''I Remember Mama'' is a play by

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observation ...

based on Kathryn Forbes' novel ''Mama's Bank Account'', which was loosely based on her childhood. It is a study of family life centered on a Norwegian immigrant family in San Francisco early in the 20th century. The play premiered 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 Stree ...

on October 19, 1944 at the

Music Box Theatre The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, the Music Box Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane in a Palladian-inspir ...

in New York City, where it ran for 713 performances; it was produced by

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...

and

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

. The cast included

Mady Christians Marguerita Maria "Mady" Christians (January 19, 1892 – October 28, 1951) was an Austrian actress who had a successful acting career in theatre and film in the United States until she was blacklisted during the McCarthy period. Biography She ...

Oscar Homolka Oskar Homolka (August 12, 1898 – January 27, 1978) was an Austrian film and theatre actor, who went on to work in Germany, Britain and America. Both his voice and his appearance fitted him for roles as communist spies or Soviet officials, for w ...

, and

Joan Tetzel Joan Margaret Tetzel (June 21, 1921 – October 31, 1977) was an American actress. Early years Tetzel was born in New York City and grew up in the Spuyten Duyvil section of the Bronx. Her father, an illustrator, was Austrian, and her mother wa ...

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

played a minor role, making his Broadway debut as Nels.

Synopsis

The play revolves around the life of a loving Norwegian immigrant family, the Hansons, living on Steiner Street in San Francisco soon after the turn of the 20th century. Told through the nostalgic eye of Katrin, one of three daughters, it is the story of a working-class family trying to live the American dream. Papa Hanson is a blue-collar worker; he and Mama attempt to raise their four children so that they understand the difference between right and wrong, between selfishness and selflessness. They are assisted by Mama's uncle, Uncle Chris, whose gruff exterior hides his inner charm and generosity. Mama and Papa (Marta and Lars) believe in hard work and a good education. They struggle to put their son, Nels, through high school, as each member of the family sacrifices in order to accomplish this. They are warm and affectionate to each other, but very frugal in their use of funds. The three aunts, Jenny, Sigrid and Trina, offer a counterpoint, as the first two are usually selfish and petty, while Aunt Trina is mostly kind. Through their hard work, wise financial decisions, and creative common sense, Mama and Papa manage to raise and educate their children.

Productions

Original

The play opened at the Music Box Theatre in New York City on October 19, 1944, starring Mady Christians, Richard Biship, Joan Tetzel and Oscar Homolka. The production also marked the Broadway debut of a young actor by the name of Marlon Brando. ''I Remember Mama'' was a successful production, running for 713 performances before it closed on June 29, 1946.

Original cast

as Mama *

as Uncle Chris *

as Katrin * Robert Antoine as Arne * Frank Babcock as Soda Clerk * Richard Bishop as Papa *

as Nels * Josephine Brown as Florence Dana Moorhead * Dorothy Elder as Another Nurse * Marie Gale as A Nurse * Ruth Gates as Aunt Jenny *

Adrienne Gessner Adrienne Gessner (23 July 1896 – 23 June 1987) was an Austrian actress. Gessner appeared in over fifty film and television shows during her career, including the 1955 costume film '. Gessner appeared in a mixture of German and Austrian films dur ...

as Aunt Trina *

Frances Heflin Mary Frances Heflin (September 20, 1920 – June 1, 1994) was an American actress. Early years Heflin was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of Fanny Bleecker (née Shippey) and Dr. Emmett Evan Heflin, a dentist. She was the ...

as Christine * Carolyn Hummel as Dagmar * Herbert Kenwith as Bellboy * Ottilie Kruger as Dorothy Schiller *

Louise Lorimer Louise Lorimer (born Louise Knapp Pinkham, July 14, 1898 – August 12, 1995) was an American actress who played character roles on Broadway, in films, and on television in a career lasting over six decades. Life and career Born Louise Knapp Pi ...

as A Woman * Ellen Mahar as Aunt Sigrid * Oswald Marshall as Mr. Hyde * William Pringle as Dr. Johnson * Cora Smith as Madeline * Bruno Wick as Mr. Thorkelson (Cast list as per

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade assoc ...

)

Adaptations

The play was made into a 1948 film of the same name, which starred

Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other gen ...

in the titular role, as well as

Barbara Bel Geddes Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost five decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in the t ...

Philip Dorn Philip Dorn (born Hein van der Niet; 30 September 1901 – 9 May 1975), sometimes billed as Frits van Dongen (his screen name for German films prior to World War II), was a Dutch American actor who had a career in Hollywood. He was best kn ...

, and Oscar Homolka who reprised the role of Uncle Chris, which he had created on Broadway. The film was nominated for 5

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Irene Dunne); Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Oscar Homolka); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Barbara Bel Geddes); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Ellen Corby); and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (

Nicholas Musuraca Nicholas Musuraca, A.S.C. (October 25, 1892 – September 3, 1975) was a motion-picture cinematographer best remembered for his work at RKO Pictures in the 1940s, including many of Val Lewton's series of B-picture horror films. Biography B ...

). While they did not win any Oscars, Ellen Corby did win the

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. In 1979, Richard Rodgers transformed the original play, which he had co-produced with Oscar Hammerstein II in 1944, into a musical, also named '' I Remember Mama''. It would be Rogers' last work prior to his death in December of that year. The play was produced at the

Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to: Australia * Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished * Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed b ...

, where it previewed on April 26, 1979, and officially opened on May 31. The production ran for 108 performances, closing on September 2, and starred

Liv Ullmann Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and film director. Recognised as one of the greatest European actresses of all time, Ullmann is known as the muse and frequent partner of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. She acted in m ...

George Hearn George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre. Early years Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before ...

, and

George S. Irving George S. Irving (born Irving Shelasky; November 1, 1922 – December 26, 2016) was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway theatre, Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television spe ...

. Rodgers wrote the music, with lyrics by

Martin Charnin Martin Charnin (November 24, 1934 – July 6, 2019) was an American lyricist, writer, and theatre director. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director, and lyricist of the musical ''Annie.'' Life and career Charnin was born in New York C ...

, and book by Thomas Meehan. ''

Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels Places *Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement ...

'', a

CBS Television CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

series starring

Peggy Wood Mary Margaret Wood (February 9, 1892 – March 18, 1978) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She is best remembered for her performance as the title character in the CBS television series ''Mama'' (1949–1957), for which sh ...

, ran from 1949 until 1957. After the success of the screen adaptation, Dunne, Homolka, and Bel Geddes reprised their roles in a one-hour ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

'' adaptation of the film on August 30, 1948. There was also a British Independent Television production in 1961.IMDB entry for 1961 ITV production.
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References

{{reflist

External links

''Mama's Bank Account'' Summary & Study Guide - bookrags.com
Norwegian-American culture in California San Francisco in fiction Plays based on novels Broadway plays 1944 plays Works about Norwegian-American culture Plays by John Van Druten British plays adapted into films