The Man Who Came to Dinner

Love this movie.

Becoming one of my favorite old Xmas movie

Great Movie and Cast

Very likable and a great movie. Truly enjoyable!

Bottom Line First: The Man Who Came to Dinner is a fast paced, old time farce about a man who is an aggravation and a dear, a bully with a heart of gold. Many in the cast is a acting out a gag version of someone else. This is a good choice as family night with a take it easy movie. No big messages or philosophy. Enjoy it as is or take the time to look up the references' and then you can appreciate how much this movies dishes the dirt. Monty Wolley as the bombastic personality, Sheridan Whiteside holds all the rains while a capable cast has his back.Where to start? Once upon a time in New York between the world wars there was an eating drinking gambling association of leading talents in New York. Members were expected to be big eater, able to hold their booze, sharp tongued and talented. Mostly they were writers, but they attracted actors and editors and they met every day at a round table in the Algonquin Hotel.A founding member of the Algonquin Round table was Alexander Woolcott. He was a large man who would prove himself the master of several art forms. He had been one of the most influential Broadway theater critics, He was one of the first national radio personalities. He had volunteered as a private soldier in World War I and would be among the founders of Stars and Stripes. He also had some modest success as a stage actor.Wolcott could be prissy, presumptuous, and bossy and someone you wanted in your corner. If he could be a pain, he was certainly much befriended and gave of much himself to his friends. The story is that he was the guest of friends the comedy writing team of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Having worn out his welcome the two were inspired to convert their experiences into a play about hosting an oversized character while admitting he also had an oversized heart. The play was a major success, big enough to support several road shows, one of which would include Wolcott playing himself under the name of Sheridan Whiteside.Reports are that Wolcott was fairly good at playing himself. For the movie version we get Monty Woolley, a man with more than sufficient regal bluff who delivers the comedy. This would be his breakthrough role.The Man who came to Dinner is almost top of the line farce. At its most mantic, there are several jokes being balanced and tossed about. A middle class family has its plain domestic existence bent to the service of a hugely egotistical radio commentator Sheridan Whiteside. There is a steady stream of famous names coming in and out, deliveries at all hours, criminals and Asian diplomats arriving for dinner and in a tradition later adopted by the Muppets, there are penguins.Several plots revolve around the over worked under appreciated Secretary, Bette Davis(grace Blair) in a rare and well done role at one comedic and second banana. Two things not usually associated with her. Cameo roles include Jimmy Durante as Banjo, a role meant to be either Groucho or Harpo Marx ( or both, both were regulars at the Algonquin) and Ann Sheriden as Lorraine Sheldon a scheming actress most likely meant as a friendly dig at Gertrude Lawrence.As was certain in these comedians all ends well, well mostly , good is rewarded, mostly and when in doubt there are the penguins and a running gag about getting a call through to Eleanor Roosevelt and the kids of the house and the nurse and ..... Relax have fun and if it is fun for you, go and look up which roles are supposed to be which actors.

Sheridan Whiteside is a famous writer, lecturer and critic who is forced by his agent to be the dinner guest of Ernest and Daisy Stanley a couple Visalia, Ohio ("Midwestern barbarians") where he is scheduled to speak. As he departs from the train, a crowd rushed forward, hoping to get the autograph of this "great man" Whiteside says, "Stand back, please, don't come to close I have several contagious diseases", and then he tells his assistant, Maggie to run "interference for him." When Mrs. Stanley., his hostess asks him if he had a pleasant trip, he replies, "Charming! I killed a woman in the next compartment,-------- she asked me to lunch", he replies seriously. This is a movie that needs to be seen several times to fully appreciate pick up all the one-liners that the uttered by the caustic tongue of the irascible Sheridan Whiteside.Upon arriving at the Whiteside'S home, he slips on ice and fractures his hip, whereupon he then proceeds to take over the downstairs of their home, the telephone, and servants. He banishes the family to the upstairs using the back stairs, not the main staircase in the foyer. When Mr. Stanley, disgruntled by the constant ringing of the phone and doorbell, the deliveries and the unwanted guests that Whiteside is bringing into his home demands that he leave, but Whiteside manages to turn the tables, yet again and the flustered and flabbergasted man leaves for the office to get some peace and quiet.I cannot imagine anyone other than Monty Woolley playing the character of Sheridan Whiteside. His comedic timing is excellent and this is equaled by his looks of bemusement, scorn, ridicule, or supreme joy, depending on the situation occurring or the person involved. You almost expect to see horns or him curling the ends of his mustache up like the devil as he continues to fluster everyone except Maggie, who has him baffled. She has fallen in love with the owner of the local newspaper, who is also an aspiring playwright. She informs him that she intends to quit her job and marry Burt Jefferson. Whiteside does not intend to lose her, "he is fond of her and she is indispensible to him." He devises a plan and enlists the aid of "his blossom girl" to come between the two. After he sets things in motion, we see him rolling around in his wheelchair as he evilly sings a little song about "the lit'l wabbit, (Maggie) he bests". The witty banter increases with the arrival of Lorraine (blossom girl) and writer Beverly Carlton a friend of Whiteside's and Maggie. Carlton is very fond of Maggie and she enlists his help in trying to get Lorraine to leave town and away from Burt Jefferson.Since the movie takes place during the holidays, it is usually only shown during the Christmas Season, which is a shame because it is one of the best under rated comedies from the 1940's. The quality is very good, unlike so many DVD's from this era that has not been remastered. This is not a sentimental holiday movie (Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishops Wife, etc.,) but if you like movies filled with quick, witty banter this is a movie that you must add to your collection.

I love this Christmas movie, it’s become a part of my Holiday favorites!

Not sure it was purchased for a gift.

I fondly remember this film from many a wet Saturday afternoon watching BBC 2 with my parents, they loved old films. In those days there appeared to be so many more parts for women. I do find modern films disappointing with their usual quota of one token women, usually without much character who never speaks to another women throughout. Bette Davis and Anne Sheridan are wonderful. Anne Sheridan was a great actress and could play warm, strong women and also really funny but horrible as here, in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Bette Davis is of course superb as always. I was surprised by just how much each character has to say. I remember films then relied much more on the script rather then today's preponderance of special effects or 'posing' (sexually if female and ultra-macho if male). Very funny story involving a gruff, spoilt reluctant vistor, wonderfully played by Mr Woolley, to a middle class American family household. Includes a plethora of delightful characters, a box of penguins with a romance thrown in for good measure. Would definitely recommend.

A literary lion descends on a small mid-western town and, after a fall, is confined a to wheelchair in his reluctant host's house. Thereafter he takes command of the house for his own purposes - such as lunch with a bunch of convict murderers, while expelling the family from the main rooms of the house so that they can't get in the way of such things as his telephone calls from Winston Churchill and Eleanor Roosevelt. He is monstrously rude to everybody else, but welcomes the diversion of visits from Hollywood chums. Monty Woolley makes a magnificent monster who finally redeems himself with an act of grace.Fabulous dialogue delivered with lightning precision. Great stuff.

So good to see Bette Davis in a romantic comedy role - she brings it off with elan [despite some weird headgear!]A fine tour de force performance by Monty Wooley as the Man in question. Madcap but with heart!Simple elegant cinema at it's best.

Very amusing vehicle of which because of cunning Montey Wooley Bette nearly loses her man

dvd bought for a friend he said it was a good film good quality sound and picture