Cats, Wicked, Miss Saigon, The Book of Mormon and American Idiot are poised to be the next in a long line of Broadway to Hollywood success stories. Which big non-musical movie adaptation became even bigger when it flipped coasts?
Which non-musical movie based on a successful Broadway stage play became the best Hollywood movie adaptation? * Broadway or Off-Broadway
See the partial list of Broadway to Hollywood non-musical adaptations here: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls066312145/
Poll: http://www.imdb.com/poll/1B9tluYR2l0/
Which non-musical movie based on a successful Broadway stage play became the best Hollywood movie adaptation? * Broadway or Off-Broadway
See the partial list of Broadway to Hollywood non-musical adaptations here: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls066312145/
Poll: http://www.imdb.com/poll/1B9tluYR2l0/
Posted 3 years ago
Dibyayan Chakravorty, Champion
gromit82, Champion
I am not aware of any "big-name" non-musicals being adapted in the near future. Therefore since none were available, it is what it is and used the recognizable near-term choices available as examples. The poll is about Broadway to Hollywood
success stories, the introduction is therefore still accurate, but I can understand your point. I agree ideally, non-musical adaptations would be better.
(Edited)
Revised introduction:
Broadway is where the musical reigns supreme. Regardless,non-musical plays still find a niche and can become just as big when they make the move to Hollywood. Which big non-musical movie adaptation became even bigger when it flipped coasts?
Broadway is where the musical reigns supreme. Regardless,non-musical plays still find a niche and can become just as big when they make the move to Hollywood. Which big non-musical movie adaptation became even bigger when it flipped coasts?
"The Matchmaker", "Deathtrap", "Life With Father" ( book to play to movie), "Auntie Mame" (the same route as LOF), "Witness For The Prosecution"*, "Dracula" (book to play to movie), "Peter Pan" (book to play to movie), "Of Mice And Men" (book to play to movie), "Pygmalion" (two movie adaptions 1935 and 1938 before it was turned into "My Fair Lady") were all non-musical Broadway plays turned into movies..
And speaking of the musical "Chicago", that is from the non musical Broadway play "Chicago" which is about two actual murder trials. The non-musical play was made into two movies: "Chicago" (1927) and "Roxie Hart" (1942). It qualifies too.
Update, as rocky-O reminded me of David Mammit plays when he wrote "Equus": "The Elephant Man" was a non-musical Broadway play too.
*Agthia Christie wrote two plays. One was based on one of her books and the other, WFTP, was an orginnal mystery for the stage.
And speaking of the musical "Chicago", that is from the non musical Broadway play "Chicago" which is about two actual murder trials. The non-musical play was made into two movies: "Chicago" (1927) and "Roxie Hart" (1942). It qualifies too.
Update, as rocky-O reminded me of David Mammit plays when he wrote "Equus": "The Elephant Man" was a non-musical Broadway play too.
*Agthia Christie wrote two plays. One was based on one of her books and the other, WFTP, was an orginnal mystery for the stage.
(Edited)
I added Elephant Man and Witness For The Prosecution as the most notable suggestions. I like the other suggestions but it looks like a stage play that became a movie needs 10k in votes to make the cut(too mant to list them all). I also eliminated movies more famous for the book and the play, as well as stage plays that were adapted into musicals. Those musical movies are included on the other list. Thanks, for the suggestions
wow urbane...so many great choices...
do you know that most of the early marx brothers movies started out as stage plays...
and then there was the brilliant al pacino movie 'chinese coffee' which started out as a play...
and 'equus' which was another amazing play...(saw it three times on broadway with three different leading actors), also turned into a great movie...
so many great choices...well done...
do you know that most of the early marx brothers movies started out as stage plays...
and then there was the brilliant al pacino movie 'chinese coffee' which started out as a play...
and 'equus' which was another amazing play...(saw it three times on broadway with three different leading actors), also turned into a great movie...
so many great choices...well done...
I just suggested some more too. Btw, by the same playwrite, "The Elephant Man".
Thanks, I will review them and add where appropriate. I will emphasize original plays over book adaptations, works better know as plays than for the book , as well as those plays whose fame is mostly associated with Broadway.
I thought this might be of interest about the financial split between Musicals and Plays on Broadway from the NYT. "Another challenge the annual grosses made clear: The season was not great, financially, for nonmusical plays. Three of the four Tony nominees for best new play this year (“Indecent,” “Sweat” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2”) have struggled to sell seats; the exception is “Oslo,” staged by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater, which has been selling well. Only about 10 percent of the season’s total grosses went to plays, compared with 89 percent for musicals and 1 percent for special events.
Source: "https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/theater/high-ticket-prices-are-fueling-a-broadway-boom.html?ref=t...
I thought this might be of interest about the financial split between Musicals and Plays on Broadway from the NYT. "Another challenge the annual grosses made clear: The season was not great, financially, for nonmusical plays. Three of the four Tony nominees for best new play this year (“Indecent,” “Sweat” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2”) have struggled to sell seats; the exception is “Oslo,” staged by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater, which has been selling well. Only about 10 percent of the season’s total grosses went to plays, compared with 89 percent for musicals and 1 percent for special events.
Source: "https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/theater/high-ticket-prices-are-fueling-a-broadway-boom.html?ref=t...
(Edited)
Okey, and while your are reviewing, please amend your entry for "His Girl Friday". There is no play by that name. It was Howard Hawks' remake of "The Front Page" which was a play that was made four times into a movie with it's orginnal name (two were for TV.). The orginnal 1931 film adaption http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021890/?... with Pat O'Brien as Hildy Johnston and Billy Wider's 1977 version with Jack Lemmon as Hildy Johnston http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071524/?... . As you know why Hawks changed the name of his version was because he cast a woman, Rosalind Russell, as Hildy Johnston instead of a man. Can your comment for that entry point it to the right stage play?
(Edited)
Date and Place premiered: August 14, 1928 at
Times Square Theater
New York City, Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Front_Page
added note of original play name and other film adaptations for clarity
New York City, Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Front_Page
added note of original play name and other film adaptations for clarity
(Edited)
Thank you
Dan Dassow, Champion
Dan Dassow, Champion
