The play is a farcical black comedy revolving around the Brewster family, descended from Mayflower settlers but now composed of maniacs, most of them homicidal. The hero, … See more

In parallel with the main Broadway run (January 10, 1941 – June 17, 1944), a series of national roadshows took place, the first one in 1941–1942 which travelled to 57 cities in about 18 months, opening in Chicago on April 1, 1941. The cast comprised See more

The play was produced by the Edinburgh Gateway Company in 1959. In 1966, Sybil Thorndike, Athene Seyler, Julia Lockwood and Richard Briers appeared in the play in London. The play is still widely performed and has been translated into many languages. See more

The opening night cast consisted of:
• Jean Adair as Martha Brewster
• John Alexander as Teddy Brewster
• Wyrley Birch as The Rev. Dr. Harper
• Helen … See more

When Kesselring taught at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, he lived in a boarding house called the Goerz House, and many of the features of its living room are reflected in the Brewster sisters' living room, where the action of the play is set. The Goerz House … See more

On January 5, 1955, a 60-minute version of the play aired on the CBS Television series The Best of Broadway. It starred Boris Karloff, recreating his stage role as homicidal maniac Jonathan Brewster. Helen Hayes and Billie Burke played his not-so-innocent … See more

• Gunter, Matthew C. (2012). The Capra Touch: A Study of the Director's Hollywood Classics and War Documentaries, 1934–1945. … See more