
''The Impossible Years'' is a 1965 comedy play written by
Robert Fisher and
Arthur Marx
Arthur Julius Marx (July 21, 1921April 14, 2011) was an American writer, the son of entertainer Groucho Marx and his first wife, Ruth Johnson.
Early life
He was named after Groucho's brother who went by the alternative stage name Harpo.
Marx ...
, son of comedian
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...
. After two previews, the Broadway production, directed by
Arthur Storch, opened on October 13, 1965, 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 in ...
, where it ran for 670 performances. The original cast included
Alan King
Alan King (born Irwin Alan Kniberg; December 26, 1927 – May 9, 2004) was an American comedian, actor and satirist known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. He was also a serious actor who appeared in a number of films and televi ...
,
Sudie Bond
Sudie Bond (July 13, 1923 – November 10, 1984) was an American actress on film, stage, and television.
Early years
Bond was one of four children of J. Roy Bond, an industrialist, and Carrie Bond. She grew up in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and was a ...
,
Bert Convy
Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American actor, singer, game-show panelist, and host known for ''Tattletales'', '' Super Password'', and '' Win, Lose or Draw''.
Early life
Convy was born in St. Louis, Mi ...
,
Neva Small
Neva Small is an American theatrical, film, and television actress and singer. She made her singing debut at the age of 10 at the New York City Opera, and her Broadway debut the following year. She has numerous acting credits on and Off-Broadway. ...
, and
Scott Glenn
Theodore Scott Glenn (born January 26 between 1938 and 1942) is an American actor. His roles have included Bill Lester in '' She Came to the Valley'' (1979), Pfc Glenn Kelly in ''Nashville'' (1975), Wes Hightower in '' Urban Cowboy'' (1980), as ...
.
Ed McMahon
Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the American Bro ...
temporarily assumed the role of Dr. Jack Kingsley for eight performances from January 17, 1966, to January 22, 1966, so Alan King could honor a previously scheduled Miami night club engagement.
On August 22, 1966,
Sam Levene
Sam Levene (born Scholem Lewin; August 28, 1905 – December 28, 1980) was an American Broadway theatre, Broadway, films, radio, and television actor and Television director, director. In a career spanning over five decades, he appeared in over ...
replaced Alan King in the starring role of Dr. Jack Kingsley, a psychiatrist, in the Broadway production of ''The Impossible Years'', performing the role for 322 performances until the show closed May 27, 1967 at the Playhouse Theatre.
After the Broadway production closed, Sam Levene starred in the first U.S. national company production of ''The Impossible Years'' and performed the hit comedy for the duration of 1967 until March 10, 1968, when the production closed at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. National tour stops included performances at the Mineola Theatre on Long Island; the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, New Jersey; The Playhouse Theater in Wilmington, Delaware; the Royal Alexandria Theatre in Toronto, Canada; Detroit, Michigan; the Shubert Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio; and The National Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Plot
The comedy revolves around Jonathan Kingsley, a teaching psychiatrist at the local university, his wife, and their two teenage daughters. Complications arise when the older one develops an active interest in the opposite sex, and her younger, impressionable sister begins to emulate her .
Adaptations
Film
The play was adapted into a
1968 film of the same name starring
David Niven
James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...
,
Lola Albright
Lola Jean Albright (July 20, 1924 – March 23, 2017) was an American singer and actress, best known for playing the sultry singer Edie Hart, the girlfriend of private eye Peter Gunn, on all three seasons of the TV series ''Peter Gunn''.
Early ...
,
Chad Everett
Raymon Lee Cramton (June 11, 1937 – July 24, 2012), known professionally as Chad Everett, was an American actor who appeared in more than 40 films and television series. He played Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama '' Medical Center'', wh ...
, and
Cristina Ferrare
Cynthia Cristina Ferrare (born 1950) is an American fashion model, actress, author and talk-show host. She had lead roles in several films in the late-1960s and early-1970s, including the 1968 comedy '' The Impossible Years'' and the 1972 Wester ...
. Directed by
Michael Gordon, the screenplay was written by
George Wells
TV movie
In 1970, it was reported
Jackie Cooper
John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor and director. He began his career performing in film as a child, and successfully transitioned to adult roles and directing in both film and television. At age nine, h ...
and
Bob Finkel
Robert S. Finkel (March 25, 1918 – April 30, 2012) was an American producer and director. Finkel has notable credits on the TV shows '' The Eddie Fisher Show'', '' The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' and ''The Andy Williams Show''. Finkel also pro ...
had written a pilot script for a TV adaptation of the play for NBC.
References
External links
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Review of filmat ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Impossible Years
1965 plays
American plays adapted into films
Broadway plays