''The Fourposter'' is a play written by

Jan de Hartog Jan de Hartog (April 22, 1914 – September 22, 2002) was a Dutch playwright, novelist and occasional social critic who moved to the United States in the early 1960s and became a Quaker. Biography Early years Jan de Hartog was born to a Dut ...

. The two-character story spans 35 years, from 1890 to 1925, as it focuses on the trials and tribulations, laughters and sorrows, and hopes and disappointments experienced by Agnes and Michael throughout their marriage. The set consists solely of their bedroom, dominated by the large, fourposter bed in the centre of the room. Among the couple's milestones are the consummation of their marriage, the birth of their first child, Michael's success as a writer, his extramarital affair, their daughter's wedding, and their preparations to move to smaller quarters and pass their home on to another newlywed couple. After a pre-London tour, it opened in the West End in 1950. A Broadway production followed in 1951, and the play has been adapted for film, television and musical theatre.

Productions

The world premiere was given at the New Theatre, Cambridge, on 21 August 1950, in a seven-week pre-London tour. The play, directed by Peter Ashmore, starred Dulcie Gray as Agnes and her real-life husband

Michael Denison John Michael Terence Wellesley Denison (1 November 191522 July 1998) was an English actor. He often appeared with his wife, Dulcie Gray, with whom he featured in several films and more than 100 West End theatre productions. After a conventiona ...

as Michael, and opened in the West End at the Ambassadors Theatre from 12 October to 9 December 1950. The run closed in anticipation of a transfer to New York, but negotiations fell through because the American producer insisted that if it were a success the stars must agree to stay in the piece for eighteen months, which their contractual filming obligations in Britain made impossible. A Broadway production, directed by José Ferrer, opened on 24 October 1951, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, later moving to the John Golden to complete its 632-performance run. Original cast Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy later were replaced first by Burgess Meredith and

Betty Field Betty Field (February 8, 1916 – September 13, 1973) was an American film and stage actress. Early years Field was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George and Katharine (née Lynch) Field. She began acting before she reached age 15, and went ...

, and then

Romney Brent Romney Brent (born Romulo Larralde; 26 January 1902 – 24 September 1976) was a Mexican actor, director and dramatist. Most of his career was on stage in North America, but in the 1930s he was frequently seen on the London stage, on television ...

and

Sylvia Sidney Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen and film actress whose career spanned over 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Aca ...

. It received Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Director. The ending of the play was changed for American audiences. In the original version the final scene showed the two characters coming to terms with Agnes's terminal illness. For the US the author substituted a softer ending.

Adaptations

Film

The partially animated 1952 film adaptation directed by Irving Reis, which altered the title to '' The Four Poster'' to avoid confusion, and changed the characters' names to John and Abby, starred

Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without Tears'', in what ...

and Lilli Palmer, who won the Venice Film Festival's Volpi Cup for her performance. The film was nominated for both the Academy Award and

Golden Globe Award 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 Black-and-White Cinematography. The film version alters the ending to have the couple die at the end, and then their ghosts re-enter the house as newlyweds, prepared to enjoy their life together all over again.''The Four Poster''
full synopsis at Turner Classic Movies

Television

Cronyn and Tandy recreated their roles for a July 1955 telecast live on the NBC anthology series '' Producers' Showcase''. The play was '' adapted for Australian TV'' by the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

in 1964, directed by

James Upshaw James Upshaw, an Australian producer and director, best known for his work in TV in the 1960s including early variety show ''The Lorrae Desmond Show'', which garnered its hostess Lorrae Desmond as the fist female recipient of the '' Gold Logie A ...

, and featuring Alasdair Duncan and

Anne Haddy Anne Haddy (5 October 1930 – 6 June 1999), credited also as Anne Hardy, was an Australian actress, television presenter and voice artist, who worked in various facets of the industry including radio, stage and television. She was married ...

Musical theatre

In 1966,

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer * Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in ...

and Harvey Schmidt adapted the play for their

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

production '' I Do! I Do!''.

References

Sources

External links

* * (1955) {{DEFAULTSORT:Fourposter, The 1951 plays Broadway plays Tony Award-winning plays Plays adapted into radio programs American plays adapted into films Two-handers