Present Laughter (Play of the Week)

1967 British television play

26th episode of the 12th series of Play of the Week

"Present Laughter"

Play of the Week episode
Episode no.| Series 12
Episode 26
Directed by| Gordon Flemyng
Based on| Present Laughter
by Noël Coward
Original air date| 28 February 1967 (1967-02-28)
Running time| 100 mins
Guest appearances

* Honor Blackman as Liz Essendine
* Isla Blair as Daphne Stillington
* William Dexter as Henry Lyppiatt
* Edward Hardwicke as Morris Dixon
* Sheila Keith as Miss Erikson
* Avice Landone as Monica Reed
* Marie Lohr as Lady Saltburn
* Peter O'Toole as Garry Essendine
* Tim Preece as Roland Maule
* Tony Selby as Fred
* Yolande Turner as Joanna Lyppiatt

"Present Laughter" is a 1967 British television version of the play of the same name by Noël Coward. It aired as a Play of the Week. Peter O'Toole starred. It was a co-production between Associated Television and O'Toole's own company, Keep Films.[1] It aired in the United States in 1968.[2] It was O'Toole's first appearance on television after becoming a movie star and marked his debut on American television in a television drama.[3]

## Production

[edit]

Coward, who originated the stage lead role, advised O'Toole "Don't try and copy me. Be yourself."[1] Honor Blackman was offered the role of the seductress but asked to play the wife. She had a high-profile at the time due to her success in Goldfinger.[4]

The play was one of four two-hour specials Lew Grade of ATV sold to American television in October 1966 for £2.5 million along with episodes of The Prisoner and The Saint. It was shot in colour.[5]

## Reception

[edit]

The Leicester Mercury said "there was not a dull moment".[6]

The show was broadcast in the United States as part of a series of specials on ABC. The Los Angeles Times called it "great fun and it played beautifully on TV. O'Toole was a delight."[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Roberts, Diane (16 February 1967). "'Be yourself' said Noel to Peter O'Toole". Lincolnshire Echo. p. 6. Retrieved 20 September 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ Kirkley, Donald (28 February 1968). "Look and Listen". The Baltimore Sun. p. 17 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ Sellers, Robert (2015). Peter O'Toole: The definitive biography. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. p. 395\. ISBN 978-1-250-09594-7.
4. ^ Baily, Kenneth (5 March 1967). "Why Honor said no to O'Toole". The People. p. 4 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ Greig, Ramsden (10 October 1966). "Lew Grade sells British TV shows for 7m dollars". The Evening Standard. p. 12.
6. ^ "O'Toole showed superb flair in Coward play". Leicester Mercury. 1 March 1967. p. 10 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ McMinn, Alenee (29 February 1968). "'Present Laughter' on ABC series". Los Angeles Times. p. 78.

## External links

[edit]

* "Present Laughter" at IMDb
* "Present Laughter" at BFI

* v
* t
* e

Works by Noël Coward

Revues|

* London Calling! (1923)
* On with the Dance (1925)
* This Year of Grace (1928)
* Words and Music (1932)
* Set to Music (1939)
* Sigh No More (1945)
* Noël Coward's Sweet Potato (1968)
* Oh, Coward! (1972)
* Cowardy Custard (1972)

Musicals|

* Bitter Sweet (1929)
* Conversation Piece (1934)
* Operette (1938)
* Pacific 1860 (1946)
* Ace of Clubs (1950)
* After the Ball (1954)
* Sail Away (1961)
* The Girl Who Came to Supper (1963)

Plays|

* The Rat Trap (1918)
* I'll Leave It to You (1920)
* The Better Half (1922)
* The Young Idea (1923)
* The Vortex (1924)
* Hay Fever (1925)
* Fallen Angels (1925)
* Easy Virtue (1925)
* The Queen Was in the Parlour (1926)
* Semi-Monde (1926)
* This Was a Man (1926)
* Sirocco (1927)
* The Marquise (1927)
* Home Chat (1927)
* Private Lives (1930)
* Post-Mortem (1930)
* Cavalcade (1931)
* Design for Living (1932)
* Point Valaine (1934)
* Tonight at 8.30 (1936)
* Present Laughter (1939)
* This Happy Breed (1939)
* Blithe Spirit (1941)
* Peace in Our Time (1946)
* South Sea Bubble (1949)
* Relative Values (1951)
* Quadrille (1952)
* Nude with Violin (1956)
* Look After Lulu! (1959)
* Waiting in the Wings (1960)
* Suite in Three Keys (1966)

Films|

* In Which We Serve (1942)
* This Happy Breed (1944)
* Blithe Spirit (1945)
* Brief Encounter (1945)
* The Astonished Heart (1950)

Prose|

* Pomp and Circumstance (1960)
* Pretty Polly and Other Stories (1964)

Memoirs|

* Present Indicative (1937)
* Future Indefinite (1954)
* The Noël Coward Diaries (1982)

Adaptations|

| Films|

* The Queen Was in the Parlour (1927)
* The Vortex (1928)
* Easy Virtue (1928)
* Private Lives (1930)
* Bitter Sweet (1933)
* Cavalcade (1933)
* Tonight Is Ours (1933)
* Design for Living (1933)
* Bitter Sweet (1940)
* We Were Dancing (1942)
* Meet Me Tonight (1952)
* Pretty Polly (1967)
* Relative Values (2000)
* Easy Virtue (2008)
* Blithe Spirit (2020)

|

TV|

* Cavalcade (1955)
* Blithe Spirit (1956)
* South Sea Bubble (1956)
* Red Peppers (1962)
* Nude with Violin (1964)
* Waiting in the Wings (1965)
* Present Laughter (1967)
* Look After Lulu! (1967)

Musical|

* High Spirits (1964)

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