{{short description|Play adapted by P. G. Wodehouse}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox play | name = Good Morning, Bill | image = | alt = | caption = | writer = {{plainlist| * Ladislaus Fodor (original play) * P. G. Wodehouse (adaptor)}} | characters = | mute = | setting = | premiere = {{Start date|1927|11|28}} | place = Duke of York's Theatre | series = | subject = | genre = Comedy }}
'''''Good Morning, Bill''''' is a comedic play by P. G. Wodehouse,<ref name=script/> adapted from the Hungarian play ''Doktor Juci Szabo'' by playwright Ladislaus Fodor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d442a3dddde220001a96502/t/5d4e8b33c889080001da7082/1565428531316/INFORM2+rev+2018.pdf |title=Plays Written in Whole or in Part by P G Wodehouse|website=The PG Wodehouse Society (UK)|date=December 2018|access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref> It premiered in London at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1927.<ref name=script>Wodehouse (1983), pp. 73–76.</ref>
Wodehouse later adapted the play into the novel ''Doctor Sally'' (1932).<ref>{{cite book|last=Easdale|first=Roderick|title=The Novel Life of PG Wodehouse|publisher=Acorn Books|date=2014|location=London|isbn=978-0954291365|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zwDAwAAQBAJ}}</ref>
==Plot== {{See also|Doctor Sally#Plot}} Bill falls in love with the beautiful and aloof Dr Sally Smith and tries to gain her affection. He also wants to end his relationship with Lottie, a lively former actress, but has difficulty after his well-intentioned yet tactless friend "Squiffy", Lord Tidmouth, tries to help. Meanwhile, Bill's uncle Sir Hugo Drake, an eminent nerve specialist, thinks Bill loves Lottie and disapproves. His attempts to end their relationship complicate things further for Bill.
The short novel ''Doctor Sally'' was adapted from the three-act play ''Good Morning, Bill'', though there are a few plot differences. Bill's surname is Paradene in the play, while it is Bannister in the book. The play begins with Lord Tidmouth seeing Lottie in the hotel, unlike the book, which starts with Sir Hugo meeting Sally on a golf course. In the play, Tidmouth and Lottie have never met before, and Sir Hugo ultimately pays Lottie to leave Bill instead of convincing her that she would find life boring with him.
The first act of the play takes place in a suite in the Esplanade Hotel, Marvis Beach, Sussex. The second and third acts are set at Bill Paradene's country house in Hampshire.<ref name=script/>
==Roles and original cast== The script lists the characters in the order in which they appear:<ref name=script/><ref name=pictorial>{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/e9b99bfb2835fbb5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18398 |title=Play Pictorial; London Vol. 52, Iss. 310|website=ProQuest|access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref> * Marie, ''Lottie's maid'' — Barbara Wilcox * Lord Tidmouth — Lawrence Grossmith * Lottie — Dorothy Minto * Bill Paradene — Ernest Truex * Page-boy — E. Hallows * Sally Smith M.D. — Vera Lennox * Sir Hugo Drake, ''Bill's uncle'' — Sam Lysons
==Productions== ''Good Morning, Bill'' was first presented at 7 November 1927 at the Devonshire Park Theatre.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wearing|first=J. P.|title= The London Stage 1930-1939: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2014|location=Plymouth|isbn=978-0810893030|page=124}}</ref>
The play premiered in London at the Duke of York's Theatre on 28 November 1927. It starred Ernest Truex and Vera Lennox, with Lawrence Grossmith as Lord Tidmouth. It ran for 146 performances. The producer was Athole Stewart and the director was Sam Lysons.<ref name=McIl>McIlvaine (1990), J34, pp. 304–305.</ref> Peter Haddon starred in a production of the play in 1928 with William Hartnell as his understudy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rodrigues|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/from-the-archive-blog/2014/aug/22/doctor-who-capaldi-peter-hartnell-archive|title=Doctor Who from the archive: William Hartnell, the first Doctor|website=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News & Media Limited|date=22 August 2014|access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref>
The publication of the novel ''Doctor Sally'' led to a new production of the play at Daly's Theatre in London. The production opened on 20 March 1934, and starred Peter Haddon and Winifred Shotter. Lawrence Grossmith again played Lord Tidmouth.<ref name=intro/> It ran for 78 performances. The producer was Peter Haddon and the director was Reginald Bach.<ref name=McIl/>
