''Laburnum Grove'' is a comedy-drama play by the British writer
J.B. Priestley which was first staged in 1933. It was one of Priestley's earliest hits. The play premiered at the
Duchess Theatre on 28 November 1933. In its initial run it had over 300 performances. It made its
Broadway debut at
Booth's Theatre
Booth's Theatre was a theatre in New York built by actor Edwin Booth. Located on the southeast corner of 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue, Booth's Theatre opened on February 3, 1869.
The theatre featured a grand vestibule with Italian marble flo ...
on 14 January 1935 and ran for 131 performances.
[Kabatchnik p.368]
Synopsis
In order to get rid of his sponging relatives, a man declares to them that he is a master
forger. Considerable doubt begins to arise about whether he may actually be telling the truth.
Adaptation
In 1936 the play was adapted into a film ''
Laburnum Grove'' directed by
Carol Reed and starring
Edmund Gwenn and
Victoria Hopper. It was made by Associated Talking Pictures at
Ealing Studios.
A version of the play, starring
Raymond Massey
Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor, known for his commanding, stage-trained voice. For his lead role in '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Amo ...
, was televised on CBS's ''
Ford Theatre'' on January 27, 1950. The adaptation was by Edward Mabley.
References
Bibliography
* Gale, Maggie Barbara. ''J.B. Priestley''. Taylor & Francis, 2008.
* Kabatchnik, Amnon. ''Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery and Detection''. Scarecrow Press, 2010.
External links
*
1933 plays
British plays adapted into films
Plays set in London
Plays by J. B. Priestley
West End plays
Plays adapted into television shows
{{1930s-play-stub