The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942 film)
| The Man Who Came to Dinner | |
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theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | William Keighley |
| Produced by | Jerry Wald |
| Screenplay by |
Julius J. Epstein Philip G. Epstein |
| Based on |
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939 play) by Moss Hart George S. Kaufman |
| Starring |
Bette Davis Ann Sheridan Monty Woolley |
| Music by | Friedrich Hollaender |
| Cinematography | Tony Gaudio |
| Edited by | Jack Killifer |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2 million (US rentals) |
The Man Who Came to Dinner is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Keighley, and starring Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan and Monty Woolley as the title character. The screenplay by Julius and Philip G. Epstein is based on the 1939 play of the same title by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. The supporting cast features Jimmy Durante and Billie Burke.
During a cross-country lecture tour, notoriously-acerbic New York radio personality Sheridan Whiteside (Monty Woolley) slips on the icy steps of the house of the Stanleys (Grant Mitchell and Billie Burke), a prominent Ohio family, and insists on recuperating in their home during the Christmas holidays. The overbearing, self-centered celebrity soon comes to dominate the lives of the residents and everyone else who enters the household. He encourages young adults Richard (Russell Arms) and June (Elisabeth Fraser) Stanley to pursue their dreams, much to the dismay of their conventional father Ernest.
Meanwhile, Whiteside's spinster assistant Maggie Cutler (Bette Davis) finds herself attracted to local newspaperman Bert Jefferson (Richard Travis). When she reads Bert's play, she is so impressed she asks Whiteside to show it to his contacts and then announces she will quit his employment and marry Bert. However, her boss is loath to lose such an efficient aide and does his best to sabotage the blossoming romance. He also exaggerates the effects of his injuries to be able to stay in the house. He suggests actress Lorraine Sheldon (Ann Sheridan) would be perfect for one of the leading roles, intending to have her steal Bert away from Maggie. Lorraine convinces Bert to spend time with her to fix up the play. When Maggie realizes Whiteside is behind the underhanded scheme, she quits. Somewhat chastened, Whiteside concocts a plan to get Lorraine out of the way, with the help of his friend Banjo (Jimmy Durante). They trap Lorraine in an Egyptian sarcophagus, and Banjo ships her off to Nova Scotia.
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