The Man Who Came to Dinner
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The Man Who Came to Dinner, comedy in three acts written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart that debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
The story of The Man Who Came to Dinner is set in a small town of Mesalia, Ohio in the weeks leading to Christmas in the 1930s. The exposition reveals that the famously outlandish radio wit Sheridan Whiteside of New York City was invited to dine at the house of the rich factory owner Ernest W. Stanley and his family. However, before Sheridan Whiteside enters the house, he slips on a patch of ice outside the front door and injures his hip. He is attended by Dr. Bradley, the absent-minded town physician, and Miss Preen, his frantic nurse.
[edit] Act One, Scene One
With the expository material explained through the use of a magazine article, Sheridan Whiteside, confined to a wheelchair, is rolled out of the library, his temporary quarters, into the Stanley living room. He intends to sue Ernest Stanley for $150,000 as well as occupy his home for the time permitted to heal.
Through the minutes Whiteside continues to insult everyone, including Dr. Bradley, Miss Preen, Ernest Stanley, his wife Daisy and teenage children Richard and June, and even his secretary of 10 years, Maggie Cutler. Maggie, however, is used to Whiteside's tirades and performs her duties with tact and reliance. Dr. Bradley also gives a manuscript of his memoirs to Whiteside, hoping the Whiteside will give some positive feedback on the book.
Whiteside is later met by the eerie Harriet Stanley, Mr. Stanley's sister. She presents him a holly branch as a present. Whiteside, though taken aback by her bizarre nature, is convinced that he has seen her before.
Whiteside is next met by a young newspaper editor Bert Jefferson. Whiteside, though immediately abhorred by the newspaperman, soon respects Jefferson's brave charm and permits an interview. Whiteside explains that he cannot wait to leave Mesalia, and that he is a paid authority on famous murders. This information is highlighted by a luncheon for prisoners who will soon be entering the Ohio-based Crockfield Home For Paroled Convicts, a facility which Whiteside has financially-supported for over five years. Before the prisoners arrive, an old friend of Whiteside's makes a surprise appearance: Professor Adolf Metz, the world's greatest entomologist. Metz has dropped by to give Sheridan Whiteside a terrarium filled with 10,000 cockroaches. The guests are ushered into the dining room by the butler, John, to a lunch prepared by the cook, Sarah.
[edit] Act One, Scene Two
Days Later. The napping Whiteside stirs from his sleep only to find Miss Preen. Miss Preen informs Whiteside that Maggie went out hours ago. Whiteside is greeted by John and Sarah, and asks them to come and work for him in New York City. They agree to think it over.
As the minutes pass, followed by more uncomfortable visits by Mr. and Mrs. Stanley as well as Harriet Stanley, Richard and June walk into the room, carrying ice skates. After Whiteside apologizes for his rude behavior in the past, Richard and June inform Whiteside that Maggie was seen ice skating with Bert Jefferson.
Maggie walks in, and Whiteside immediately confronts her. Maggie is in love with Bert Jefferson as well as his fantastically-good play, which includes a great role for a leading actress. Maggie recommends it for Katharine Cornell. Maggie tells Sheridan Whiteside that she is going to try to marry Bert, thereby resigning from her position. She leaves the room, warning Whiteside not to play any of his tricks to break matters up with Bert.
Whiteside, after fuming over Maggie's planned departure, skims over Jefferson's play. He then contacts Lorraine Sheldon, his famous actress friend with a sleazy reputation, to visit Mesalia to convince Jefferson to give her the part in his play through any means necessary. Lorraine agrees.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bradley returns with the news that he confused Mr. Whiteside's X-Ray with old Mrs. Moffett's X-Rays. Dr. Bradley declares that Whiteside is "perfectly, absolutely well", and can leave the Stanley's home immediately. Whiteside, attached to his scheme to separate Maggie and Bert, convinces Dr. Bradley to conceal the "good news." In return, Whiteside will to help edit Dr. Bradley's lengthy memoir, "Forty Years an Ohio Doctor." Dr. Bradley agrees and leaves. Whiteside, overjoyed, sings and walks out of the living room.
[edit] Act Two
Christmas Eve. Whiteside prepares for his Christmas Eve radio broadcast. Maggie informs Whiteside that Beverly Carlton, their English thespian friend, is stopping by Mesalia on his way to New York City. Jefferson informs everyone that he plans to interview Beverly. Bert also announces that he is getting Maggie a Christmas present, ushering her out the door so that Maggie can see it before Jefferson purchases it.
Meanwhile Whiteside, impatient as ever for Lorraine's arrival, is once again visited by Harriet Stanley, who presents him with a Christmas present. Whiteside asks Harriet if they have met before; she tells him that they have not. Harriet quickly leaves.
