The Subject Was Roses
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The Subject Was Roses is a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1964 play written by Frank D. Gilroy, who also adapted it for the 1968 film of the same title.
The play had its Broadway premiere on May 25, 1964 at the Royale Theatre, starring Jack Albertson, Irene Dailey and Martin Sheen, and directed by Ulu Grosbard. A major critical and commercial success, the play ran 882 performances and was nominated for five Tony Awards, winning two for Best Play and Best Featured Actor (Albertson). For his work in the play, Gilroy won the year's Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Columbia Records recorded the complete play in a recording studio with the original cast members and released it as a double-LP set.
In the published script, Gilroy included a day-by-day journal he called "About Those Roses or How Not To Do a Play and Succeed." According to the journal, "The Subject Was Roses opened on Broadway with a producer who had never produced a Broadway play; a director who had never directed one; a scenic artist who had never designed one; a general manager who had never managed one; and three actors who were virtually unknown." Additionally, the play opened after all of the award deadlines, so it was not eligible until the following year, triumphing over Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, Murray Schisgal's Luv and Edward Albee's Tiny Alice for the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. During the play's two year run, The Subject Was Roses played five different Broadway theatres and Dustin Hoffman became a replacement stage manager and understudied the role of Timmy.
A rare occurrence, the film was a faithful adaptation of the play and used most of the cast and crew for the film. The only notable exception was the replacement of Irene Dailey with veteran screen actress Patricia Neal. The film proved a significant comeback for Neal, who was still recovering from a debilitating stroke and hadn't appeared on screen since 1965's In Harm's Way. For her performance, Neal was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Leading Actress. Albertson took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and Sheen was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role. The film utilized two Judy Collins recordings: Collins' reading of Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes", played over the film's opening credits, and Collins' own composition "Albatross".
In 1991, the Roundabout Theatre Company revived the play in New York City with John Mahoney, Dana Ivey and Patrick Dempsey. A 2006 revival of the play was produced by Jeffrey Finn at the Kennedy Center starring Bill Pullman, Judith Ivey, and Steve Kazee. All three performers were nominated for 2007 Helen Hayes Awards.
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[edit] Plot
Timmy Cleary (Martin Sheen) returns home from his service during World War II. While he seems to vindicate himself in his father's eyes for surviving the war, his drinking and cursing disturb his mother. Though his parents, John and Nettie (Jack Albertson and Patricia Neal/Irene Dailey), seem to be happy, the peace proves to be a facade. Soon old emotional wounds and unresolved marital problems resurface. Caught in the middle, Timmy feels responsible for their squabbling, but can see no way to resolve their problems.
[edit] Cast
| Film | Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | Role | Actor |
| Patricia Neal | Nettie Cleary | Irene Dailey |
| Jack Albertson | John Cleary | Jack Albertson |
| Martin Sheen | Timmy Cleary | Martin Sheen |
[edit] Awards
[edit] Academy Awards
| The Subject Was Roses | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ulu Grosbard |
| Produced by | Edgar Lansbury |
| Written by | Frank D. Gilroy (play and screenplay) |
| Starring | Patricia Neal Jack Albertson Martin Sheen |
| Music by | Lee Pockriss |
| Cinematography | Jack Priestley |
| Editing by | Jerry Greenberg |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | October 13, 1968 |
| Running time | 107 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Won:
Nominated:
[edit] Golden Globe Awards
Nominated:
[edit] Pulitzer Prize
Won:
[edit] Tony Awards
Won:
- Best Play (writer, Frank D. Gilroy; producer, Edgar Lansbury)
- Best Featured Actor - Play (Jack Albertson)
Nominated:
- Best Featured Actor - Play (Martin Sheen)
- Best Director - Play (Ulu Grosbard)
- Best Author - Play (Frank D. Gilroy)
[edit] External links
- The Subject was Roses at the Internet Movie Database
- Internet Broadway Database listing for The Subject Was Roses
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