It was produced at the Theatre Royal, Bristol, in 1981. The cast included Ingrid Lacey, Ian Price, Lesley Duff, and Geoffrey Chater. The production was directed by Eric Thompson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.library.ufl.edu/spec/belknap/ufplaybills3.htm |title=PBelknap Playbill and Program Collection - Contents List Continued|website=George A. Smathers Libraries|date=2004|access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref>
''Good Morning, Bill'' was presented at the Connelly Theater in New York in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thevillager.com/2003/09/p-g-wodehouse-play-at-the-connelly/ |last=Tallmer |first=Jerry |title=P.G. Wodehouse play at the Connelly |website=The Villager|date=30 September 2003|access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref>
==Publication history==
''Good Morning, Bill'' was published by Methuen as a hardbound book on 28 March 1928.<ref name=intro>Wodehouse (1983), "Introduction" by David A. Jasen, p. xv.</ref> The book was subtitled ''A Three-Act Comedy'' and was reissued in 1938.<ref>McIlvaine (1990), pp. 136—137, C3.</ref>
It was included in ''Four Plays'', a 1983 collection of four plays by Wodehouse published by Methuen. In addition to ''Good Morning Bill'', the book also includes another play adapted by Wodehouse from a Hungarian work, ''The Play's the Thing'', as well as ''Come On, Jeeves'' and the play dramatisation of Wodehouse's novel ''Leave It to Psmith''.<ref name=intro/>
==Reception==
The play's original 1927 London production was well received. The run was limited to 146 performances since the theatre was previously booked for another presentation.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jasen|first=David A.|title=P.G. Wodehouse: A Portrait of a Master|publisher=Schirmer Trade Books|date=2012|location=London|isbn=978-0-85712-754-9|orig-year=1974, 2002|edition=Reprinted|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zwDAwAAQBAJ}}</ref>
Positive reviews of the London premiere were published in ''The Morning Post'', the ''Daily Mail'', and ''The Daily Telegraph''.<ref name=pictorial/>
==Adaptations==
In 1939, ''Good Morning, Bill'' was adapted into a BBC comedy television film of the same name. It was produced by Royston Morley. Bill was portrayed by Peter Haddon, who previously played Bill on the stage, and Sally was portrayed by Eileen Peel. The cast also included Michael Shepley as Lord Tilbury, Diana Beaumont as Lottie, and Brefni O'Rorke as Sir Hugo Drake.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2d5f9a021d244735b254cedac69eb482 |title=Good Morning, Bill! (4 June 1939) |website=BBC Genome |date=2019 |access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a638413bb3f443be914a71bbe3b0700b |title=Good Morning, Bill (12 June 1939) |website=BBC Genome |date=2019 |access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref>
The 1945 Swedish comedy film ''Gomorron Bill!'' was based on ''Good Morning, Bill''. The film starred Lauritz Falk and Gaby Stenberg.<ref>Taves (2006), pp. 102–103 and 169–170.</ref>
In 1985, the play was adapted into a radio drama for BBC Radio 4, with Martin Jarvis as Bill, Alexandra Bastedo as Sally, Judy Buxton as Lottie, Jeremy Child as Lord Tidmouth, David Garth as Sir Hugo Drake, Natasha Pyne as Marie, and Trevor Nichols as the page-boy. It was adapted and produced by David Johnston.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6f81bd79402b4826a48c0d920065357e |title=Saturday-Night Theatre Good Morning, Bill |website=BBC Genome |date=2019 |access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref>
==References== ;Notes {{Reflist}} ;Bibliography * {{cite book|last1=McIlvaine|first1=Eileen|first2=Louise S.|last2=Sherby|first3=James H.|last3=Heineman|title=P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist|date=1990|publisher=James H. Heineman Inc.|location=New York|isbn=978-0-87008-125-5}} * {{cite book|last=Taves|first=Brian|title= P. G. Wodehouse and Hollywood: Screenwriting, Satires and Adaptations|publisher=McFarland & Company|date=2006|location=London|isbn=978-0-7864-2288-3}} * {{cite book|author-last= Wodehouse|author-first= P. G.|author-link= P. G. Wodehouse|title=Four Plays|publisher=Methuen London Ltd|date=1983|isbn=978-0413530202}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|qid=Q123616221|title=Good Morning, Bill (1939)}} * {{IMDb title|qid=Q10507059|title=Gomorron Bill! (1945)}}
{{P. G. Wodehouse}}
Category:British comedy plays Category:1927 plays Category:Plays by P. G. Wodehouse Category:Works adapted into novels