The Man Who Came to Dinner

The Man Who Came to Dinner is a little uneven, but it's mostly entertaining. The unevenness comes mainly from the dullness of the budding relationship which the film holds in focus. The original play is very well written, especially the dialogue. It was actually performed at my high school when I was there. But its the cast here that excels. Monty Woolley is great in the titular role. He plays Sheridan Whiteside to absolute perfection. Bette Davis is quite good as his secretary, but the role is actually somewhat below her standards. I'm sure she took the role because she loved the play so much and was sure it'd be a hit, but that role is pretty dull. Ann Sheridan perhaps gives the film's most memorable performance as an egotistical Hollywood diva who's not sure whether she wants to marry British nobility for money or just chase around cute guys. Also noteworthy are Billie Burke as Mrs. Stanley, the Ohio society woman who invites Whiteside to dinner, Reginald Gardiner as an eloquent celebrity friend of Whiteside (far underused), and the incredibly insane Jimmy Durante as Banjo. He comes into the film very late, but he very nearly steals the show. 8/10.

Watching this fantastic black and white flick was a real treat. I played Maggie in the play version by Kaufmann and Hart, and I was among a very competent cast of actors. Yet the performers in this film are so versatile and polished it seems almost an entirely different story. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the wit and sarcasm that so classified the 1940's cinema era. Woolsey, as Whiteside is bitingly on target as the sharp-tongued radio personality, and Bette Davis, I must say, certainly does the role of the starry-eyed secretary justice. Four stars!

This delightful film is based on one of the three great stage comedies written by Moss Hart and George Kauffman, two of America's most celebrated comedy playwriting teams. A classic farce which spoofs the arrogance of the self important writer, Sheridan Whiteside, and exposes the hidden foibles of high society including a household member who is a secret axe murderer, it's nicely offset by a light comedy romance between two supporting players. Bette Davis gives one of her better performances as the female romantic lead and is, for a change, neither ascerbic nor bitchy. This is a nice piece of ensemble acting, and a perfect example of American comedy of its period.

This is one of the great film comedies of all time. Monty Woolley is priceless as the uppity celebrity who comes to dinner and stays and stays, causing havoc to a socially upper-crust household. The rest of the cast is superb too. Don't miss this film. It is a gem and a joy.

Robert Osborne of TCM said that Warners intended John Barrymore but the Great Profile was too ill by 1942) for the role of Sheridan Whiteside (whose real life model was columnist & broadcaster Alexander Woolcott. Monty Woolley, who originated the role on Broadway (if one can originate what is a copy of the original) brought his smart performance from stage to screen. Others including Clifton Webb, Orson Welles, Simon Callow, Vincent Price and Nathan Lane have attempted the role with various degrees of success, and no doubt Barrynmore would have been great in the juicy, flamboyant role. Indeed, The Man Who Came to Dinner (MWCD), like all scripts written by George S. Kaufman and his various collaborator (Edna Ferber, Mac Connolly and Moss Hart) offers a great roles for all its actors. The screen cast was excellent, especially Reginald Gardiner who, in the role of Mr Beverly Carlton) captured Noel Coward perfectly. Gardiner and Monty Woolley recreated their roles for TV in 1954 (CBS' Best of Broadway 1954). Surprising to me was that Bette Davis actually underplayed and fit very nicely into the ensemble as the sane counterweight to a bunch of madcap egoists. Ann Sheridan sparkled in the slightly unpleasant role based on Gertrude Lawrence. And when did Billie Burke ever disappoint? Jimmy Durante played Banjo (based on Harpo Marx who, as a bachelor, palled around with the same sophisticated set in real life). Davey Burns created Banjo on Broadway, but Durante worked as a more famous casting choice, though in the 1954 Best of Broadway TV revival of this play, Banjo was played by Bert Lahr, and I preferred Lahr's performance. Although Mary Wickes was perfect as the nurse (she played the role in the Broadway production as well as in the film), Zasu Pitts was even more suited to the nurse ("Miss Bedpan!") role in the telecast, and casting Buster Keaton as the doctor in the TV version was brilliant. Most Kaufman plays, including MWCD, written with various partners (who probably supplied structure), remain playable and funny today. He was a master.