The Man Who Came to Dinner (1972 film)
The Man Who Came to Dinner is a 1972 American TV adaptation of the 1939 play The Man Who Came to Dinner by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It was directed by Buzz Kulik for Hallmark Hall of Fame.[1][2] The film was broadcast on November 29, 1972.[3]
| The Man Who Came to Dinner | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Buzz Kulik |
| Screenplay by | Sam Denoff Bill Persky |
| Based on | The Man Who Came to Dinner 1939 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart |
| Produced by | Sam Denoff |
| Starring | Orson Welles Lee Remick Joan Collins |
| Music by | Roy Budd |
Production companies | Foote, Cone and Belding Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot summary
Cast
- Orson Welles as Sheridan Whiteside
- Lee Remick as Maggie Cutler
- Joan Collins as Lorraine Sheldon
- Don Knotts as Dr. Bradley
- Edward Andrews as Ernest W. Stanley
- Kim Braden as June Stanley
- Marty Feldman as Banjo
- Michael Gough as Beverly Carlton
- Peter Haskell as Bert Jefferson
- Tutte Lemkow as Zoltan
- Al Mancini as Westcott
- Marcella Markham as Mrs. Stanley
- George Pravda as Professor Metz
- Anita Sharp-Bolster as Harriet Stanley
- Elisabeth Welch as Sarah
- Mary Wickes as Nurse Preen
Wickes recreated the role she originated on Broadway in 1939 and which she played in the 1942 film version.[3]
Production
Orson Welles had been offered the role of Sheridan Whiteside on Broadway but turned it down because of the time commitment although he always loved the play.[4] Welles later said that declining the stage production was smart "because if you've seen the film you'll know it was awful and there was no way for anybody to be good in it."[3] The play was adapted and updated for the modern day by Sam Denoff and Bill Persky, who turned Whiteside into a TV talk show host.[4]
The story is based in Ohio but was videotaped in Southampton, England to accommodate Welles who did not want to return to the U.S. due to tax difficulties.[3]
Reception
The Los Angeles Times called it "a splendid romp".[5] Variety singled out the performances by Collins, Andrews, Wickes, Gough, Braden, and Knotts, while saying "None of the others in the extensive cast was less than good."[3]
References
- INSIDE TV: Star of CBS Film to Make Broadway Bow Los Angeles Times 6 Oct 1972: e22.
- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Now? By MARK SHIVASLONDON. New York Times 26 Nov 1972: D13.
- Cox, Stephen; Marhanka, Kevin (2008). The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts. Cumberland House. pp. 115–117. ISBN 9781581826586.
- ORSON WELLES PLAYS 'THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINER': Orson Welles: the perpetual who came to dinner 'THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER' Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 26 Nov 1972: r1.
- 'Dinner' Updated for Romp on TV Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 30 Nov 1972: e17.