The Ladies of the Corridor

Summary

1960 Granada Television production for ITV of The Ladies of the Corridor by Arnaud d’Usseau and Dorothy Parker.

Theatre play

The Ladies of the Corridor by Arnaud d’Usseau (1916-1990) and Dorothy Parker [more information]

Play synopsis

'Although The Ladies of the Corridor is not strictly a thesis play, its authors do have a point to make. It is that when widowhood comes to American middle-aged women, only those prepared for a career have any chance for happiness. They are mostly bitter, frustrated, bored, and driven to suicide, kleptomania or constant attendance at the movies. In particular, the dramatists are concerned with three of the women. One takes a younger lover and, despite her momentary happiness, proceeds to drive him from her by her nagging doubts of his fidelitv. Another becomes a solitary drinker, has a sordid affair with a bellhop and ends by jumping from a window. The third is a invalid who wrecks the life of her son by blackmailing him into serving her. The kleptomaniac, and the woman seeking refuge in the movies from her knowledge that her children don’t want her, are less dramatic figures who add to the drab and hopeless picture of doomed widowhood. The Ladies of the Corridor is an episodic drama, a sort of "Grand Hotel" of widowhood.' Sources: http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/4307/ladies-of-the-corridor-the.

Production history

Published by Samuel French in 1953, the year it premiered on Broadway.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 2 August 1960

Time

9.35-11.05pm

Series

Play of the Week

Channel

ITV

Production company

Granada Television (1956-)

Credits

Director

Henry Kaplan

Playwright

Arnaud d’Usseau (1916-1990)

Playwright

Dorothy Parker

Adapted for Television by

John Glennon

Designer

William Brodie

Cast

David Brierley	Bellhop
Shirley Butler	Betsy Ames
Barbara Chilcott	Mildred Tynan
Georgina Cookson	Connie Mercer
Richard Dare	Charles Nichols
Brenda de Banzie	Lulu Ames
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies	Mrs Nichols
John Gardiner	Robert Ames
Louise Howard	Irma
John Lee	Paul Osgood
Arthur Lowe	Mr Humphries
Barry Lowe	Harry
Grace Matthews	Mrs Gordon
Wauna Paul	Mrs Lauterbach

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

America, as theme or setting; American drama

Print sources

Title

TV Times, 29 July 1960 (Magazine)

Linking notes

articles, pp. 11 and 12; listing, p. 25