Whiteside is next visited by moving men who deliver four penguins, a Christmas present to Whiteside from Admiral Richard E. Byrd. The penguins are ushered into the library, watched over by Dr. Bradley and Miss Preen.
Richard later walks in, informing Sheridan Whiteside that he wants to be a photographer, against his father's wishes. Whiteside says that Richard should do it. Richard heads upstairs, and he is proceeded by June. June presents her boyfriend, Sandy, a labor-organizer in Mr. Stanley's factory, to Whiteside, informing him that they wish to get married. Whiteside advises them to get married that very night. Sandy quickly leaves, and June runs upstairs.
Finally, Lorraine Sheldon walks in, chitchats with Whiteside over gossipy matters as well as the plan to seduce Jefferson. Maggie and Bert walk in and Lorraine immediately starts flirting with Bert. Bert offers Lorraine a ride to her hotel, and they both innocently depart together. Maggie suspects Whiteside's involvement from the start. She prepares to confront him when their dear friend Beverly Carlton walks inside. After delighting Whiteside and Maggie with entertainment stories as well as a flawless impersonation of Lorraine's latest fling, the stuttering English aristocrat Lord Bottomley, Beverly plays a song, his own composition entitled "What Am I To Do" on the piano. After the song, Maggie suddenly wheels Whiteside into the library, seizing a moment with Beverly. Maggie informs Beverly the of precarious situation involving Bert, Lorraine and Whiteside. Beverly offers to help with the time permitting, and Maggie whispers something into Beverly's ear; a plan. Beverly accepts the delightful challenge and leaves.
Moments later, after radio men start arriving to prepare for Sheridan Whiteside's Christmas Eve broadcast, June and Richard leave the house while carrying bags of luggage. Lorraine, dressed in a fancy gown, walks into the house as they leave. The telephone rings; it is a trans-Atlantic call from Lord Bottomley. Over the phone, Lorraine accepts Lord Bottomley's marriage proposal, explaining she'll leave for London on the next boat. Lorraine makes further plans over the phone by informing her french maid Cosette to send wires to friends and family. Whiteside is obviously outraged, even more angered by the presence of Bert and his Christmas present to Maggie: an inscribed bracelet. Whiteside continues to curse until Bert Jefferson arrives. Bert informs the group that he got a two-minute interview with Beverly Carlton at the train station, but Beverly was standing in a phone booth most of the time, "making the damnest faces for about five minutes." Jefferson leaves the room to prepare some Jefferson Special cocktails. Whiteside realizes that Beverly Carlton mimicked Lord Bottomley at the behest of Maggie, proving this discovery to Lorraine with the records from the telephone operator. Lorraine, embarrassed beyond reason, cancels her plans. After soon realizing that it was Maggie's fault, Lorraine vows to stop at nothing to break up her relationship with Bert. Lorraine tells Maggie that she should hold onto her inscribed bracelet, implying that it is the only thing Maggie will ever have to remember Bert by.
Suddenly, the radio men storm into the living room and set up equipment around Whiteside. Bert also enters from the kitchen, carrying his Jefferson Specials. Lorraine informs Bert that she is not leaving after all, and that she wants to read Jefferson's play. Maggie storms out of the house; Jefferson follows her.
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley enter and quickly walk upstairs as choir children are ushered into the home. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley quickly rush back down the stairs, carrying letters from their departed children. The letters inform them that Mr. Whiteside recommended their decisions. The head radioman, Westcott, tells them to be quiet as Whiteside reads his Christmas address into the microphone. He is helped by the children singing "Silent Night." Suddenly, Miss Preen bursts out of the library shouting for Dr. Bradley; the penguin bit her. The penguin walks out of the library and panic ensues.
[edit] Act Three
Christmas Day. Maggie tells Whiteside that she is taking the 1:00 PM train out of town. Jefferson storms into the building, drunk. He informs Whiteside and Maggie that he and Lorraine discussed the play all night long. Lorraine plans on taking him to her getaway home in Lake Placid to work on the play for three weeks. Dr. Bradley enters, and follows Whiteside's recommendation to get Bert Jefferson some black coffee and breakfast. They leave, and Maggie flees into the library, sobbing.
Harriet Stanley enters the room to watch Mr. Whiteside open his Christmas present from her. He does; it is an old photograph of Harriet taken in her twenties. Harriet Stanley leaves; Whiteside is still convinced that he has seen her face before.
The doorbell rings and Whiteside, seeing that John in nowhere around, asks Miss Preen to answer the door. She answers it; it is the zany Banjo, Whiteside's Hollywood comedian friend. Banjo fondles Miss Preen, who quickly runs back into the library.
