''June Moon'' is a play by George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner. Based on the Lardner short story "Some Like Them Cold," about a love affair that loses steam before it ever gets started, it includes songs with words and music by Lardner but is not considered a musical.

Synopsis

At the center of ''June Moon'' is Fred Stevens, a young aspiring lyricist who journeys from Schenectady to New York City, where he hopes to make a name for himself in the world of song publishing and night clubs. On the train, he meets dental assistant Edna Baker, and the two embark upon a friendship that evolves into love for her and fondness for him. While struggling to become a

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally ...

notable, Fred takes a shine to his composer partner Paul's glamorous, gold-digging sister-in-law Eileen. The two men sell a song to a music publisher and it develops into a hit. Ultimately, revelations about Eileen's true character help return Fred to his senses and Edna, whom he realizes he truly loves.

Productions

The original Broadway production opened at the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1917, the thea ...

on October 9, 1929, and ran for 273 performances. It was directed by Kaufman, and the cast included

Norman Foster Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank (born 1 June 1935) is an English architect. Closely associated with the development of high-tech architecture, Lord Foster is recognised as a key figure in British modernist architecture. Hi ...

as Fred,

Linda Watkins Linda Mathews Watkins (May 23, 1908 – October 31, 1976) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actress. Early life Born in Boston, Massachusetts, as Linda Mathews Watkins, the daughter of Gardiner and Elizabeth R. (née Mathe ...

as Edna, Frank Otto as Paul, and Lee Patrick as Eileen. A preview production was presented at the Belasco Theatre in Washington, D.C., on September 23, 1929.

Revivals

Milano Tilden and Carl Hunt directed a revival that opened at the Ambassador Theatre on May 15, 1933, and ran for 49 performances. The cast included Thomas Gillen as Fred, Emily Lowry as Edna, Fred Irving Lewis as Paul, and Lee Patrick reprising the role of Eileen. Mark Nelson directed an

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

revival that had a short run at the Ohio Theater in January 1997. Writing in the ''New York Times'',

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher, and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 t ...

observed "There is indeed a discernible streak of anxiety in the comedy. It may have been written as fluff, but it's flavored with a subliminal sadness that belies its own happy ending." The production won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play. Actor Albert Macklin, who portrayed sardonic accompanyist Maxie, received a Best Actor Obie Award. On January 15, 1998, it reopened at the Variety Arts Theatre and ran for 101 performances. The cast included Geoffrey Nauffts as Fred, Robert Joy as Paul, and

Cynthia Nixon Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supportin ...

as Eileen. Albert Macklin reprised his Obie-winning role as Maxie. Other notable actors in the cast included Billy Crudup, Hope Davis, Peter Frechette, K. Todd Freeman, Peter Gallagher, Justin Kirk,

John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film), Hedwig and t ...

Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...

, Mary Beth Peil, and J. Smith-Cameron. A production was performed at UC San Diego from February 24 to March 3, 2012, directed by Jonathan Silverstein and featuring Jack Mikesell as Fred and Vi Flaten as Edna. Jessica Stone directed a Williamstown Theatre Festival production in July 2014.

Adaptations

Film

Vincent Lawrence, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and Keene Thompson adapted the play for a 1931 film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and produced by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. The cast included Jack Oakie as Fred,

Frances Dee Frances Marion Dee (November 26, 1909 – March 6, 2004) was an American actress. Her first film was the musical ''Playboy of Paris'' (1930). She starred in the film ''An American Tragedy (film), An American Tragedy'' (1931). She is also known ...

as Edna, Ernest Wood as Paul, and June MacCloy as Eileen. Paramount Pictures would later make another adaptation in 1937 under the name '' Blonde Trouble''.

Radio

''June Moon'' was adapted for the CBS Radio series '' The Campbell Playhouse'' on March 24, 1940. The cast included

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

(Candy Butcher),

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

(Fred Stevens),

Benny Rubin Benjamin Rubin (February 2, 1899 – July 15, 1986) was an American comedian and film actor. Born in Boston, Rubin made more than 200 radio, film and television appearances over a span of 50 years. Career In 1929, Rubin went to Hollywood, where ...

(Maxie Schwartz),

Gus Schilling August "Gus" Schilling (June 20, 1908 – June 16, 1957) was an American film actor who started in burlesque comedy and usually played nervous comic roles, often unbilled. A friend of Orson Welles, he appeared in five of the director's films � ...

(Paul Sears), Bea Benaderet (Lucille Sears) and Virginia Gordon (Edna Baker). Lee Patrick reprised her Broadway role as Eileen. ''June Moon'' was presented on '' Philip Morris Playhouse'' October 3, 1941.

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

starred in the 30-minute adaptation.

Television

On June 2, 1949, CBS Television broadcast an hour-long adaptation of ''June Moon'' on the live anthology show '' Studio One''. The production was directed by Walter Hart, adapted by Gerald Goode, and featured

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

as Fred Stevens,

Eva Marie Saint Eva Marie Saint (born July 4, 1924) is an American retired actress. In a career that spanned nearly 80 years, she won an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for a Golden Globe Award and two British Academy Film Awa ...

as Edna,

Edward Andrews Edward Bryan Andrews Jr. (October 9, 1914 – March 8, 1985) was an American stage, film and television actor. Andrews was one of the most recognizable character actors on television and in films from the 1950s through the 1980s. His stark whi ...

as Paul, and Jean Carson as Eileen.

Kirk Browning Kirk Browning (March 28, 1921 – February 10, 2008) was an American television director and Television producer, producer who had hundreds of productions to his credit, including 185 broadcasts of ''Live from Lincoln Center''. Born in New York ...

and Burt Shevelove staged the play for ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is produced by the PBS member statio ...

'', airing on January 30, 1974. The cast included Tom Fitzsimmons as Fred, Barbara Dana as Edna, Jack Cassidy as Paul, Beatrice Colen as Goldie and

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...

as Eileen, with

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician who served as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from January until he was Remova ...

, Lee Meredith,

Estelle Parsons Estelle Parsons (born November 20, 1927) is an American actress. After studying law, Parsons became a singer before deciding to pursue a career in acting. She worked for the television program '' Today'' and made her stage debut in 1961. Durin ...

Austin Pendleton Austin Campbell Pendleton (born March 27, 1940) is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor. Pendleton is known as a prolific character actor on the stage and screen, whose six-decade career has included roles in films i ...

, and

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

in supporting roles. A DVD of this production was released by Kultur Video on April 16, 2002.

References

External links

* *
"June Moon"
(March 24, 1940) on '' The Campbell Playhouse'', with

and

(

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

) * * {{George Kaufman 1929 plays Broadway plays Plays by George S. Kaufman 1974 films American television films Films directed by A. Edward Sutherland Plays set in New York City American plays adapted into films Plays based on short fiction