Women Aren't Angels (play)

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Women Aren't Angels is a 1941 play by the British writer Vernon Sylvaine and featured Robertson Hare, Alfred Drayton and Judy Kelly in its original cast. [1]

Vernon Sylvaine (1896–1957) was a British playwright and screenwriter. He is known for writing several popular stage farces. He began working in film in 1937 when his stage hit Aren't Men Beasts! was turned into a film of the same title starring Robertson Hare and Alfred Drayton. Hare and Drayton starred in two further adaptations of his plays A Spot of Bother (1938) and Women Aren't Angels (1943). He adapted his own play for the 1943 comedy-thriller Warn That Man starring Gordon Harker, Basil Radford and Judy Kelly. His 1948 play One Wild Oat was turned into a 1951 film of the same title.

Robertson Hare British actor

John Robertson Hare, OBE was an English actor, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is remembered by modern audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the popular BBC sitcom, All Gas and Gaiters.

Alfred Drayton British actor

Alfred Drayton was a British stage and film actor.

Contents

It ran at the Strand Theatre in London for only 65 performances, considerably shorter than other Sylvaine farces featuring Hare and Drayton during the decade. [2] On Broadway it was known as All Men Are Alike. [3]

Novello Theatre theatre in London

The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster. It was known as the Strand Theatre between 1913 and 2005.

London Capital of the United Kingdom

London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. Londinium was founded by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core − an area of just 1.12 square miles (2.9 km2) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that follow closely its medieval limits. The City of Westminster is also an Inner London borough holding city status. Greater London is governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

Broadway theatre class of professional theater presented in New York City, New York, USA

Broadway theatre, commonly known as Broadway, refers to the theatrical performances presented in the 41 professional theatres, each with 500 or more seats located in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Along with London's West End theatre, Broadway theatre is widely considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world.

Synopsis

The proprietors of a music shop try to conceal the presence of a young woman at one of their homes from their domineering wives. They also become involved in a German espionage plot while serving with the Home Guard.

Home Guard (United Kingdom) 1940-1944 British Army auxiliary defence force

The Home Guard was an armed citizen militia supporting the British Army during the Second World War. Operational from 1940 until 1944, the Home Guard was composed of 1.5 million local volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service, such as those too young or too old to join the regular armed services ; or those in reserved occupations. Excluding those already in the armed services, the civilian police or civil defence, approximately one-in-five of men were volunteers. Their role was to act as a secondary defence force, in case of invasion by the forces of Nazi Germany and their allies.

Film adaptation

In 1943 the play was turned into a film, directed by Lawrence Huntington at Welwyn Studios with both Hare and Drayton reprising their roles. It was noted as being one of the more successful British films at the box office that year. [4]

Lawrence Huntington (1900–1968) was a British film director, screenwriter and producer.

Welwyn Studios was a British film studio located at Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. The facility operated between 1928 and 1950.

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One Wild Oat is a comedy play by the British writer Vernon Sylvaine which premiered in 1948. It's West End run was at the Garrick Theatre with direction by the veteran entertainer Jack Buchanan. It ran for 508 performances from December 1948 to February 1950. The cast originally included Robertson Hare and Alfred Drayton, who had appeared together in several of Sylvaine's farces and their subsequent film adaptations. In 1949, following the death of Drayton, his role was taken over first by Arthur Riscoe and then Hartley Power.

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References

  1. ↑ "Production of Women Aren't Angels - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  2. ↑ Wearing p.39
  3. ↑ Bordman p.205
  4. ↑ Murphy p.238

Bibliography

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