''They Knew What They Wanted'' is a 1924 play written by

Sidney Howard Sidney Coe Howard (June 26, 1891 – August 23, 1939) was an American playwright, dramatist and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1925 and a posthumous Academy Award in 1940 for the screenplay for ''Gone with the Wind''. ...

. The play premiered 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 1924 and had three Broadway revivals, as well as a London production.

Overview

''They Knew What They Wanted'' tells the story of Tony, an aging Italian winegrower in the

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...

, who proposes by letter to Amy, a

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

waitress who waited on him once. Fearing that she will find him too old and ugly, Tony sends her a photograph of Joe, his young hired hand, instead of himself. When Amy comes to the vineyard she discovers Tony has lied to her and problems ensue between Tony, Amy, and Joe.

Productions

The play premiered on

at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ' ...

on November 24, 1924, and closed in October 1925, after 192 performances."'They Knew What They Wanted' Broadway 1924"
ibdb.com, accessed December 21, 2015 The original Broadway cast included Richard Bennett as Tony, Pauline Lord as Amy, and

Glenn Anders Glenn Anders (September 1, 1889 – October 26, 1981) was an American actor, most notable for his work on the stage. Early life Glenn Anders was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of a Swedish immigrant father. He attended the Wallac ...

as Joe. The play was directed by Phillip Moeller. ''They Knew What They Wanted'' has been performed subsequently numerous times, including three Broadway revivals. The play was revived on Broadway at the Empire Theatre from October 2, 1939 to October 21, 1939, staged by Robert Ross and featuring Giuseppe Sterni as Tony, June Walker as Amy, and

Douglass Montgomery Robert Douglass Montgomery (also credited as Kent Douglass; October 29, 1909 – July 23, 1966) was an American film actor. Early years The son of Chester Montgomery, a jeweler, Montgomery graduated from Los Angeles High School. Career ...

as Joe. Lemuel Ayers designed the costumes for this production. A revival ran on Broadway at the

Music Box Theatre The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, the Music Box Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane in a Palladian-inspir ...

from February 16, 1949 to April 9, 1949. Directed by Robert Perry, the cast starred

Paul Muni Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...

(Tony), Carol Stone (Amy) and Edward Andrews (Joe). The Phoenix Theatre presented a critically acclaimed Broadway revival at the

Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

, from January 27, 1976, to March 6, 1976. Directed by Stephen Porter, the cast starred

Barry Bostwick Barry Knapp Bostwick (born February 24, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Brad Majors in the musical comedy horror film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975) and Mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom ''Spin City'' (199 ...

(Joe),

Lois Nettleton Lois June Nettleton (August 16, 1927 – January 18, 2008) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actress. She received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Early life Lois Nettleton was born on Aug ...

(Amy), and

Louis Zorich Louis Zorich (February 12, 1924 – January 30, 2018) was an American actor. He played sporting good salesman Burt Buchman, Paul Buchman's father, on the NBC series ''Mad About You'' from 1993 to 1999. Early years Zorich was born in Chicago, ...

(Tony). The 1926 London adaptation at St. Martin's Theatre included Sam Livesey as Tony,

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...

as Amy, and

reprising his role as Joe. The play was also adapted in 1956 into a popular Broadway

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

, '' The Most Happy Fella'', by

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

, who wrote the book, music, and lyrics.

Film

Early film versions of the play include '' The Secret Hour'' (1928) starring

Jean Hersholt Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt, was a Danish-American actor. He is best known for starring on the radio series '' Dr. Christian'' (1937–1954) and in the film '' Heidi'' (1937).Obitu ...

and '' A Lady to Love'' (1930) starring

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...

. A film of '' They Knew What They Wanted'' was made in 1940 by director Garson Kanin.

Awards and nominations

The play was awarded the 1925

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

. The Pulitzer committee noted: "We have chosen it positively, because we believe that it would stand out in any season, as one of the best plays ever written by an American author. ''They Knew What They Wanted'' treats a difficult and delicate theme with rare human insight and even rarer philosophical profundity." The 1976 Broadway revival received nominations:"'They Knew What They Wanted' 1976"
playbillvault.com, accessed December 21, 2015 *Tony Award, Featured Actor in a Play (Barry Bostwick) *Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Play (Lois Nettleton) *Drama Desk, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Louis Zorich) *Drama Desk, Outstanding Actress in a Play (Lois Nettleton) *Drama Desk, Outstanding Costume Design ( Albert Wolsky) *Drama Desk, Outstanding Director of a Play (Stephen Porter) *Drama Desk, Outstanding Lighting Design (James Tilton) *Drama Desk, Outstanding Revival *Drama Desk, Outstanding Set Design (James Tilton)

References

External links

*The full text of
They Knew What They Wanted
' at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

''They Knew What They Wanted'' Internet Broadway database1946 ''Theatre Guild on the Air'' radio adaptation of play
at

{{Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1918-1925 1924 plays Plays by Sidney Howard Plays set in California American plays adapted into films Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning works