7.6 /10 1 Votes
| 3.8/5 Goodreads First performance 20 August 1930 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date premiered August 20, 1930 (1930-08-20) Adaptations The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957) Similar Robert and Elizabeth, Pippa Passes, Winterset, The Wingless Victory, High Tor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Katherine cornell in the barretts of wimpole street
The Barretts of Wimpole Street is a 1930 play by Rudolf Besier, based on the romance between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, and her father's unwillingness to allow them to marry. The play gave actress Katharine Cornell her signature role.
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Production
The Barretts of Wimpole Street was Rudolf Besier's only real success as a playwright. It was first staged August 20, 1930, at the Malvern Festival in Malvern, Worcestershire. Directed by Sir Barry Jackson, the production starred Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Elizabeth Barrett Moulton-Barrett and Scott Sunderland as Robert Browning.
Besier then turned to the United States, but was rebuffed by no fewer than 27 producers, before the actress Katharine Cornell took a personal interest in the play and had it staged at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio in 1931. The role of Elizabeth Barrett worked so well for Cornell that it became her signature role.
The Barretts of Wimpole Street then went to Broadway, where it opened on February 9, 1931, at the Empire Theatre, starring Katharine Cornell and Brian Aherne. It was revived there in 1934 and 1945.
Film
It was filmed in 1934, starring Fredric March, Norma Shearer and Charles Laughton. That film was remade scene-for-scene and almost shot-for-shot, in colour, in 1957, starring Bill Travers, Jennifer Jones and Sir John Gielgud. Both films were directed by Sidney Franklin.
Musical
The play also spawned a musical. It was first set as The Third Kiss by Judge Fred G. Moritt, which was never produced, but that was reworked as Robert and Elizabeth, with music by Ron Grainer. It opened in London in 1964, starring June Bronhill and Keith Michell.
Television
A 1982 TV series The Barretts of Wimpole Street was made by the BBC starring Jane Lapotaire, Joss Ackland, Jeremy Brett and Nigel Stock.