''The Nutmeg Tree'' is a 1937 omedy novel by the British writer Margery Sharp, which was adapted as a play and a film. Julia an actress and showgirl is down on her luck in London when she receives an unexpected invitation to France. Many years before she had a daughter, but her father was killed in the First World War and the girl went to live with his wealthy relations. Now Julia is invited by her daughter to run her eye over a prospective fiancee. After meeting him, Julia becomes convinced he is utterly unsuitable for her daughter, as he has a wild, reckless personality much closer to her own.

Play

In 1940 it was turned by Sharp into a play, ''Ladies in Waiting'', that appeared at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway. In London's West End theatre, West End it ran under the name ''The Nutmeg Tree'' for 268 performances from October 1941 to May 1942, originally at the Lyric Theatre, London, Lyric Theatre, then it transferred to St James's Theatre. The cast included

Yvonne Arnaud Germaine Yvonne Arnaud (20 December 1890 – 20 September 1958) was a French-born pianist, singer and actress, who was well known for her career in Britain, as well as her native land. After beginning a career as a concert pianist as a child, Ar ...

, Frederick Leister,

Helen Haye Helen Haye (born Helen Hay, 28 August 1874 – 1 September 1957) was a British stage and film actress.
New York Times. 3 Septem ...

, Winifred Oughton and Maire O'Neill.

Film adaptation

In 1948, it was adapted into the American film ''

Julia Misbehaves ''Julia Misbehaves'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon as a married couple who are separated by the man's snobbish family. They meet again many years later, when the daughter whom the man has raised ...

'', directed by Jack Conway and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon and

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

.Goble p.421

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Wearing, J.P. ''The London Stage 1940-1949: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. 1937 British novels British comedy novels Novels by Margery Sharp Novels set in France British novels adapted into plays British novels adapted into films Novels about actors Grosset & Dunlap books Arthur Barker Limited books {{1930s-comedy-novel-stub