''Over 21'' is a play written by actress
Ruth Gordon
Ruth Gordon Jones (October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) was an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright. She began her career performing on Broadway at age 19. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, Gordon gained internati ...
. This comedy ran 221 performances on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in 1944, with Gordon in the starring role. This fast-paced comedy is set near
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
in 1943, where Max, a 39-year-old newspaper editor, is sweating out
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
training in competition with much younger recruits. Against his wishes, his novelist wife, Paula (played by Gordon in the original run), has joined him in Florida to encourage him and cheer him on. Max's old publisher, Robert Drexel Gow, visits to entice him to quit the service and return to work.
A movie version of the production was released in 1945 (''
Over 21
''Over 21'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Irene Dunne, Alexander Knox and Charles Coburn.
Plot
At the New York Bulletin newspaper, its owner, Robert Drexel Gow ( Charles Coburn), receives a teletype s ...
''). According to Turner Classic Movies, the story was loosely drawn from Gordon's own experiences, and has insightful things to say about men's and women's roles in society at that time.
[http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/182357, 0/Over-21.html ]
References
{{Reflist
1944 plays