Betty Davis at the time of this movie, was an a two time academy award winning actress. She could have rested on her laurels and continued to due dramatic roles. She would still have been considered a fine actress. Davis was not content with her status, and decided to branch out. This led to a decision to take on the challenge of comedy. The Man Who came to Dinner is her second comedic role, under the supervision of William Keighley. He previously directed Davis in her first comedy, The Bride Came C.O.D.
Bette Davis is very good in her role as Maggie Cutler. She is the secretary to Sheridan Whiteside, a radio personality, with a very sharp tongue. He is played superbly by Monty Woolley. Whiteside is on a national tour, and makes a stop in Messalia, Ohio. He is having dinner with a prominent family, the Stanley’s. Mrs. Stanley, (Billie Burke), is delighted to dine with a celebrity. Mr. Ernest W. Stanley, (Grant Mitchell), is not happy at all with the inconvenience. Unfortunately for the family, Whiteside slips on their icy steps, and injures his hip.
Dr. Bradley, (George Barbier) looks at the x-rays, and determines the injury is serious. Sheridan Whiteside must recuperate during the Christmas holidays at the Stanley home. Mrs. Daisy Stanley is delighted to have Whiteside. She sees it as increasing her social standing. Mr. Stanley sees his guest as an unwanted intrusion. It is when Whiteside starts living like a Roman emperor in the Stanley house, that the patriarch tells him to leave. Sheridan Whiteside reminds him that he will sue for damages. Dr. Bradley later tells Whiteside that he misread the X-rays, and he is fine. Whiteside asks him not to say anything, and bribes him.
It is while Maggie Cutler is playing over worked and under appreciated secretary, that love comes into her life. That love is Bert Jefferson. He is a newspaper reporter and aspiring play write. One of the more charming scenes is when Bert and Maggie go skating. Maggie must endure the awkwardness of learning to skate. Bette Davis’ comedy skills come into play in these scenes. Maggie, after this decides she doesn’t want to be an abused secretary, and would rather have a domestic life with Bert.
Whiteside does not want to lose his secretary. He concocts a plan using his actress friend, Lorraine Sheldon, (Ann Sheridan). She is to seduce Bert and will in return get the lead in Sheridan’s play. Maggie Cutler counters this by getting Beverly Carlton, (Reginald Gardiner), to pose as Lorraine Sheldon’s boyfriend, over the phone, and propose marriage. The plan doesn’t work, and Maggie is heartbroken.
Sheridan Whiteside sees what he has done, and gets a heart. He convinces his friend Banjo, (Jimmy Durante) to help him get rid of Lorraine. Durante nearly steals the show from Monty Woolley as a Harpo Marx type character. The plan works and then it is up to Bert and Maggie to reconcile.
The Man Who Came to Dinner is the movie version of the successful broadway play, written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. It was adapted to the screen by Julius J. And Philip G. Epstein. Monty Woolley was the star of the play and repeats his role in the movie. He was around Hollywood in supporting roles for a few years. The Man Who Came to Dinner, gave him stardom.
The movie revolves around an unlikeable celebrity imposing himself on ordinary people. He does impart advice on Mr. Stanley. He tells him not to rule his children’s lives and let them make their own decisions. Even though Sheridan Whiteside is unlikeable, Ernest W. Stanley is a stuffed shirt, who gets a comeuppance from Whiteside temporarily residing in his home.
The Man Who Came to Dinner is charming and funny. That is sometimes difficult to translate from stage to screen. Betty Davis and Monty Woolley are both at the top of their game. It is livened up by the presence of Reginald Gardiner, playing charming British writer, Beverly Carlton. It is also enhanced by Davis love interest, Richard Travis. He was an actor who didn’t have anything close to Davis’ success, but his role as Bert Jefferson, helps make this movie flow. It is a tribute to the director William Keighley, that he could get a stage actor, and a temperamental actress to produce such a fine comedy.