Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole

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Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole
Written by William Goldman
James Goldman
Date premiered5 October 1961
Original languageEnglish
GenreDrama

Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole is a 1961 play by American brothers and playwrights James Goldman and William Goldman near the beginning of their careers. Both had served in the army in the 1950s. The comedy is about a supply sergeant at an army post in the South. [1]

Contents

William Goldman later recalled "we had both been in the army at the same time and it seemed like a decent enough idea and magically we got it on." [2]

Background

Brothers James and William Goldman had been permitted to serve together in the Army in 1955. They were stationed with the 101st Airborne division. [3]

The Goldman brothers had received a grant from the Ford Foundation to observe production of the musical Tenderloin. They also wrote a musical together A Family Affair. William Goldman had written a novel about service in the army, Soldier in the Rain . He denied that there were any other similarities between that and Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole. "The only connection between the two", he said, "is that I was involved in writing both." [1]

Roger Stevens and Joseph Fields optioned the play. [1]

Original production

The original production starred Peter Fonda and Darren McGavin and was directed by Jerome Chodorov. It ran for 84 performances. James Caan appeared in the cast. [4]

The production was budgeted for $100,000 and was brought in at $85,000. The show was launched with "two-for" tickets at certain matinees. [5] [6]

It was the New York stage debut of Peter Fonda, who was selected over 200 other actors. [7] Fonda was originally rejected for the role, the producers saying they wanted someone closer to Robert Morse. However a number of months later he was called back to audition again and was given the part. James Caan was his understudy. [8]

Screen rights were sold to the America Corporation for $125,000, with a ceiling of $125,000. [5] They also invested $45,000 in the production. [9]

Reception

Variety said "There is definite merit to this production. It spouts humorous lines within comical situations, and the dialog and action are in competent hands. The theme is offbeat, replete with both. laugh and human interest potentials. But it’s going to require a bit of blood, sweat and know-how. to meld into hit proportions the many talents on tap." [10]

Howard Taubman of the New York Times did not like the play, saying "the plot is spaced out as mechanically as if it were to run forever on the home screen." [11]

Fonda's performance earned him a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. [12]

The production transferred to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times called it "a routine service comedy." [13]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "STEVENS, FIELDS COMBINE FORCES: PRODUCERS PLANNING 'BLOOD SWEAT AND STANLEY POOLE' – NAPOLEON MUSICAL SET By SAM ZOLOTOW". New York Times. Jan 23, 1961. p. 19.
  2. ↑ Egan p 29
  3. ↑ L. F. (Oct 1, 1961). "NEWS OF THE RIALTO". New York Times. ProQuest   115515288.
  4. ↑ Clifford, Terry (Mar 9, 1975). "If Jimmy Caan had it to do over...". Chicago Tribune. p. g18. Right now, I do feel like a 'star'." His career turnabout came in 1969, with Coppola's 'The Rain People.' Caan calls himself "the only New York Jewish cowboy.
  5. 1 2 S. Z. (Oct 9, 1961). "MOROSCO DEVISES BOX-OFFICE SPUR". New York Times. ProQuest   115433578.
  6. ↑ "Ad Coupons as Sub for Twofers". Variety. 11 October 1961. p. 69.
  7. ↑ S. Z. (May 17, 1961). "MORE U.S. ACTORS PLAN A LATIN TOUR". New York Times. ProQuest   115479005.
  8. ↑ Fonda, Pete (1999). Don't tell dad : a memoir. p. 144,150–153.
  9. ↑ S. Z. (Aug 30, 1961). "FESTIVAL THEATRE CONSIDERS SHIFTS". New York Times. ProQuest   115501724.
  10. ↑ "Blood Sweat and Stanley Poole". Variety. 13 September 1961. p. 13.
  11. ↑ H. T. (Oct 6, 1961). "The theatre: G.I. blues". New York Times. ProQuest   115251997.
  12. ↑ Jamie Diamond, "Peter Fonda Finds a Bit of Henry Within", New York Times, 8 June 1997, accessed 24 November 2012
  13. ↑ Harford, M. (Mar 13, 1962). "Ring's 'stanley poole' routine army farce". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest   168086601.

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