Critic's Choice (play)
Encyclopedia
Critic's Choice is a play written by Ira Levin
.
It opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
on December 14, 1960 and ran for 189 performances, closing on May 27, 1961. Levin's inspiration was then-New York Herald Tribune
drama critic Walter Kerr
and his playwright wife Jean
. Otto Preminger
directed. Oleg Cassini
provided the costumes.
A play in three acts, Critic's Choice tells the story of theater critic Parker Ballantine whose second wife, Angela, writes a play which is produced on Broadway. The play is awful and Parker must decide whether or not to review the play honestly.
Reviewing for The New York Times, Howard Taubman
wrote, "Ira Levin's new comedy, which opened at the Ethel Barrymore last night, is not much of a play." And, "Otto Preminger's staging discloses a seasoned hand, although his pacing often turns languid and his ideas for comedy run thin, like the playwright's."
In 1963, the play was made into a film of the same name
starring Bob Hope
and Lucille Ball
.
Parker is skeptical, but Angela insists and goes off to start typing the play. This gives Parker the idea to write an article for Harper’s called "Don’t Write That Play!", a piece that would discourage amateur playwrights from attempting to have plays produced. As Angela begins work on her play, Parker starts dictating his article into a tape recorder.
Angela completes her play, which she titles “The Gingerbread World”, sends it off to a producer, and meanwhile asks Parker to read it. Parker does and tells Angela that the play is horrendous. Angela becomes angry at Parker, but phones the producer, S.P. Champlain, and finds out that he loves the work and wants to produce it with Dion Kapakos as director.
Kapakos enters, feels the play needs work, and starts some rewrites including changing the title of the play to “A Houseful of Silence”. Later he adds a Greek chorus and ends the play with the suicide of Uncle Ben.
The play has its first run-through which is attended by Parker’s son John. John reports to Parker that the play is the worst thing he’s ever seen and questions his father about whether he would really review the play honestly were it to open in New York. John fears that the situation Parker had with his first wife, Ivy, will repeat itself with Parker writing positive reviews of Ivy’s bad performances. John is concerned that this will end Parker's marriage to Angela.
Parker assures John that, unlike his marriage to Ivy, Parker’s marriage to Angela is a strong one and secure enough to weather an honest review from Parker. Parker explains that were he to lie about Angela’s play, Parker would lose his own self-respect and become angry with Angela and the whole world as a result.
In the next scene Angela is on her way, with Dion, to New Haven and Boston for the out of town try-outs of “A Houseful of Silence”. Angela and Dion find out that Parker intends to review the play in New York. Angela become furious. She storms out of the apartment after accusing Parker of being snide and sarcastic by writing the “Don’t Write that Play” article. In the final scene of Act One, Parker sits down with his tape recorder and begins to erase the entire tape of his article.
The doorbell rings and Ivy London, Parker’s first wife, appears. She has learned, from a phone call to Parker's maid, that Angela is out of town. Angela reports to Parker that she has just come from Boston where she was in the same hotel as Angela and Dion and she believes that the two are having an affair. Ivy also tells Parker that she still love him. Ivy leaves and Charlotte re-enters. Charlotte admits she’s been eavesdropping on the conversation with Ivy, and tells Parker she believe what Ivy has reported: that it is likely that Angela and Dion are having an affair. Charlotte calls Parker naïve for not believing the rumor and warns him that if he gives Angela’s play a bad review that night, he will lose Angela forever.
Angela and Dion return to the apartment before going to the theater for the opening of the show. Once again, Angela begs Parker not to review the play. She reminds Parker that he lied about Ivy’s bad performances six times while Parker was married to Ivy. She tells Parker that Dion loves her. She repeats Parker’s words that during the opening of the play they are not husband and wife, but critic and playwright. She asks whether she should even come home after the play that night.
Parker finally backs down, gives his tickets back to Angela, and says he won’t review the play after all. Angela and Dion leave for the theater and Parker begins to drink heavily. John becomes angry at Parker for going back on his word about reviewing the play and about staying honest to himself. Parker continues to drink, calls Ivy, and invites her to the apartment to give him a backrub.
Charlotte and John return from the opening night party discussing how bad the play was.
Angela and Dion storm in carrying the newspaper reviews. Angela tells Charlotte that Parker reviewed the play after all and now Angela is moving out and going to live with Dion.
Parker, now sober, returns home and enters with Ivy while John is reading Parker’s review, “Opening Night Report”. Angela grabs her suitcase and readies to leave the apartment, but Parker insists that she listen to him. Parker then apologizes for making fun of Angela when she first began to write the play, and for not going to New Haven and Boston to make suggestions to improve it. He tells her that if she did have an affair with Dion in Boston then he, Parker, is to blame for not having traveled there with her. He begs her forgiveness, but goes on to say that “A Houseful of Silence” was an awful play, he was right to give it a bad review, and that Angela should not try to keep Parker from doing his work as a critic. He promises that if Angela writes another play he will help her, and he asks her to stay with him. Angela, charmed, relents. Dion and Ivy leave together. Angela and Parker retreat to the bedroom.
