The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

When acerbic critic Sheridan Whiteside slips on the front steps of a provincial Ohio businessman's home and breaks his hip, he and his entourage take over the house indefinitely.

Director:

William Keighley

Writers:

Julius J. Epstein (screen play), Philip G. Epstein (screen play),

Stars:

Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Maggie Cutler
Ann Sheridan	...	Lorraine Sheldon
Monty Woolley	...	Sheridan Whiteside
Richard Travis	...	Bert Jefferson
Jimmy Durante	...	Banjo
Billie Burke	...	Mrs. Ernest Stanley
Reginald Gardiner	...	Beverly Carlton
Elisabeth Fraser	...	June Stanley
Grant Mitchell	...	Mr. Ernest Stanley
George Barbier	...	Dr. Bradley
Mary Wickes	...	Miss Preen
Russell Arms	...	Richard Stanley
Ruth Vivian	...	Harriet
Edwin Stanley	...	John
Betty Roadman	...	Sarah

Storyline

Lecturer Sheridan Whiteside slips on the ice on his way into the home of a prominent Ohio family. The Dr. says Whiteside must remain confined having broken his leg. He begins to meddle with the lives of everyone in the household and, once his plots are underway, learns there is nothing wrong with his leg. He bribes the doctor. The owner discovers the fraud, but Whiteside blackmails him (he finds out that the owner's sister is an axe murderer) and resumes control.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor | critic | radio | lecturer | newspaper | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

El hombre que vino a cenar

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, authors of the play from which this film was adapted, were good friends with Alexander Woollcott, a famous critic, radio personality, and lecturer at the time. Woollcott requested that they write a play FOR him, but they never came up with a plot. One day Woollcott came to visit Hart unexpectedly and turned his house upside down, taking over the master bedroom, ordering Hart's staff around and making a general nuisance of himself. When Moss Hart told George S. Kaufman of the visit, he asked, "Imagine what would have happened if he broken his leg and had to stay?" They looked at each other and knew they had a play.

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Goofs

On Christmas morning, Whiteside goes into the kitchen to talk to John and Sarah. When he goes back to the living room a few minutes later, he has a completely different tie on.

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Quotes

Sheridan Whiteside: Banjo, my lad, you're wonderful. I may write a book about you.
Banjo: Don't bother, I can't read!

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Connections

Featured in My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)

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Soundtracks

"Silent Night, Holy Night"
(1818) (uncredited)
Music by Franz Gruber
Lyrics by Joseph Mohr
Sung by a boys' choir

User Reviews

Successful transition from stage to screen

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!