Murray Hill, according to Ronald Howard, was named for a "respectable locality of seedy retirement in New York where the action takes place—the principal characters were three maiden ladies who lived, concealed from the world, behind the shutters of an ancient, 'brownstone' house. Totally divorced from contemporary time, they existed oblivious of 'speakeasies', short skirts or 'The Charleston'."
"Elizabeth Sleeps Out [concerns] a romantic young chap who falls desperately in love with a girl glimpsed on the street. Unable to meet the object of his adoration in any other way, he masquerades as an undertaker's assistant in order to get into her home during the funeral of a great aunt. Once inside the sedate Tweedie mansion, the determined young lover is confronted with complications which are harrowing for him and hilarious for the audience." The Bakersfield Californian, 23 October 1933
Murray Hill aka Elizabeth Sleeps Out may not have been popular on Broadway but it was hugely popular with stock and repertory companies as early as 1930 and throughout the 1930s into the 1940s and as late as the 1950s. Here are the known productions:
• Vancouver, B. C. • 1929 • Empress Theatre • 8 Weeks
• Victoria • 1929 • 4 Weeks
• Huron, South Dakota • Easter 1930 • Daum's Auditorium • The Robbins company was a traveling troupe and also performed that season in De Smet, Madison, Minnesota, Milbank, Webster and Lake Kampeska, South Dakota • Articles
• Los Angeles • May 1930 • President Theatre • Articles
• Oakland, California • May 1930 • Dufwin Theatre • Articles
• Poughkeepsie, New York • May 1930 • Poughkeepsie Playhouse • Articles
• Skowhegan, Maine • May 1930 • The Lakewood Players • Articles
• El Paso, Texas • September 1930 • Texas Grand Theatre • Articles
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • October 1930 • Pitt Theatre • Articles
• Sandusky, Ohio • October 1930 • Sandusky Theatre • Over 4 Weeks • Articles
• Winnipeg • October 1930 • Dominion†7 Theatre • Articles
• Rochester, New York • March 1931 • Lyceum Theatre†1 • Articles
• Salt Lake City, Utah • April 1931 • Playhouse • Articles
• Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania • June/July 1931 • The Gretna Theatre • Articles
• Uniontown, Pennsylvania • Summer 1931 • The Penn Theatre • Articles
• Mount Vernon, New York • December 1931 • Westchester Theatre • Articles
• Locust Valley, New York • August 1932 • Old Red Barn Theatre†2 • Articles
• Washington, D. C. • Spring/Summer 1932 • National Theatre • Articles
• Altoona, Pennsylvania • July 1933 • Lakemont Park Theatre • Articles
• Hollywood, California • October - December 1933 • Hollywood Playhouse • Over 8 Weeks • Articles
• Chicago, Illinois • Spring 1934 • Studebaker Theatre • Over 18 Weeks • Articles
• Oakland, California • April 1934 • Roosevelt Theatre • with Ben Erway • Extended Due to Popular Demand • Articles
• London • July 1934 • Whitehall Theatre†8 • with Frank Cellier • Articles See Below
• Highland Park, Michigan • July 1935 • Artisan Guild Theatre • Amateur Production • Articles
• Mount Kisco, New York • August 1935 • Westchester Playhouse†3 • with Mildred Natwick • Articles
• Broadway • April/May 1936 • Comedy Theatre†9 • 44 Performances (WPA Production) • Articles See Below
• Indianapolis, Indiana • June 1938 • York Theater Group • Articles
• Skaneateles, New York • Summer 1938 • Articles
• Drums, Pennsylvania • July 1939 • Green Gables Playhouse • Articles
• Buffalo, New York • Summer 1943 • Erlanger Theatre†4 • with Luella Gear • Articles
• Bridgeport, Connecticut • July 1947 • Bridgeport Playhouse†5 • Articles
• Ottawa • April 1950 • LaSalle Academy Playhouse • Articles
• Southbury, Connecticut • August 1954 • Jack Quinn's Southbury Playhouse • Articles
• Irwin, Pennsylvania • August 1954 • The White Barn Theatre • Articles
• Marengo, Illinois • August 1954 • Shady Lane Theatre†6 • Articles
• Marengo, Illinois • July 1959 • Shady Lane Theatre†6 • 7 Performances • Articles
ref: New York Times Miscellaneous Notices
†1Cinema Treasures • Lyceum Theatre, Rochester
†2New York Times • "Storm Wrecks Plans of Society Players" 06/29/1932
†3Westchester Magazine • "Mount Kisco's Westchester Playhouse: A Grooming Ground for Hollywood Stars"
†4PreservationReady.org - Erlanger Theatre
†5ctpost • "The Curtain May Come Down on Bridgeport's Playhouse on the Green" 05/31/2011
†6Chicago Tribune • "Shady Lane May Be In the Last Stages of Long Life" 10/10/1999
†6Marengo-Union Times • "Remembering One of Marengo's Best Attractions" 03/05/2013
†1Cinema Treasures • Lyceum Theatre, Rochester
†2New York Times • "Storm Wrecks Plans of Society Players" 06/29/1932
†3Westchester Magazine • "Mount Kisco's Westchester Playhouse: A Grooming Ground for Hollywood Stars"