Ira Levin
Ira Levin was an American author, dramatist and songwriter.-Professional life:Levin attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa...
.
It opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 243 West 47th Street in midtown-Manhattan, named for actress Ethel Barrymore....
on December 14, 1960 and ran for 189 performances, closing on May 27, 1961. Levin's inspiration was then-New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
drama critic Walter Kerr
Walter Kerr
For the RN admiral see Lord Walter KerrWalter Francis Kerr was an American writer and Broadway theater critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals.-Biography:...
and his playwright wife Jean
Jean Kerr
Jean Kerr was an American author and playwright born in Scranton, Pennsylvania and best known for her humorous bestseller, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, and the plays King of Hearts and Mary, Mary...
. Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
directed. Oleg Cassini
Oleg Cassini
Oleg Cassini was a French-born American fashion designer noted for being chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy to design her state wardrobe in the 1960s....
provided the costumes.
A play in three acts, Critic's Choice tells the story of theater critic Parker Ballantine whose second wife, Angela, writes a play which is produced on Broadway. The play is awful and Parker must decide whether or not to review the play honestly.
Reviewing for The New York Times, Howard Taubman
Howard Taubman
Hyman Howard Taubman was an American music critic, theater critic, and author.-Biography:Born in Manhattan, Taubman attended DeWitt Clinton High School and then won a four-year scholarship to Cornell University, from which he graduated, as a Phi Beta Kappa member, in 1929.He then returned to New...
wrote, "Ira Levin's new comedy, which opened at the Ethel Barrymore last night, is not much of a play." And, "Otto Preminger's staging discloses a seasoned hand, although his pacing often turns languid and his ideas for comedy run thin, like the playwright's."
In 1963, the play was made into a film of the same name
Critic's Choice (1963 film)
Critic's Choice is a 1963 film comedy directed by Don Weis. Based on the 1960 Broadway play of the same name by Ira Levin, the movie starred Bob Hope and Lucille Ball and included Rip Torn, Marilyn Maxwell, Jim Backus, Marie Windsor and Jerome Cowan in the cast.This was the last of four films that...
starring Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
.
Characters
- Parker Ballantine: a theater critic in his late 30s or early 40s.
- Angela Ballantine: Parker’s second wife; a blonde of twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
- John Ballantine: twelve years old, Parker’s son with his first wife Ivy.
- Dion Kapakos: twenty-nine or thirty, the director of Angela’s new play.
- Essie: the Ballantine’s black maid.
- Charlotte Orr: Angela’s mother.
- Ivy London: Parker’s first wife, Mother of John. In her mid-to-late thirties.
Act one
The action takes place in the Ballantine’s Washington Square duplex apartment in Manhattan. Act One opens on Parker, Angela and John Ballantine at the breakfast table. John reports that the downstairs neighbor, Dr. von Hagedorn, is writing a play. This prompts Angela to announce that she has been thinking about writing a play herself. It would be based on her Uncle Ben who ran a rooming house.Parker is skeptical, but Angela insists and goes off to start typing the play. This gives Parker the idea to write an article for Harper’s called "Don’t Write That Play!", a piece that would discourage amateur playwrights from attempting to have plays produced. As Angela begins work on her play, Parker starts dictating his article into a tape recorder.
Angela completes her play, which she titles “The Gingerbread World”, sends it off to a producer, and meanwhile asks Parker to read it. Parker does and tells Angela that the play is horrendous. Angela becomes angry at Parker, but phones the producer, S.P. Champlain, and finds out that he loves the work and wants to produce it with Dion Kapakos as director.
Kapakos enters, feels the play needs work, and starts some rewrites including changing the title of the play to “A Houseful of Silence”. Later he adds a Greek chorus and ends the play with the suicide of Uncle Ben.
The play has its first run-through which is attended by Parker’s son John. John reports to Parker that the play is the worst thing he’s ever seen and questions his father about whether he would really review the play honestly were it to open in New York. John fears that the situation Parker had with his first wife, Ivy, will repeat itself with Parker writing positive reviews of Ivy’s bad performances. John is concerned that this will end Parker's marriage to Angela.
Parker assures John that, unlike his marriage to Ivy, Parker’s marriage to Angela is a strong one and secure enough to weather an honest review from Parker. Parker explains that were he to lie about Angela’s play, Parker would lose his own self-respect and become angry with Angela and the whole world as a result.
In the next scene Angela is on her way, with Dion, to New Haven and Boston for the out of town try-outs of “A Houseful of Silence”. Angela and Dion find out that Parker intends to review the play in New York. Angela become furious. She storms out of the apartment after accusing Parker of being snide and sarcastic by writing the “Don’t Write that Play” article. In the final scene of Act One, Parker sits down with his tape recorder and begins to erase the entire tape of his article.
