''My Three Angels'' is a

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

by Samuel and Bella Spewack. The play is based on the French play ''La Cuisine Des Anges'' by

Albert Husson Albert Husson (3 August 1912 – 16 December 1978) was a French playwright and theatre director. On 26 January 1968, Jean Meyer and Albert Husson were both appointed directors of the Théâtre des Célestins in Lyon, which produced numerous ad ...

, and is their only play that is regularly performed in repertory theater.

Production

The production opened 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 Stre ...

at the

Morosco Theatre The Morosco Theatre was a Broadway theatre near Times Square in New York City from 1917 to 1982. It housed many notable productions and its demolition, along with four adjacent theaters, was controversial. History Located at 217 West 45th Stre ...

on March 11, 1953, and closed on January 2, 1954 after 344 performances. The play was directed by

Jose Ferrer Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...

, with Scenic Design by

Boris Aronson Boris Aronson (October 15, 1898 – November 16, 1980) was an American scenic designer for Broadway and Yiddish theatre. He won the Tony Award for Scenic Design six times in his career. Biography The son of a Rabbi, Aronson was born in Kie ...

and costumes by

Lucinda Ballard Lucinda Ballard (born Lucinda Davis Goldsborough; April 3, 1906 – August 19, 1993) was an American costume designer who worked primarily in Broadway theatre. Biography Born Lucinda Davis Goldsborough in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ballard studied ...

." ''My 3 Angels'' on Broadway"
playbillvault.com, accessed July 19, 2015 The play is set in

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

around the turn of the 20th century, showing the interaction between three prisoners and a family of French colonists. My Three Angels 1954

Original Broadway cast

Walter Slezak Walter Slezak (; 3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productio ...

as Joseph *

Joan Chandler Joan Chandler (born Joan Cheeseman; August 24, 1923 – May 11, 1979) was an American actress who notably starred in ''Rope'' (1948) with James Stewart and '' Humoresque'' (1946) with Joan Crawford. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Cheeseman, ...

as Marie Louise Ducotel *

Jerome Cowan Jerome Palmer Cowan (October 6, 1897 – January 24, 1972) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early years Cowan was born in New York City, the son of William Cowan, a confectioner of Scottish descent, and Julia Cowan, née Pal ...

as Jules *

Henry Daniell Charles Henry Pywell Daniell (5 March 1894 – 31 October 1963) was an English actor who had a long career in the United States on stage and in cinema. He came to prominence for his portrayal of villainous roles in films such as '' Camille'' ( ...

as Henri Trochard *Carmen Mathews as Emilie Ducotel * Robert Carroll as Paul *

Eric Fleming Eric Fleming (born Edward Heddy Jr.; July 4, 1925 – September 28, 1966) was an American actor known primarily for his role as Gil Favor in the long-running CBS Western television series ''Rawhide''. Early life Fleming was born as Edward Hed ...

as Lieutenant *Will Kuluva as Felix Ducotel *Nan McFarland as Mme. Parole *

Darren McGavin Darren McGavin (born William Lyle Richardson; May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006) was an American actor. McGavin began his career working as a set painter for Columbia Pictures. In 1954, he originated roles in Broadway productions of '' My Three ...

as Alfred

Films

The 1955 movie '' We're No Angels'' was based upon ''My Three Angels''. The original play is fairly similar to the film, but the main difference is that in the play the three prisoners are not escapees; they are working on the warden's house with repairs. The play was adapted for Australian TV in 1962. The 1989 movie '' We're No Angels'', starring

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...

, and

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...

uses elements of the core story as well. So does the 1993 movie '' Ore-tachi wa tenshi janai'' 俺達は天使じゃない by

Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and surrealism, b ...

, starring Ren Ōsugi, Junji Inagawa and

Makiko Kuno is a Japanese actress. Her early stage name was ; she changed it to , and switched to writing her surname in katakana in 2005. Kuno has been active as a model since senior high school, and as an actress made her debut in 1987. In 1986, she par ...

. The 1989 version changes the setting to

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

era USA set in the 1930s.

References

External links

*
Coronado Playhouse production
American plays adapted into films Plays based on other plays 1953 plays French Guiana in fiction Plays set in South America {{1950s-play-stub