Gentlemen of the Press
Written byWard Morehouse
Date premieredAugust 27, 1928 (1928-08-27)
Place premieredHenry Miller's Theatre
Original languageEnglish
SubjectJournalism
GenreComedy

Gentlemen of the Press is a three-act play written by Ward Morehouse. Producers Thomas E. Jackson and H. S. Kraft opened it on Broadway at Henry Miller's Theatre on August 27, 1928. George Abbott directed the production, which ran for 128 performances.[1][2]

The play is a comedy about Wick Snell, a journalist who decides to take a job as a publicist for a real estate firm. After a dispute with his new boss, Snell goes back to journalism.

Morehouse was a journalist who had worked for several different newspapers. The main character in Gentlemen of the Press was inspired by one of his co-workers who frequently complained about the difficulties of working in journalism.[3]

Cast and characters

The characters and opening night cast from the Broadway production are given below:[4]

Opening night cast
Character Broadway cast
Wick Snell John Cromwell
Charlie Haven Hugh O'Connell
Myra May Helen Flint
Braddock Granville Bates
Ted Hanley Paul Clare
Sweezer Elmer Cornell
Riggs Harry Cronk
Bellflower Russel Crouse
Ollie Wilkins J. Hammond Dailey
Haley Harold Grau
Western Union Messenger Louis Halprin
Night Porter A. O. Huhn
Second Waiter George Humbert
Pansy True Carlotta Irwin
Dorothy Snell Betty Lancaster
Cutler Lawrence Leslie
Alonzo Harry Levian
First Waiter Thomas A. Linker
McBee Millard Mitchell
Britt Allan Nagle
Pop Blalock John Paschall
Kelly William Pawley
Abner Pennyfather Duncan Penwarden
McManahan Francis Pierlot
Copy Boy Billy Quinn
Vickery George Spelvin, Jr.
Kenner J. H. Stoddart
Fitzgerald Cornelius Vezin
Branch Philip Wood

Adaptations

Paramount Pictures adapted the play as a film of the same name in 1929, directed by Millard Webb. Walter Huston starred as Snell.

References

  1. Hischak, Thomas S. (2009). Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows through 2007. McFarland. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-7864-5309-2.
  2. Bordman, Gerald (1995). American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1914–1930. Oxford University Press. pp. 357–358. ISBN 978-0-19-509078-9.
  3. Kear, Lynn; Rossman, John (2008). The Complete Kay Francis Career Record: All Film, Stage, Radio and Television Appearances. McFarland. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-7864-3198-4.
  4. "Gentlemen of the Press". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
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