Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure is a 1921 play written by Walter Hackett. It was a hit on the West End, where it ran for 18 months, and also on Broadway, where it was performed under the title Captain Applejack. It has been adapted multiple times as a movie and also as a stage musical.
Ambrose Applejohn is bored with his life in Cornwall, where he lives with his ward, Poppy Faire. He decides to sell his country estate so he can find excitement elsewhere. Several strangers appear at his door, all claiming reasons to be there that have nothing to do with the sale. One woman says she is a Russian dancer trying to defect, and a man claims to be looking for her. A couple says their car has broken down. Applejohn assumes they are all really prospective buyers investigating his home.
That night Applejohn dreams he is a pirate, Captain Applejack. His visitors appear in the dream as his adversaries. The next day, he discovers that the visitors are thieves hunting for a treasure map hidden in the house. Applejohn and Faire overcome the criminals, and he decides that life in Cornwall is exciting enough after all.
The play was previewed at the Theatre Royal, Brighton on 11 July 1921, under the title Spanish Treasure. After being retitled Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure, it made its West End debut at the Criterion Theatre on 19 July 1921. Charles Hawtrey produced and starred as Applejohn; Marion Lorne played Poppy Faire. The play continued at the Criterion over a year, until 19 August 1922, with 454 performances.[1] It then moved to the Savoy Theatre on the Strand, opening there on 2 October 1922 and running until 27 January 1923, with 139 performances.[2]
While the West End production was still ongoing, a Broadway production was launched, this time titled Captain Applejack. Wallace Eddinger played Applejohn, with Phoebe Foster as Faire. Sam H. Harris produced. It opened on 30 December 1921 at the Cort Theatre, where it ran for 195 performances, closing in June 1922.
A reviewer for The Spectator "thoroughly enjoyed" the play, despite criticizing it as "silly" and "loosely put together".[5] In The New York Times, Alexander Woollcott praised the play as a "droll and ingenious farce".[4]
^ abWearing, J. P. (2014). The London Stage 1920-1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel (2nd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 107. ISBN978-0-8108-9301-6.
^ abWearing, J. P. (2014). The London Stage 1920-1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel (2nd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 184. ISBN978-0-8108-9301-6.
^"Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 September 1922. p. 5.
^ abWoollcott, Alexander (31 December 1921). "The Play". The New York Times. Vol. 71, no. 23, 352. p. 14.
^"Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure at the Criterion Theatre". The Spectator. 30 July 1921. p. 141.
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Ambrose Applejohn s Adventure is a 1921 play written by Walter Hackett It was a hit on the West End where it ran for 18 months and also on Broadway where it was performed under the title Captain Applejack It has been adapted multiple times as a movie and also as a stage musical Ambrose Applejohn s AdventureWritten byWalter HackettDate premiered19 July 1921 1921 07 19 Place premieredCriterion TheatreOriginal languageEnglishGenreComedy Contents 1 Plot 2 Productions 3 Cast and characters 4 Reception 5 Adaptations 6 References 7 External linksPlot editAmbrose Applejohn is bored with his life in Cornwall where he lives with his ward Poppy Faire He decides to sell his country estate so he can find excitement elsewhere Several strangers appear at his door all claiming reasons to be there that have nothing to do with the sale One woman says she is a Russian dancer trying to defect and a man claims to be looking for her A couple says their car has broken down Applejohn assumes they are all really prospective buyers investigating his home That night Applejohn dreams he is a pirate Captain Applejack His visitors appear in the dream as his adversaries The next day he discovers that the visitors are thieves hunting for a treasure map hidden in the house Applejohn and Faire overcome the criminals and he decides that life in Cornwall is exciting enough after all Productions edit nbsp The play debuted at London s Criterion Theatre in 1921 The play was previewed at the Theatre Royal Brighton on 11 July 1921 under the title Spanish Treasure After being retitled Ambrose Applejohn s Adventure it made its West End debut at the Criterion Theatre on 19 July 1921 Charles Hawtrey produced and starred as Applejohn Marion Lorne played Poppy Faire The play continued at the Criterion over a year until 19 August 1922 with 454 performances 1 It then moved to the Savoy Theatre on the Strand opening there on 2 October 1922 and running until 27 January 1923 with 139 performances 2 While the West End production was still ongoing a Broadway production was launched this time titled Captain Applejack Wallace Eddinger played Applejohn with Phoebe Foster as Faire Sam H Harris produced It opened on 30 December 1921 at the Cort Theatre where it ran for 195 performances closing in June 1922 In 1922 the play made its first appearance in Australia opening at the Criterion Theatre in Sydney on 2 September 1922 with Lawrence Grossmith starring as Applejohn 3 Cast and characters editThe characters and cast from the West End and Broadway productions are given below nbsp Charles Hawtrey produced and starred in the West End production nbsp Hilda Moore played Anna Valeska in the West End production Cast of the West End and Broadway productions Character Criterion Theatre cast 1 Savoy Theatre cast 2 Cort Theatre cast 4 Ambrose Applejohn Charles Hawtrey Charles Hawtrey Wallace EddingerPoppy Faire Marion Lorne Marion Lorne Phoebe FosterHorace Pengard Edward Rigby Edward Rigby Alec F Thompson Ferdinand GottschalkLush Arthur Fayne Arthur Fayne John GrayMrs Pengard Annie Esmond Annie Esmond Helen LackayeAnna Valeska Hilda Moore Hilda Moore Mary NashIvan Borolsky Leslie Faber Clifton Alderson William Stack Hamilton RevelleDennett Wilson Blake C Fairlie Wilson Blake Walter F ScottJohnny Jason H V Surrey Austin Fairman Austin Fairman Harold VermilyeMrs Agatha Whatcombe Mona Harrison Mona Harrison Marie WainwrightMarie Winifred McCarthy Christine Rayner Christine RaynerPalmer Maud AndrewReception editA reviewer for The Spectator thoroughly enjoyed the play despite criticizing it as silly and loosely put together 5 In The New York Times Alexander Woollcott praised the play as a droll and ingenious farce 4 Adaptations editIn 1923 Louis B Mayer produced an adaptation of the play as a silent film titled Strangers of the Night directed by Fred Niblo and which starred Matt Moore Enid Bennett and Barbara La Marr Warner Brothers produced a sound film adaptation titled Captain Applejack in 1931 John Halliday and Mary Brian starred with direction by Hobart Henley In 1933 R P Weston and Bert Lee created a stage musical He Wanted Adventure based on Hackett s play References edit a b Wearing J P 2014 The London Stage 1920 1929 A Calendar of Productions Performers and Personnel 2nd ed Lanham Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield p 107 ISBN 978 0 8108 9301 6 a b Wearing J P 2014 The London Stage 1920 1929 A Calendar of Productions Performers and Personnel 2nd ed Lanham Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield p 184 ISBN 978 0 8108 9301 6 Ambrose Applejohn s Adventure The Sydney Morning Herald 4 September 1922 p 5 a b Woollcott Alexander 31 December 1921 The Play The New York Times Vol 71 no 23 352 p 14 Ambrose Applejohn s Adventure at the Criterion Theatre The Spectator 30 July 1921 p 141 External links editThe full text of Captain Applejack at HathiTrust Digital Library Captain Applejack at the Internet Broadway Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ambrose Applejohn 27s Adventure amp oldid 1058968606, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
