''Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole'' is a 1961 play by American brothers and playwrights

James Goldman James Goldman (June 30, 1927 – October 28, 1998) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He won an Academy Award for his screenplay ''The Lion in Winter'' (1968). His younger brother was novelist and screenwriter William Goldman. Biogra ...

and

William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. He won Academy Awards for his screenplays '' ...

near the beginning of their careers. Both had served in the army in the 1950s. The comedy is about a supply sergeant at an army post in the South. William Goldman later recalled "we had both been in the army at the same time and it seemed like a decent enough idea and magically we got it on."

Background

Brothers James and William Goldman had been permitted to serve together in the Army in 1955. They were stationed with the 101st Airborne division. The Goldman brothers had received a grant from the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

to observe production of the musical ''Tenderloin''. They also wrote a musical together ''A Family Affair''. William Goldman had written a novel about service in the army, ''

Soldier in the Rain ''Soldier in the Rain'' is a 1963 American comedy buddy film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen. Tuesday Weld portrays Gleason's character's romantic partner. Produced by Martin Jurow and co-written by Maurice ...

''. He denied that there were any other similarities between that and ''Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole''. "The only connection between the two", he said, "is that I was involved in writing both." Roger Stevens and Joseph Fields optioned the play.

Original production

The original production starred

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...

and

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

and was directed by

Jerome Chodorov Jerome Chodorov (August 10, 1911 – September 12, 2004) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He co-wrote the book with Joseph A. Fields for the original Broadway musical ''Wonderful Town'' starring Rosalind Russell. The musi ...

. It ran for 84 performances.

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

appeared in the cast. The production was budgeted for $100,000 and was brought in at $85,000. The show was launched with "two-for" tickets at certain matinees. It was the New York stage debut of

, who was selected over 200 other actors. Screen rights were sold to the America Corporation for $125,000, with a ceiling of $125,000. They also invested $45,000 in the production.

Reception

Howard Taubman Hyman Howard Taubman (July 4, 1907 – January 8, 1996) was an American music critic, theater critic, and author. Biography Born in Manhattan, Taubman attended DeWitt Clinton High School and then won a four-year scholarship to Cornell University, ...

of the ''New York Times'' did not like the play, saying "the plot is spaced out as mechanically as if it were to run forever on the home screen." Fonda's performance earned him a

New York Drama Critics New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

' Circle Award. The production transferred to Los Angeles. The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "a routine service comedy."

Notes

References

*Egan, Sean, ''William Goldman: The Reluctant Storyteller'', Bear Manor Media 2014

External links

* {{William Goldman 1961 plays Plays by William Goldman