Dinner at Eight (play)

Dinner at Eight
First edition 1932
Written by	George S. Kaufman Edna Ferber
Date premiered	October 22, 1932 (1932-10-22)
Place premiered	Music Box Theatre, New York City

Dinner at Eight is a 1932 American play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. The plot deals with the Jordan family, who are planning a society dinner, and what they, as well as various friends and acquaintances—all of whom have their own problems and ambitions‚ do as they prepare for the event. The film adaptation Dinner at Eight followed and Mentone Productions released the spoof Supper at Six. Several revivals, a made-for-TV movie, and an opera followed.

Dinner at Eight, a three act Broadway play, opened October 22, 1932, at the Music Box Theatre, and closed May 6, 1933, after 232 performances. The play was produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by George S. Kaufman; Assistant Director: Robert B. Sinclair. To date the original 1932 Broadway production of Dinner at Eight has had the longest run with 232 performances vs. the 1933, 1966 and 2002 revivals with 218, 127 and 45 performances, respectively.

Main cast:

• Ann Andrews as Millicent Jordan
• Marguerite Churchill as Paula Jordan
• Constance Collier as Carlotta Vance
• Malcolm Duncan as Oliver Jordan
• Austin Fairman as Dr J. Wayne Talbot
• Cesar Romero as Ricci
• Paul Harvey as Dan Packard
• Sam Levene as Max Kane
• Conway Tearle as Larry Renault
• Judith Wood as Kitty Packard
• Olive Wyndham as Lucy Talbot

The original West End production of Dinner at Eight opened at the Palace Theatre on January 6, 1933, and ran for 218 performances, directed by Kaufman and produced by Charles B. Cochran. Incidental music was composed by Hyam Greenbaum. The sets were designed by Livingston Platt.^[1]

Main cast:

• Irene Vanbrugh as Millicent Jordan
• Jane Baxter as Dora
• Ivan Brandt as Gustave
• Tristan Rawson as Oliver Jordan
• Margaret Vines as Paula Jordon
• Leslie Perrins as Ricci
• Mabel Terry-Lewis as Hattie Loomis
• Edie Martin as Miss Copeland
• Laura Cowie as Carlotta Vance
• Lyn Harding as Dan Packard
• Carol Goodner as Kitty Packard
• Marjorie Gabain as Tina
• Martin Lewis as Dr J. Wayne Talbot
• Basil Sydney as Larry Renault
• Susan Richmond as Miss Alden
• Juliet Mansel as Lucy Talbot
• Dora Gregory as Mrs Wendel

The revival opened on Broadway on September 27, 1966, at the Alvin Theatre and closed on January 14, 1967, after 127 performances.^[2]

Produced by Elliot Martin, Lester Osterman, Jr., Alan King and Walter A. Hyman, Ltd. The play was directed by Tyrone Guthrie.

Main cast^[2]

• Judith Barcroft as Paula Jordan
• Robert Burr as Dan Packard
• Mindy Carson as Lucy Talbot
• Arlene Francis as Carlotta Vance
• June Havoc as Millicent Jordan
• Phil Leeds as Max Kane
• Jeffrey Lynn as Dr J. Wayne Talbot
• Darren McGavin as Larry Renault
• Walter Pidgeon as Oliver Jordan
• Pamela Tiffin as Kitty Packard

The revival opened on Broadway on December 19, 2002, and closed on January 26, 2003, after 45 performances and 28 previews. Produced by Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop: Artistic Director; Bernard Gersten: Executive Producer. Directed by Gerald Gutierrez.^[3]

Main cast

^[3]

• Joanne Camp as Lucy Talbot
• Kevin Conway as Dan Packard
• John Dossett as Dr. J. Wayne Talbot
• Christine Ebersole as Millicent Jordan
• Joe Grifasi as Max Kane
• Byron Jennings as Larry Renault
• James Rebhorn as Oliver Jordan
• Marian Seldes as Carlotta Vance
• Emily Skinner as Kitty Packard
• Samantha Soule as Paula Jordan
• David Wohl as Mr. Fitch

The play received 2003 Tony Award nominations for Best Revival of a Play, Best Featured Actress in a Play (Ebersole and Seldes), Best Scenic Design (John Lee Beatty), and Best Costume Design (Catherine Zuber).^[4]

Adaptations of the play include:

• Dinner at Eight, a 1933 film directed by George Cukor
• "Dinner at Eight", a June 1, 1955, episode of Front Row Center on CBS television.^[5]
• Dinner at Eight, a 1989 made-for-TV film directed by Ron Lagomarsino
• Dinner at Eight, a 2017 opera by William Bolcom

• ​Dinner at Eight​ at the Internet Broadway Database

• v
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Edna Ferber

Plays

• Our Mrs. McChesney (1915)
• $1200 a Year: A Comedy in Three Acts (1920)
• Minick: A Play (1924)
• The Royal Family (1927)
• Dinner at Eight (1932)
• Stage Door (1936)
• The Land Is Bright (1941)

Novels

• Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed (1911)
• Personality Plus (1914)
• Fanny Herself (1917)
• The Girls (1921)
• Gigolo (1922)
• So Big (1924)
• Show Boat (1926)
• Cimarron (1929)
• American Beauty (1931)
• Come and Get It (1935)
• Saratoga Trunk (1941)
• Great Son (1945)
• Giant (1952)
• Ice Palace (1958)

Other works

• "Old Man Minick" (1922 short story)
• A Peculiar Treasure (1939 autobiography)

Adaptations

"Old Man Minick"	Minick (1924 play) Welcome Home (1925 film) The Expert (1932 film) No Place to Go (1939 film)
Gigolo	Gigolo (1926 film)
So Big	So Big (1924 film) So Big (1932 film) So Big (1953 film)
Show Boat	Show Boat (1927 musical) Show Boat (1929 film) Show Boat (1936 film) Show Boat (1951 film)
The Royal Family	The Royal Family of Broadway (1930 musical)
Cimarron	Cimarron (1931 film) Cimarron (1960 film)
Dinner at Eight	Dinner at Eight (1933 film)
Stage Door	Stage Door (1937)
Come and Get It	Come and Get It (1936 film)
Saratoga Trunk	Saratoga Trunk (1945 film) Saratoga (1959 musical)
Giant	Giant (1956 film) Giant (2009 musical)

Family

• Janet Fox (niece)