''Twin Beds'' is a 1914 comedic play by

Salisbury Field Edward Salisbury Field Jr. (February 28, 1878 – September 20, 1936) was an American author, playwright, artist, poet, and journalist. Biography He was born on February 28, 1878, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Edward Salisbury and Sarah Mills Hu ...

and Margaret Mayo, based on Field's 1913 novel of the same name, which played 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 ...

and was also the basis for multiple film adaptations. The play debuted on August 14, 1914, at the

Fulton Theatre The Fulton Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 210 West 46th Street in Manhattan, New York City, that was opened in 1911. It was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in 1955. The theatre was demolished in 1982. After the former Little Theatre o ...

, and ran on Broadway for 411 performances. The play was not immediately a success upon release despite getting positive reviews,The New Plays
''Theatre Magazine'', p. 154 (October 1914)Darnton, Charles (15 August 1914)
The New Plays: "Twin Beds" Will Make You Laugh Till You're Tired
''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 to 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers as a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publisher Jo ...

''(15 August 1914)
'Twin Beds' Wins With Its Novelty: Flutter of Pajamas and Peignoirs, and All Innocent Fun at the Fulton
''

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 ...

''Davies, Actor (15 August 1914)
"Twin Beds" Opens Fulton Theatre - A Bright Little Farce, with Clever Characterizations - Miss Ray Cox Wins the Comedy Honors - Georgia Laurence and Madge Kennedy Also Score - Margaret Mayo's Success
''

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' (from 1914: ''New York Tribune'') was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s ...

'', p. 9, col. 1.(July 1914)
Little Stories of the New Plays
'' Green Book Magazine'', pp. 90-91Bruno, Edward (November 1914).
A Story-ized Review of "Twin Beds"
''Green Book Magazine'' perhaps due to the start of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Producer

William Harris Jr. William Harris Jr. (1884–1946) was a well-known Broadway theatrical producer. Plays he produced included ''Abraham Lincoln'', ''East is West'', '' Twin Beds'' (1914), ''Outward Bound'', and '' The Greeks Had a Word for It''. He was the son of ...

then engaged in a wild marketing scheme where trucks with big ads for the show, pulled by horses, would "break down" at busy intersections. Soon the show was playing to packed houses.Bordman, Gerald
American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama 1914-1930
p. 4 (1995) Prior to opening, there was a brief controversy over alleged similarities between the play and the play ''Apartment 12 K'' which had been rushed to opening to beat it. Though the plays have a similar opening gambit, they were not the same, and ''Apartment 12 K'' only had a short unsuccessful run.(22 August 2014)
Stage Letter
''The Day Book'' Four warmup performances of ''Twin Beds'' the week before opening on Broadway were done at the Savoy Theatre in

Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a decr ...

.(9 August 1914)
New Productions
''New York Tribune'', p. 5 By June 1915, the play shifted from the Fulton Theatre to the Harris Theatre, where it completed its 411-performance run.(5 June 1915)
Plays to Make Summer Runs
''

'' (reporting that 350th performance would be Wednesday June 9, 1915)(14 July 1915)
"Twin Beds" Near 400th Mark
''New York World'' (400th performance is coming next week) Irene Haisman replaced

Madge Kennedy Madge Kennedy (April 19, 1891 – June 9, 1987) was a stage, film and television actress whose career began as a stage actress in 1912 and flourished in motion pictures during the silent film era. In 1921, journalist Heywood Broun described her ...

and Reginald Denny replaced

John Westley Rev. John Wesley (1636–1678) was an English nonconformist minister. He was the grandfather of John Wesley (founder of Methodism). Life John Wesly (his own spelling), Westley, or Wesley was probably born at Bridport, Dorset, although some au ...

for the Harris run.(4 July 1915)
Harris Has Newcomers - Irene Haisman and Reginald Denny Now in "Twin Beds"
''New York Tribune'' Multiple companies embarked on road tours around August 1915.(25 August 1915)
News of Plays and Players
''New York Tribune'' The ''Oxford Companion to American Theatre'' describes the play as "one of the era's most popular comedies."The Oxford Companion to American Theatre
p. 629 (2004) Madge Kennedy and Ray Cox 1914

Original Broadway cast

as Blanch Hawkins *

Charles Judels Charles Judels (August 17, 1882 – February 14, 1969) was a Dutch-born American actor. Early years Judels was born on August 17, 1882, in Amsterdam as a third generation in a family of actors. His grandfather owned several theatres throughout ...

as Signor Monti *

as Harry Hawkins * Ray Cox as Signora Monti *Georgie Lawrence as Norah *Mabel Acker as Amanda Davis *John Cumberland as Andrew Larkin

References

External links

* {{IBDB show, 8944, Twin Beds
Twin Beds keysheets
New York Public Library, Billy Rose Theatre Division
Excerpts from play
in November 1914 ''Green Book Magazine'' 1914 plays Broadway plays Comedy plays 1914 in the United States 1910s debut plays