The Royal Family (Broadway Theatre Archive)

Movie / Show Details

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Elegantly written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, The Royal Family had more impact in 1927, when its similarities to the Barrymore clan were readily apparent, but this frequently witty drama remains relevant in exploring the blessings and curses of life on the stage. An affectionate portrait of a multigenerational family of eccentric American thespians, the play draws its lifeblood from Lily Cavendish (a perfect role for stage veteran Eva LeGallienne), now in her final days and still yearning for greasepaint and footlights. Her children followed her into theater, but marriage now tempts them away, and flamboyant son Tony (played by codirector Ellis Rabb, channeling John Barrymore) faces legal problems from Hollywood. What’s a matriarch to do? Rabb favors Ferber’s familial drama over Kaufman’s comedic precision, and the play mildly suffers from that imbalance. Still, its purebred pedigree remains intact, and The Royal Family lives on as a celebration of the acting fever that never goes away. –Jeff Shannon

Product Description

George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber collaborated on this 1927 hit comedy about an eminent and slightly eccentric theatrical clan. A Barrymore-like brood, the Cavendishes are as flamboyant offstage as they are on. Their real-life family drama occurs in a Manhattan apartment when the grand matriarch, Fanny Cavendish, learns that her daughter and granddaughter may both be giving up the stage for marriage. Theatre legends Rosemary Harris, Eva LeGallienne, Sam Levene and Ellis Rabb have great fun portraying characters they know all too well from their years on stage.