The topical references in Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's 1939 comedy inevitably date the play, as does its contrived three-act construction. But under Jerry Zaks' spirited direction, this 2000 remounting by New York's Roundabout Theater Company exudes a charmingly old-fashioned zaniness. The sparkplug of the production is Nathan Lane, whose oversized personality makes for a splendid Sheridan Whiteside, the acerbic radio celebrity whose enforced convalescence in a Midwestern home turns the conservative household upside-down. Lane relishes every nasty remark and grimace, and if he doesn't quite match the lip-smacking snarl that Monty Woolley offered in the 1942 film version, his Broadway brashness works almost as well. Harriet Harris is delightful as Whiteside's long-suffering secretary Maggie (a role expanded for Bette Davis on the screen), and most of the large supporting cast rips into their broadly-drawn characters zestfully, though second-billed Jean Smart struggles as the temperamental actress who tries to break up Maggie's romance with a local newspaperman. The live taping for PBS broadcast retains the stilted between-acts commentary by Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson, but the play's the thing, and it's still pretty funny. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Man Who Came to Dinner
(2000) 166 min. VHS: $29.98, DVD: $24.99. Image Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 18, Issue 4
The Man Who Came to Dinner
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