Mister Roberts (play)
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| Mister Roberts | |
|---|---|
 Henry Fonda and Robert Burton, 1950 | |
| Original language | English |
| Written by | Thomas Heggen (novel, play) Joshua Logan (play) |
| Characters | Lieutenant Doug Roberts The Captain Doc Ensign Pulver Wiley Gerhart Lieutenant Ann Girard Reber Shore Patrol Officer Stefanowski |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | World War II; aboard the USS Reluctant in the South Pacific |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 18 February 1948 |
| Place | Alvin Theatre |
Mister Roberts is a 1948 play based on the 1946 Thomas Heggen novel of the same name.
Description and background
[edit]The novel began as a collection of short stories about Heggen's US Navy experiences[1] aboard USS Rotanin and USS Virgo in the South Pacific during World War II.[2][3] Broadway producer Leland Hayward acquired the rights for the play and hired Heggen and Joshua Logan for the adaptation.
A book dramatizing the play, co-authored by Heggen and Logan and also titled Mister Roberts, was published by Random House in 1948. The New York Times critic Lewis Nichols praised the work as standing on its own.[4]
Joshua Logan's account of his collaboration with Thomas Heggen in the writing of the play is in Logan's autobiography, Josh: My Up and Down, In and Out Life.[5]
Productions
[edit]Mister Roberts opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on February 18, 1948, starring Henry Fonda,[2] David Wayne, Robert Keith,[6] and Jocelyn Brando, who replaced Eva Marie Saint before the show opened. Logan's brother-in-law, William Harrigan, played the Captain. The original production also featured Harvey Lembeck, Ralph Meeker, Steven Hill, Lee Van Cleef, and Murray Hamilton. Fonda was released from a Hollywood film contract to star in the Broadway production. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. A Chicago production was also running in 1949.[2] The Broadway production ran for 1,157 performances (closing on January 6, 1951). Fonda later reprised his role of Lieutenant Roberts in the 1955 film of the same name.
Tyrone Power starred in the London company. John Forsythe appeared in a national touring production. Many actors began their careers in various productions and touring companies. Fess Parker began his showbusiness career in the play in 1951.
When the play opened in Albany, New York, the local Catholic diocese launched a boycott of the production, claiming: "The dialog is crammed with ribald, lewd and blasphemous language. This type of entertainment, pawned off in the name of realism, should be resented by all right-thinking people."[7]
In 1963, the play was touring with Hugh O'Brian[8] in the main role, with Chris Noel, Will Hutchins, Vincent Gardenia, Tony Mordente, Alan Yorke, Vince O'Brien, Bill Fletcher, and John J. Martin. It was directed by Billy Matthews. It was later back on Broadway.
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Won | |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play | Henry Fonda | Won | ||
| Best Producer | Leland Hayward | Won | ||
| Best Author | Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan | Won | ||
| Best Director | Joshua Logan | Won | ||
| Theatre World Award | Ralph Meeker | Won | ||
References
[edit]- ↑ "History of The Sea Bird or New Bedford". seabirdadventure.com. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "T. O. Heggen, Author, Found Dead in Bath". The New York Times. May 20, 1949.
- ↑ "The Wacky Ship of Mr. Roberts". Sea Classics. USS Virgo. January 1979. Archived from the original on August 21, 2008.
- ↑ "Mr. Roberts; MISTER ROBERTS. By Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan. Foreword by John Mason Brown. 163 pp. New York: Random House. $2.50". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ↑ Logan, Joshua (1976). Josh: My Up and Down, In and Out Life. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 978-0-440-04235-8.
- ↑ "Mister Roberts". playbill.com. 1948. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Albany Diocese Calls for 'Roberts' Boycott; Terms It 'Nasty Affront'". Variety. 181 (3): 43. December 27, 1950.
- ↑ Lisanti, Thomas (2015). Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 402. ISBN 9781476601427. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Mister Roberts at the Internet Broadway Database
- Mister Roberts at the Internet Broadway Database
- 1953 Best Plays radio adaptation of play at Internet Archive