Room Service (play)

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File:Room-Service-Alcazar.jpg production of Room Service in San Francisco (1938)]]

Room Service is a farce written by Allen Boretz and John Murray. It was originally produced by George Abbott and debuted at the Cort Theatre in New York City on May 19, 1937. Its initial production ran for 500 performances, closing on July 16, 1938.[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/room-service-12226 "Room Service" (1937)] at the Internet Broadway Database The play, starring Jack Lemmon in the role of Leo Davis, was revived on Broadway for a short run of 16 performances in 1953.

RKO Pictures purchased the film rights for a then-record $225,000 and used it as the basis for the film of the same title as a vehicle for the Marx Brothers.{{Cite book | last = Mitchell | first = Glenn | title = The Marx Brothers Encyclopedia | publisher = Reynolds & Hearn | year = 2003 | location = London | pages = 247–248 | isbn = 1-905287-11-9}} In 1944, RKO released a musical film adaptation entitled Step Lively starring Frank Sinatra.

The original 1937 Broadway production starred Sam Levene as Gordon Miller, Eddie Albert as Leo Davis and Phillip Loeb as Harry Binion.[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/room-service-2227#OpeningNightCast "Room Service" (1953)] at the Internet Broadway Database

Original 1937–38 Broadway cast

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colwidth="50%"|Character

!colwidth="50%"|Actor

Leo Davis

|Eddie Albert

Sasha Smirnoff

|Alexander Asro*

Timothy Hogarth

|Jack Byrne

Joseph Gribble

|Clifford Dunstan*

Hilda Manney

|Betty Field

Faker Englund

|Teddy Hart

Senator Blake's Secretary

|William Howard

Gordon Miller

|Sam Levene

Harry Binion

|Philip Loeb

Gregory Wagner

|Donald MacBride*

Bank Messenger

|William Mendrek

Senator Blake

|Ralph Morehouse

Christine Marlowe

|Margaret Mullen

Dr. Glass

|Hans Robert

Simon Jenkins

|Philip Wood*

  • Reprised the role in the film adaptation.

References

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