†4PreservationReady.org - Erlanger Theatre
†5ctpost • "The Curtain May Come Down on Bridgeport's Playhouse on the Green" 05/31/2011
†6Chicago Tribune • "Shady Lane May Be In the Last Stages of Long Life" 10/10/1999
†6Marengo-Union Times • "Remembering One of Marengo's Best Attractions" 03/05/2013
†7Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Corner of Portage and Main
†7Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Corner of Portage and Main
†7Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Corner of Portage and Main
†7Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Corner of Portage and Main
Elizabeth Sleeps Out by Leslie Howard
Whitehall Theatre†8, London
Author
7/10/1934
ref: Eforgan, Theatre and Film Work Index
ref: Wearing, p. 603
ref: Miscellaneous Notices
ref: Oakland Tribune Commentary on England's Disrespect of Leslie Howard W. Soanes • "Curtain Calls" 07/27/1934
†8The Whitehall Theatre, Whitehall, London SW1
Elizabeth Sleeps Out by Leslie Howard
Comedy Theatre†9, New York
Author
Total Performances: 44
4/20/1936 - 5/27/1936
This showing of the play was fraught with controversy. Actors' Equity claimed that the actors in the production were not members of the Union and that the organizer of the show, Benjamin Levine, who claimed he got permission from the Century Play Company to present the play as "stock" or repertory, didn't, causing Leslie Howard's representatives, Brandt & Brandt, to request that the show be closed. Unfortunately for Howard, he had sold the rights to the play and only wished that people would forget that he was the author. Howard went so far as apologizing to the citizens of New York.
ref: Eforgan, Theatre and Film Work Index
ref: IBDb.com Leslie Howard Page
ref: IBDb.com Elizabeth Sleeps Out
ref: Wearing, p. 603
ref: Miscellaneous Notices
ref: About Frances Turner Buss (Amelia Tweedie)
ref: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Review 04/21/1936
ref: Cincinnati Enquirer 05/03/1936
ref: Oakland Tribune • "Leslie Howard Not Proud of His Play" 05/06/1936
ref: New York Times • "Regarding a Distaff Director" 04/03/1949
ref: Program in PDF
†9Comedy Theatre, 110 W. 41st St., New York, NY
See also Murray Hill • Boston 1927 - ten weeks; New York 1927 - 28 performances
See also Collecting Cousins • Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne May 1928
See also Tell Me the Truth • London 1928 - 64 performances
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email • And don't forget to respond to the verification email!
†7Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Corner of Portage and Main
†7Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Corner of Portage and Main
†7Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Corner of Portage and Main
Elizabeth Sleeps Out by Leslie Howard
Whitehall Theatre†8, London
Author
7/10/1934
ref: Eforgan, Theatre and Film Work Index
ref: Wearing, p. 603
ref: Miscellaneous Notices
ref: Oakland Tribune Commentary on England's Disrespect of Leslie Howard W. Soanes • "Curtain Calls" 07/27/1934
†8The Whitehall Theatre, Whitehall, London SW1
Elizabeth Sleeps Out by Leslie Howard
Comedy Theatre†9, New York
Author
Total Performances: 44
4/20/1936 - 5/27/1936
This showing of the play was fraught with controversy. Actors' Equity claimed that the actors in the production were not members of the Union and that the organizer of the show, Benjamin Levine, who claimed he got permission from the Century Play Company to present the play as "stock" or repertory, didn't, causing Leslie Howard's representatives, Brandt & Brandt, to request that the show be closed. Unfortunately for Howard, he had sold the rights to the play and only wished that people would forget that he was the author. Howard went so far as apologizing to the citizens of New York.
ref: Eforgan, Theatre and Film Work Index
ref: IBDb.com Leslie Howard Page
ref: IBDb.com Elizabeth Sleeps Out
ref: Wearing, p. 603
ref: Miscellaneous Notices
ref: About Frances Turner Buss (Amelia Tweedie)
ref: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Review 04/21/1936
ref: Cincinnati Enquirer 05/03/1936
ref: Oakland Tribune • "Leslie Howard Not Proud of His Play" 05/06/1936
ref: New York Times • "Regarding a Distaff Director" 04/03/1949
ref: Program in PDF
†9Comedy Theatre, 110 W. 41st St., New York, NY
See also Murray Hill • Boston 1927 - ten weeks; New York 1927 - 28 performances
See also Collecting Cousins • Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne May 1928
See also Tell Me the Truth • London 1928 - 64 performances
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email • And don't forget to respond to the verification email!
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