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My Sister Eileen
My Sister Eileen (1940), a comedy by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov. [Biltmore Theatre, 864 perf.] Two Ohio sisters, the acerbic Ruth ( Shirley Booth), who is determined to become a famous writer, and the sweet Eileen ( Jo Ann Sayers), who dreams of becoming an actress, move to New York and take a Greenwich Village basement apartment that is constantly jolted by blasts from subway construction. Although Eileen quickly has dozens of suitors, she cannot find work, and Ruth's attempts to persuade Robert Baker ( William Post Jr.), editor of Manhatter magazine, to publish her work come to naught. Finally Chick Clark ( Bruce MacFarlane), a newspaper reporter, gets Ruth an assignment welcoming a Brazilian naval ship. Ruth invites the sailors home, where a fight ensues, the police arrive, and Eileen punches a policeman. The melee lands Eileen on the front page and also gets her an acting job, and Ruth falls in love with Baker and starts her journalism career. Based on Ruth McKenney's New Yorker stories, the Max Gordon production was hailed by the Post as “the giddiest delight to be seen here‐abouts since You Can't Take It with You.” The comedy served as the basis for the successful musical WONDERFUL TOWN with Fields and Chodorov adapting their own play, Leonard Bernstein composing the music, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green providing the lyrics. Rosalind Russell was Ruth, Edith Adams was Eileen, and George Gaynes was Baker. Notable songs: Ohio; A Quiet Girl; One Hundred Easy Ways; Conga! Robert Fryer produced the show at the Winter Garden Theatre where it ran 559 performances. The musical was revived on Broadway in 2003.
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Cite this article
Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "My Sister Eileen." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "My Sister Eileen." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-MySisterEileen.html Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "My Sister Eileen." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-MySisterEileen.html |
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My Sister Eileen
My Sister Eileen, humorous biography by Ruth McKenney.
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Cite this article
James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "My Sister Eileen." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "My Sister Eileen." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-MySisterEileen.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "My Sister Eileen." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-MySisterEileen.html |
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