The Man Who Came to Dinner

Summary

1947 BBC live studio production of George Kaufman and Moss Hart’s popular comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Theatre play

The Man Who Came to Dinner by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart [more information]

Play synopsis

The comedy is set in the small town of Mesalia, Ohio in the weeks leading to Christmas in the 1930s. Sheridan Whiteside is a bit of a character, to the point of annoying even his admirers. When an accident immobilizes him as the guest of a relatively normal Ohio household his unwilling hosts are in for the most agonizing experience of their social lives.

Production history

'It debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran there until 1941, closing after 739 performances. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals. The first London production was staged at The Savoy Theatre starring Robert Morley and Coral Browne’.

Date of transmission

Sunday 23 March 1947

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Credits

Producer

Joel O’Brien

Playwright

Moss Hart

Playwright

George S. Kaufman

Cast

Robert Berkeley	Deputy
June Clyde	Lorraine Sheldon
Felicity Gower	Maggie Cutler
Alan Keith	Banjo
William Kemp	Bert Jefferson
Rodney Lovick	Deputy
Reginald Marsh	Westcott
Edie Martin	Harriet Stanley
Susan McCullum	Sarah
Helen Miller	June Stanley
Janet Morrison	Mrs Ernest W. Stanley
Bartlett Mullins	John
Ronan O’Casey	Richard Stanley
Macdonald Parke	Dr Bradley
Frank Pettingell	Sheridan Whiteside
Norman Prince	Beverly Carlton
Jimmy Rossell-Evans	Radio Technician
Josie St Clair	Miss Preen
George Stanford	Expressman
Hal Thompson	Mr Stanley

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

America, as theme or setting; American drama; comedy

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 21 March 1947 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 34 and article, p. 33 and 35