Banjo, wanting to spend Christmas with Whiteside, is on his way to Nova Scotia having borrowed an airplane from Howard Hughes. Banjo then presents Whiteside with his Christmas present: a brassiere once worn by Hedy Lamarr. Whiteside, getting up from his chair and pacing about, informs Banjo of the situation involving Maggie, Lorraine and Bert. Whiteside feels genuinely guilty about the matters, and wants to make it up to Maggie by getting Lorraine out of town with Banjo's help. The pair are unable to come up with a realistic plan, and Banjo exits to the kitchen to man-handle Sarah as well as find something to eat. Whiteside sits back down in his wheelchair.
Suddenly, Miss Preen exits the library, carrying her luggage. Miss Preen informs Mr. Whiteside that she is so disgusted with him that she is walking out on this case as well as the nursing profession. After making several angry statements to Whiteside regarding the depths of her outrage, she leaves.
Mr. Stanley enters the house with June, having found her before she got married. Mr. Stanley informs Mr. Whiteside that in addition to stopping June, Richard has been apprehended in Toledo and is being brought back home. Mr. Stanley also invites two deputy sheriffs into the home, telling Mr. Whiteside that they have a warrant to forcibly eject Mr. Whiteside and all of his personal effects out of the Stanley residence if Mr. Whiteside has not done so himself within fifteen minutes. The deputy sheriffs wait outside, and Mr. Stanley ascends the stairs, keeping eye on his watch.
Banjo enters; Whiteside informs him of the worsening situation. Banjo walks into the library to comfort Maggie as Richard is brought into the house by a detective. Mr. Stanley pays the detective, and informs Mr. Whiteside that he has ten minutes remaining.
Lorraine enters the house, explaining that she loves Bert Jefferson's play and that she is deliriously happy with Sheridan Whiteside. She sets her muff on the sofa and sits down. Banjo enters; an uncomfortable moment passes because Lorraine detests Banjo for publicly embarrassing her some years back. Things become even more uncomfortable when Maggie enters the living room looking for a copy of the New Year's Eve broadcast. Lorraine explains to Maggie that she will be hearing the broadcast in Lake Placid with Bert Jefferson. Maggie exits.
The moving men then enter the front door, carrying a mummy case into the living room. It is a Christmas present to Whiteside from the Khedive of Egypt. Whiteside begins to show more desperation as Mr. Stanley announces the five minute mark, and Dr. Bradley (looking for assistance with his memoir) enters the house and exits into the library.
Lorraine, automatically taken with the case, opens it, stands inside, and reverently recites a few lines of poetic dialogue. Whiteside, seeing her in that case, gestures to Banjo to close the case to trap her inside. After a few missed tries, they succeed. However, they still need to get the mummy case (with Lorraine inside) out of the house, and less than five minutes remain before Mr. Stanley's deadline.
Maggie briefly re-enters the room, handing Whiteside the photograph he received from Harriet Stanley as a Christmas present. After taking another look at the picture, Whiteside informs Banjo that he recognizes Harriet Stanley's face, and knows how to get Lorraine and the mummy case out of the house.
Mr. Stanley comes back, telling Mr. Whiteside that the time is up. Whiteside asks for a favor from Mr. Stanley before leaving: to have the deputy sheriffs help Banjo take the mummy case down to the airport. Mr. Stanley refuses, whereupon Whiteside stands from his chair and confronts Mr. Stanley. Whiteside reveals that he recognizes Mr. Stanley's sister Harriet as being the infamous Harriet Sedley, who murdered her mother and father with an axe twenty-five years prior in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Whiteside will inform his entire radio audience of Mr. Stanley's sheltering of his murderous sister (which would cause great public embarrassment to Mr. Stanley), unless Mr. Stanley does what Whiteside has requested of him. Mr. Stanley grudgingly complies. Banjo grandly leaves with the mummy case and the deputy sheriffs.
Maggie enters, and Whiteside hands Lorraine's muff to Maggie as a "Christmas gift". Maggie quickly realizes what Whiteside has done to get Lorraine away from Bert, and Whiteside gives his blessing to Maggie. Maggie is surprised and genuinely ecstatic with Whiteside's compassion. Whiteside takes Maggie's train ticket so that he may return to New York as quickly as possible, leaving Maggie to pursue her romance with Bert. Whiteside wishes Dr. Bradley and Maggie a "Merry Christmas." Bert Jefferson reenters the Stanley house, and Whiteside gives Jefferson some intimidating parting words. Whiteside also tells Bert that he (Whiteside) will be sending Bert's play to Katharine Cornell. Whiteside lastly tells Mr. Stanley "good-bye," along with a request that Mr. Stanley allow June and Richard to follow their dreams, "or else". Whiteside exits through the front door.
Maggie and Bert embrace, and Mrs. Stanley descends the stairs as Sheridan Whiteside is heard slipping and screaming from outside. Dr. Bradley and Bert Jefferson rush outside and carry Sheridan Whiteside back into his wheelchair. Whiteside exclaims that he is going to sue Mr. Stanley for $350,000, and the play ends.
