By Michael Buckley
02 Jul 2007

Not included in the documentary, because rights were not made available, are stills from the 1969 Broadway revival of Our Town. But Harvey Evans, who played George, has fond memories of the production, which featured a stellar cast that included Henry Fonda (Stage Manager), Elizabeth Hartman (Emily), Ed Begley and Mildred Natwick (George's parents), John Randolph and Irene Tedrow (Emily's folks), John Beal (Simon Stimson), John Fiedler (Professor Willard) and Margaret Hamilton (Mrs. Soames).

Recalls Evans, "Henry Fonda was incredible! He was such a minimalist actor that you never saw him act. After Broadway, we went to California. He directed that. He brought me down [in performance] about a third. I was thrilled!"

Fonda, notes Evans, "was semi-cold, but always kind. He would always say hello. He was happy with the company, because a couple of the actors — Ed Begley, John Fiedler — had been in '12 Angry Men' with him."

Playing Emily, opposite Evans, was Elizabeth Hartman (a 1965 Oscar nominee for "A Patch of Blue") in her only Broadway appearance. Says Evans, "She was very neurotic." The actress (1942-87) later committed suicide.

Evans' favorite role, to date, was Albin/Zaza in La Cage aux Folles, in which he co-starred (on tour) with Larry Kert. "We had been friends since West Side Story."

July 7, Evans sets sail on Rosie O'Donnell's annual cruise, on which he'll play Daddy Warbucks in Annie, with O'Donnell as Miss Hannigan and Andrea McArdle recreating her title role. (The orphans are played by adults.)

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Among those present at a screening of the documentary that I attended was Eli Wallach, the nonagenarian actor who's still sharp as a tack. During a Q&A, he expressed his opinion of "American Idol" ("a disgrace!"), and felt that "Character Studies" was "refreshing for young people to see." When Maggie Lacey joined the session, there was no chair for her, and Wallach jokingly suggested that she "sit on my lap!"

Wallach later shared a Billy Wilder story with me. Near the end of his life, Wilder was about to be interviewed by a neophyte reporter, who had not prepared. Began the interviewer, "What are some of your major accomplishments?" Smiling, Wilder replied, "You first."

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On Sept. 20, San Diego's Old Globe Theatre welcomes a new Broadway-bound musical, A Catered Affair, with book by Harvey Fierstein, a John Bucchino score, and John Doyle directing. The cast includes Faith Prince, Tom Wopat, Leslie Kritzer and Fierstein. It's based on a 1955 Paddy Chayefsky teleplay that starred Thelma Ritter, Pat Henning, Kathleen Maguire, and J. Pat O'Malley, and its 1956 film version, with Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine, Debbie Reynolds and Barry Fitzgerald.

In 1953, Chayefsky (1923-81) wrote "Marty" for television. It starred Rod Steiger as a Bronx butcher and Nancy Marchand as the girl in whom he becomes interested. It proved so popular that a movie version was made, co-starring Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair. Chayefsky wrote the screenplay, and won an Oscar. "Marty" also won Best Picture of 1955, Director (Delbert Mann) and Best Actor (Borgnine).

"The Catered Affair" (NBC, May 22, 1955) proved to be Chayefsky's last teleplay. It told the story of a Bronx mother, Aggie Hurley, who wants her daughter to have a big wedding. The girl wants a quiet ceremony, as does her cab-driver father, who would rather use the money required for a fancy reception to buy his own taxi. The Hurleys share an apartment with Aggie's brother (which will be Fierstein's role).

Thelma Ritter received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal. Those unfamiliar with the brilliant character actress (1905-69) — and who are interested in good acting — should rent her movies. She received six Oscar nominations: 1950, as Bette Davis' outspoken dresser in "All About Eve"; 1951, as the groom's mother in "The Mating Season"; 1952, as a nurse for injured singer Jane Froman (Susan Hayward) in "With a Song in My Heart"; 1953, as a peddler in "Pickup on South Street"; 1959, as Doris Day's tipsy maid in "Pillow Talk"; and 1962, as Burt Lancaster's mother in "The Birdman of Alcatraz."

She and co-star Gwen Verdon tied for the 1958 Best Actress Tony for New Girl in Town. Chayefsky had long been a Ritter fan, having written the story for the 1951 movie "As Young as You Feel," in which Ritter appeared and Marilyn Monroe had a small role. Monroe later promised to star in the film version of Chayefsky's "Middle of the Night," but changed her mind. (Kim Novak played the role.) Chayefsky used Monroe as the prototype for his 1958 film "The Goddess," which starred Kim Stanley.

Bette Davis starred in the 1956 movie of "The Catered Affair," which she considered "one of my proudest efforts" (according to "Mother Goddam," the book she co-authored with Whitney Stine). Debbie Reynolds, who co-starred as her daughter, had appeared in a small role in 1948's "June Bride," which starred Davis and Robert Montgomery.

Ads for the film touted the new Oscar winner Borgnine and that the film was a reunion for the actor and Chayefsky (whose teleplay was adapted by Gore Vidal). According to Davis, the picture was not properly promoted by MGM. Richard Brooks directed. Not a box-office success in the U.S., the film fared better in England, where it was called "Wedding Breakfast."

Let's hope that the "Catered Affair" musical (note that it's going to be called A Catered Affair rather than "The") has more success than the Rupert Holmes-Charles Strouse-Lee Adams musical version of Chayefsky's "Marty," which has not yet resurfaced since it had a Boston production (starring John C. Reilly) a few years ago.