann Sheridan, and Jimmy Durante lampooning his fellow comedian, Harpo Marx. Though Harpo never said a word in film, he was every bit the wit his brother Groucho was and more.
Bette Davis who was fighting for better roles continually with Jack Warner takes the supporting part as Woolley's wise and efficient girl Friday. You won't see any of Bette's real talent here, she's not the center of the film. But she did agree to appear in this to give the film a box office name. I think she did it because she liked the play and wanted to be associated with the screen version.
Could it be done with references to today's celebrities instead of those of 1939? Very easily and I can see the persona of Sheridan Whiteside today embodied in Rush Limbaugh.
If The Man Who Came to Dinner is broadcast again, don't ever miss an opportunity to see a great American piece of literature performed.