My Sister Eileen

[ken123]

They don't make comedies like that anymore.

[jdb1]

They don't make comedies like that anymore.

You know, Ken, I got tired of this movie after a while. I turned it off at the introduction of the Portuguese sailors following Roz home from
Brooklyn.

Although I thought the dialog was quite funny, I felt something was not quite right -- maybe it was the pacing. I would guess that the play was a whole lot funnier on Broadway. Roz was great, as usual.

[mrsl]

This is another one that surprised me. When I saw the movie name in the schedule list, I thought I had missed something where Roz played a landlord or something. I thought the Janey Leigh/Betty Garret version was the original.

Anne

[jdb1]

This is another one that surprised me. When I saw the movie name in the schedule list, I thought I had missed something where Roz played a landlord or something. I thought the Janey Leigh/Betty Garret version was the original.

Anne

That was the muscial version of 1955, wasn't it? Bob Fosse was in that one as Frank Lippincott.

I looked up the stage version, and I learned that Ruth was played by Shirley Booth. Booth was not a name in Hollywood at the time of the earlier screen version - it would have been interesting to see her in the part. I thought Russell was terrific, as usual, but far too glamorous and, frankly, a lot more attractive than Janet Blair as Eileen.

Yesterday, I was explaining to my daughter how there were many snide remarks made in the first film version about the football player Wreck wearing shorts around the house. I well remember that whenever British soldiers in tropical places were shown in films and newsreels it always elicted derisive snickers from American viewers. In the Olden Days, American men simply did not wear shorts in public. And can you imagine the days of the first version when professional football was considered a waste of a grown man's time?

[Moraldo Rubini]

I saw Wonderful Town on Broadways a couple of years ago. This is the musical version of My Sister Eileen with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Comden & Green. Donna Murphy and Jennifer Westfeldt were swell in it. It was then that I learned of the real Eileen. In real life Eileen moved from New York to Hollywood and became Walt Disney's personal secretary. She became very ill and died quite young in Los Angeles.

There was also a television series of Ruth McKenney's story, starring Elaine Stritch as Ruth. Stubby Kaye and Rose Marie were also regulars in it.

[jdb1]

I saw Wonderful Town on Broadways a couple of years ago. This is the musical version of My Sister Eileen with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Comden & Green. Donna Murphy and Jennifer Westfeldt were swell in it. It was then that I learned of the real Eileen. In real life Eileen moved from New York to Hollywood and became Walt Disney's personal secretary. She became very ill and died quite young in Los Angeles.

There was also a television series of Ruth McKenney's story, starring Elaine Stritch as Ruth. Stubby Kaye and Rose Marie were also regulars in it.

Oh, Marco, I had tickets for "Wonderful Town," and was sick and couldn't see it (no refunds or exchanges for Bway shows, as you well know). I'm glad to hear that it was good, though.

I very vaguely remember the TV "Eileen." I don't think it lasted very long. I do remember reading the "Eileen" short stories, collected in a book -- I believe they appeared in The New Yorker magazine originally. I don't remember much of them, except for Ruth's description of a show that she and Eileen, as young girls, put on for the family one holiday -- Ruth was in a Socialist/Expressionist phase then. Eileen did interpretive dance, while Ruth chanted "Hungah! Hungah! Hungah! (for hunger - a tribute to the starving masses).