“Pan that play tonight and it’s ten to one you wake up tomorrow morning with more integrity and less wife than any man in town.”—Charlotte Orr (Act II)
Critic's Choice was inspired by the preface of a book written by noted critic Walter Kerr, who wrote: “I sometimes have visions of a gag conference in which that slick character who is traditionally known as Manny bounces in, eyes ablaze, and bubbles over with: ‘Listen. This guy's a dramatic critic, see? So his wife writes a play. He's got to review the play. Take it from there.’ ”
Levin took it from there, and created Critic's Choice, a Broadway hit which starred Henry Fonda and Mildred Natwick, and was later filmed starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. (Though the film was a greatly de-fanged rendering of Levin's pithy script.)
Critic's Choice was one of Levin's four out-and-out stage comedies: Critic's Choice, Break A Leg, Drat! The Cat! and No Time For Sergeants.
Interestingly, Deathtrap later took the notion of a partner writing a play, and upped the ante on all counts.
“Mr. Kennedy was 10 minutes late in arriving at the theatre and the curtain was held for him. The audience later waited for the President-elect to leave the theatre first, and applauded him as he left.”- The show's costumes were designed by Oleg Cassini
- Revered actor Gena Rowlands was initially slated to co-star with Henry Fonda. Some other performers of note who've appeared in Critic's Choice over the years: Jeff Conaway (Grease, Taxi), Richard Thomas (The Waltons), Eddie Hodges (The Music Man's original "Winthrop Paroo"), Betty White (whose storied love affair with Allen Ludden began while the two were co-starring in a summer stock production of the play — and of course, comedy royalty Bob Hope and Lucille Ball in the 1963 film.
