Come Back Little Sheba

Summary

1965 Anglia Television production of Come Back Little Sheba by William Inge.

Theatre play

Come Back Little Sheba by William Inge [more information]

Play synopsis

Set in the cramped, cluttered Midwestern house of Lola and Doc Delaney, the plot centers on how their life is disrupted by the presence of a boarder named Marie, a college art student . Lola is unhappily middle-aged. Doc is a recovering alcoholic who abandoned a promising career in medicine. The title refers to Lola’s missing dog, who disappeared before the play’s opening and who stands forlost youth, energy and happiness.

Production history

'The play premiered at the Westport Country Playhouse. Presented by the Theatre Guild and directed by Daniel Mann, the first Broadway production premiered at the Booth Theatre on February 15, 1950, and ran 190 performances.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_Back,_Little_Sheba_%28play%29.

Date of transmission

Monday 8 March 1965

Time

9.40-11.02pm

Series

Play of the Week

Channel

ITV

Production company

Anglia Television (1959-)

Credits

Director

John Jacobs

Playwright

William Inge

Adapted for Television by

Hugh Leonard (1926-2009)

Designer

Reece Pemberton

Cast

Martin Balsam	Doc Delaney
David Bauer	Ed Anderson
Betsy Blair	Lola Delaney
Jane Elliot	Marie
Hal Galili	Milkman
Hal Hamilton	Turk
Cal McCord	Postman
Gordon Ruttan	Bruce
Nicholas Stuart	Elmo Huston

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

ageing; alcoholism; America, as theme or setting; American drama

Print sources

Title

TV Times, 4 March 1965 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article, p. 8; photograph of the set during a scene ‘from the lighting technician’s view’, p. 9; brief mention, p. 15; illustrated listing, p. 27