THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (Warner Bros., 1942). Directed by William Keighley. Screenplay by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, from the play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. With Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley, Richard Travis, Jimmy Durante, Billie Burke. (112 min, black & white, 35mm, preserved by the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center from original picture & track negatives in the United Artists Collection)
An obnoxious radio broadcaster injures his hip while visiting a small Midwestern town and is forced to stay with a local family. A classic of American screwball comedy, the film was based on a popular stage play which had been conceived with acerbic New York critic and radio host Alexander Woollcott serving as the model for the title character, played on both stage and screen by Monty Woolley. Initial reservations about adapting what is essentially a chamber conversation piece into a motion picture were quickly dispelled when the film opened to glowing reviews and healthy box office returns. Screenwriters Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein, who a year later wrote “Casablanca,” stayed close to the original, preserving the play’s biting wit and even replicating its structure with fadeouts clearly marking the three acts. The Daily Boston Globe called it “one of the gayest, best acted and most thoroughly enjoyable comedies of the last few years,” while The Sun opined that “incredible as it may seem, the screen version […] is better than the stage comedy upon which it is based.”
Seating is on a first-come first-serve basis. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
07:00 pm – 09:00 pm EDT
James Madison Building – Pickford Theater (LM302)
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540