Act two
Charlotte, Angela’s mother, has been staying in the apartment to cook for Parker and John while Angela is out of town. Charlotte begs Parker to give the play a positive review for the sake of the marriage.The doorbell rings and Ivy London, Parker’s first wife, appears. She has learned, from a phone call to Parker's maid, that Angela is out of town. Angela reports to Parker that she has just come from Boston where she was in the same hotel as Angela and Dion and she believes that the two are having an affair. Ivy also tells Parker that she still love him. Ivy leaves and Charlotte re-enters. Charlotte admits she’s been eavesdropping on the conversation with Ivy, and tells Parker she believe what Ivy has reported: that it is likely that Angela and Dion are having an affair. Charlotte calls Parker naïve for not believing the rumor and warns him that if he gives Angela’s play a bad review that night, he will lose Angela forever.
Angela and Dion return to the apartment before going to the theater for the opening of the show. Once again, Angela begs Parker not to review the play. She reminds Parker that he lied about Ivy’s bad performances six times while Parker was married to Ivy. She tells Parker that Dion loves her. She repeats Parker’s words that during the opening of the play they are not husband and wife, but critic and playwright. She asks whether she should even come home after the play that night.
Parker finally backs down, gives his tickets back to Angela, and says he won’t review the play after all. Angela and Dion leave for the theater and Parker begins to drink heavily. John becomes angry at Parker for going back on his word about reviewing the play and about staying honest to himself. Parker continues to drink, calls Ivy, and invites her to the apartment to give him a backrub.
Act Three
Ivy is busy making dinner for Parker as he continues to drink. Ivy again proclaims her love to Parker and tells him they will get back together. Parker becomes increasingly drunk and maudlin about not being true to his word about doing his job as a critic regardless of Angela’s connection with the play. Finally, Parker decides he must review the play and he rushes out to catch a cab to the theater. Ivy leaves.Charlotte and John return from the opening night party discussing how bad the play was.
Angela and Dion storm in carrying the newspaper reviews. Angela tells Charlotte that Parker reviewed the play after all and now Angela is moving out and going to live with Dion.
Parker, now sober, returns home and enters with Ivy while John is reading Parker’s review, “Opening Night Report”. Angela grabs her suitcase and readies to leave the apartment, but Parker insists that she listen to him. Parker then apologizes for making fun of Angela when she first began to write the play, and for not going to New Haven and Boston to make suggestions to improve it. He tells her that if she did have an affair with Dion in Boston then he, Parker, is to blame for not having traveled there with her. He begs her forgiveness, but goes on to say that “A Houseful of Silence” was an awful play, he was right to give it a bad review, and that Angela should not try to keep Parker from doing his work as a critic. He promises that if Angela writes another play he will help her, and he asks her to stay with him. Angela, charmed, relents. Dion and Ivy leave together. Angela and Parker retreat to the bedroom.
Excerpt
- Parker: If I contribute something to the play, how can I review it? It’s going to be hard enough to be objective as it is.
- Angela: How can you re—
- Dion: You’re going to review it?
- Parker: Yes, I am. I’ve talked it over with my editor, and myself, and I’m going to.
- Dion: We assumed you would – disqualify yourself.
- Parker: Sorry, I’m a vampire; nothing disqualifies me but a stake through the heart.
- John: Or being caught outside the coffin in direct sunlight.
- Parker: (To Dion, pointing back over his shoulder at John) The world’s leading authority on vampires.
- Angela: But—but that’s not fair! You read the play! You hated it!
- Parker: I’d review it if I loved it. I’ll do my best to be objective.
- Dion: But damn it, she’s your wife!
- Parker: No, she isn’t, not on opening night. (To Angela) You’re a playwright, I’m a critic; let’s both do our jobs as well as we can and shake hands before and after.
Opening Night Cast
- Henry FondaHenry FondaHenry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
as Parker Ballantine - Eddie HodgesEddie HodgesEddie Hodges is a United States former child actor and recording artist who left show business as an adult.-Early life and career:Hodges was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S. Hodges traveled to New York City with his family in 1952...
as John Ballantine - Georgann Johnson as Angela Ballatine
- Murray HamiltonMurray HamiltonMurray Hamilton was an American stage, screen, and television actor who appeared in such memorable films as The Hustler, The Graduate and Jaws.-Early life:...
as Dion Kapakos - Billie Allen as Essie
- Mildred NatwickMildred NatwickMildred Natwick was an American stage and film actress.- Early life :A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born to Joseph and Mildred Marion Dawes Natwick. She graduated from the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore...
as Charlotte Orr - Virginia GilmoreVirginia GilmoreVirginia Gilmore was an American film, stage, and television actress.-Biography:Virginia Gilmore was born as Sherman Virginia Poole in El Monte, California. Her father was a retired officer of the British Army. Gilmore began her stage career in San Francisco at the age of 15, but moved to Los...
as Ivy London