[edit] Influence of Alexander Woollcott
- Kaufman and Hart wrote the play as a vehicle for their friend Alexander Woollcott, the model for the lead character Sheridan Whiteside. At the time the play was written Woollcott was famous both as the theater critic who launched the career of the Marx Brothers and as the star of the national radio show "The Town Crier". Woollcott was well liked by both Kaufman and Hart, but that did not stop him from displaying the obnoxious characteristics displayed by Whiteside in the play. Kaufman and Hart had promised a vehicle for Woollcott but had been unable to find a plot that suited them until one day Woollcott showed up, unannounced, at Hart's Bucks County estate, and proceeded to take over the house. He slept in the master bedroom, terrorized Hart's staff, and generally acted like Sheridan Whiteside. On his way out he wrote in Hart's guest book. "This is to certify that I had one of the most unpleasant times I ever spent." Hart related the story to Kaufman soon afterwards. As they were both laughing about it, Hart remarked that he was lucky that Woollcott hadn't broken his leg and become stuck there. Kaufman looked at Hart and the idea was born.
- Contrary to popular belief Woollcott was delighted with the play and was offered the role for its Broadway debut. With his busy schedule of radio broadcasts and lectures he declined and Monty Woolley played the part. Woollcott did play Whiteside in the West Coast version of the play, and was even joined by Harpo Marx, who portrayed his own referenced character, Banjo.
- The printed edition of the play starts with the inscription: "To Alexander Woollcott, for reasons that are nobody's business."
[edit] Other Influences
- Beverly Carlton was modeled after Noel Coward.
- Though Banjo was modeled after Harpo Marx, there is also a dialogue reference in The Man Who Came To Dinner to Harpo Marx's other brothers, Groucho Marx and Chico Marx, when Sheridan Whiteside talks with Banjo over the phone. He asks him, "How are Wackko and Sloppo?"
- The song "What Am I To Do" was written by Cole Porter specially for this show.
- Harriet Stanley, the alias for Harriet Sedley, is an obvious reference to the famed Massachusetts murderer Lizzie Borden. Borden's popular jump-rope rhyme is used in the show, but replaced with Harriet Sedley.
[edit] Original cast
The original cast is listed below, as billed.
- Mrs. Ernest W. Stanley ....... Virginia Hammond
- Miss Preen ................... Mary Wickes
- Richard Stanley .............. Gordon Merrick (in real life, he later became a successful author of gay literary novels)
- June Stanley ................. Barbara Wooddell
- John ......................... George Probert
- Sarah ........................ Mrs. Priestley Morrison
- Mrs. Dexter .................. Barbara Adams
- Mrs. McCutcheon .............. Edmonia Nolley
- Mr. Stanley .................. George Lessey
- Maggie Cutler ................ Edith Arwater
- Dr. Bradley .................. Dudley Clemens
- Sheridan Whiteside ........... Monty Woolley
- Harriet Stanley .............. Ruth Vivian
- Bert Jefferson ............... Theodore Newton
- Professor Metz ............... LeRoi Operti
- The Luncheon Guests:
- Phil Sheridan
- Charles Washington
- William Postance
- Mr. Baker .................... Carl Johnson
- Expressman ................... Harold Woolf
- Lorraine Sheldon ............. Carol Goodner
- Sandy ........................ Michael Harvey
- Beverley Carlton ............. John Hoysradt (who later became a successful film and television actor under the name John Hoyt)
- Westcott ..................... Edward Fisher
- Radio Technicians:
- Rodney Stewart
- Carl Johnson
- Six Young Boys
- Daniel Leone
- Jack Whitman
- Daniel Landon
- Donald Landon
- DeWitt Purdue
- Robert Rea
- Banjo ........................ David Burns
- Two Deputies
- Curtis Karpe
- Phil Sheridan
- A Plainclothes Man ........... William Postance
[edit] Revival
A revival was produced in 2000 by the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York, which ran for 85 performances. The show's cast included Nathan Lane, Jean Smart, and Harriet Harris. This production is available on DVD.
[edit] Film adaptation
In 1942, the production was adapted for film. Starring Monty Woolley, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke, Jimmy Durante, Mary Wickes and Richard Travis, the film had its world premiere at the Capitol Theater in Paragould, Arkansas. The script was adapted for film by the Epstein brothers, Philip G. Epstein and Julius J. Epstein (who won an Academy Award for their adaptation of Casablanca).
[edit] Musical Adaptation
The play and subsequent film served as the basis for the 1967 musical Sherry!, with a book and lyrics by James Lipton and music by Laurence Rosenthal.
[edit] External links
- The Man Who Came to Dinner on the Internet Broadway Database [1]
- Sherry! on the Internet Boadway Database [2]
