The man who came to dinner

Movie
German title	The man who came to dinner
Original title	The Man Who Came to Dinner
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	1942
length	112 minutes
Rod
Director	William Keighley
script	Julius J. Epstein , ; Philip G. Epstein
production	Jerry Wald for ; Warner Brothers
music	Friedrich Hollaender
camera	Tony Gaudio
cut	Jack Killifer
occupation
	Bette Davis : Maggie Cutler; Monty Woolley : Sheridan Whiteside; Ann Sheridan : Lorraine Sheldon; Richard Travis : Bert Jefferson; Jimmy Durante : Banjo; Billie Burke : Mrs. Stanley; Grant Mitchell : Mr. Ernest Stanley; Reginald Gardiner : Beverly Carlton; George Barbier : Dr. Bradley; Mary Wickes : Sister Preen; Elisabeth Fraser : June Stanley; Russell Arms : Richard Stanley; Ruth Vivian : Aunt Harriet Stanley; Edwin Stanley : John, Stanley's butler; Betty Roadman : Sarah, Stanley's cook; Charles Drake : Sandy; Nanette Vallon : Cosette; John Ridgely : Man from the radio;

The man who came to dinner (original title: The Man Who Came to Dinner ) is an American comedy film directed by William Keighley from 1942. It is a film adaptation of the Broadway success of the same name by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman , which It premiered at the Music Box Theater in New York in 1939 and ran for two years.

action

The self-centered , ambitious and cynical radio star Sheridan Whiteside of New York City is just a few weeks before Christmas on a book tour through the United States. At a planned dinner with the Stanleys, a respected family in a provincial nest in Ohio , he slips on their icy house steps. Whiteside receives medical orders to recover from the consequences for several weeks at the Stanley's home, prompting him to threaten the family man, Mr. Stanley, with a lawsuit of $ 150,000. The eccentric behavior of Whiteside provides for the staid couple Stanley nasty surprises, such as when he invites himself from prison killer for lunch or octopus and penguins ordered into the house. Whiteside also ensures that the adolescent children of the Stanleys rebel against their parents: while son Richard now desperately wants to be a photographer and not a businessman, daughter June tries to marry the unionist Sandy , whom her father hated . Only Mother Harriet occasionally enjoys the fact that her name is now prominently mentioned in all the country's newspapers as a result of the accident.

For nine years Maggie Cutler has been Sheridan's personal secretary, whom he trusts as one of the few people and who has become an important support for him, although he seldom thanks her. During the stay, Maggie falls in love with the local newspaper editor Bert Jefferson and suddenly spends less time with Sheridan, which annoys Sheridan very much. When asked by Sheridan, Maggie explains that she will marry Bert and that she will quit her job with him within a short time. The star, however, does not grant her personal happiness, since he considers her to be indispensable by his side, and takes measures to sabotage the fresh love happiness. Bert wrote a play that he would like to bring to the stage. Sheridan invites the glamorous Broadway actress Lorraine Sheldon, who has broken many men's hearts, over for Christmas. Lorraine is supposed to talk to Bert about the play and turn his head so that he doesn't think about Maggie anymore. Sheridan now learns that he is more easily injured than expected and that he can walk, which he keeps a secret from Maggie and the Stanleys for his plans.

However, Maggie has nine years of experience with Sheridan and suspects his intrigue early on. Her good friend, the author Beverly Carlton, imitates Lorraine's newest millionaire lover Lord Bottomley on the phone: he finally wants to marry her, which is why she should travel to him quickly. But the plan is blown and Lorraine is now even more determined to snatch Maggie away from her lover. Indeed, Whiteside's plan seems to be working, as a drunk Bert announces on the morning after Christmas that he is going away with Lorraine for a few weeks to work on the play. But Maggie quits her job at Sheridan and accuses him of his selfishness. Meanwhile, Banjo appears, a friend of Whiteside's Hollywood who speaks to his conscience. Now Banjo and Whiteside want to thwart Lorraine's plans after all. The unsuspecting actress is placed in a sarcophagus carried by Banjo from the Stanley's house. Nothing stands in the way of the happiness of Maggie and Bert.

But Whiteside's time in the Stanley's house also seems to be over: family man Ernest has had enough of the insults and antics of the simulant , especially after he instigated June and Richard to run away from their parents' house. He evicted Whiteside with the assistance of the House Sheriff. Whiteside confronts Mr. Stanley with his strange-looking sister Harriet, in whom he - the leading expert in the field of murders - recognizes a former, legendary ax murderer. In order to keep the family secret a secret, Whiteside blackmailed Stanley's children to go their own way and not the prescribed path of their father. Whiteside leaves the house, but suddenly Mrs. Roosevelt calls to send Christmas greetings. Excited Mrs. Stanley calls Sheridan back on the phone, causing him to slip on the stairs. To the horror of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley it all starts all over again ...

background

Alexander Woollcott, role model for Sheridan Whiteside (1939)

The Man Who Came to Dinner , a three-act comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman , premiered on Broadway on October 16, 1939 . The piece became a hit and ran for two years with a total of 739 performances. The authors used their friend Alexander Woollcott , a famous literary critic and journalist with his own radio show, as a model for the main character of Sheridan Whiteside . In the 1920s, Woollcott and Kaufman had both been members of the legendary Algonquin Round Table . One day Woollcott visited Moss Hart in his house unannounced, settled in the largest bedroom and terrorized the servants. When Hart told his colleague Kaufman about the anecdote, he noticed what it would have been like if Woollcott had broken his leg and had to stay in his house. This idea formed the basis for the piece.

Kaufman and Hart also parody other famous characters from their circle of friends and acquaintances in the play: Jimmy Durante's banjo is said to be based on Harpo Marx , Reginald Gardiner's Beverly Carlton is based on Noël Coward , and Ann Sheridan's figure of Lorraine Sheldon is considered a rather unfavorable representation of Gertrude Lawrence .

Bette Davis convinced Warner Brothers to film the play after seeing it on Broadway. She originally wanted John Barrymore , whom she adored, to play Sheridan. As the greatest star of Warner Brothers, she was even prepared to play the relatively small role of secretary for her circumstances. However, the memory and health of the alcoholic Barrymore, who died a little later, made the cast impossible from the point of view of studio boss Jack L. Warner . Even decades later, Davis expressed disappointment that she could not work with Barrymore. The cast of Sheridan turned out to be very difficult in the episode: Cary Grant was under discussion, but was considered too young and attractive for the part; In addition to the role, Orson Welles and Charles Laughton have also expressed an interest in directing. Finally, it came back to the former Yale professor Monty Woolley , who had played the role with great success on Broadway, but was still unknown to the broad film audience. Jack L. Warner reportedly feared that Wooley's homosexuality would be obvious to the viewer.

While Ann Sheridan played the cool Broadway star here, she also shot the drama Kings Row , in which she played a completely opposite role as a small town girl. However, the two roles earned her the best reviews of her career. Mary Wickes , who played the nurse in the original Broadway production, made her film debut here.

German dubbed version

The German dubbed version was created in 1978 on behalf of the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation. Gisela Peltzer spoke to the secretary Maggie ( Bette Davis ), while Erich Ebert lent his voice to the butler John ( Edwin Stanley ).

Awards

Monty Wooley was for the price of the New York Film Critics Circle as Best Actor nomination.

Reviews

"An imaginatively staged comedy with malicious puns and satirical swipes at well-known contemporary personalities by William Keighley (" Who owns the town? "). In the role of private secretary Maggie Cutler, Bette Davis shows that she also knows how to convince in comic roles. "

- prism