Adaptations Step Lively (1944) | Playwrights Allen Boretz, John Murray | |
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Room Service is a play written by Allen Boretz and John Murray. It was originally produced by George Abbott and debuted at the Cort Theatre in New York City on May 19, 1937. Its initial production ran for 500 performances, closing on July 16, 1938. The play was revived for a short run of 16 performances in 1953.
RKO Pictures purchased the film rights for a then-record $225,000 and used it as the basis for the Marx Brothers film of the same title. In 1944 RKO released a further film adaptation, a musical entitled Step Lively.
The 1937 production starred Eddie Albert as Leo Davis. The role was played by Jack Lemmon in the 1953 revival. Alexander Asro, who created the role of Sasha Smirnoff, played the same role in both the 1938 film and the revival.