You Can't Take It with You

You Can't Take It with You is a Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy play written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. It premiered on Broadway in 1936 and enjoyed a run of 838 performances, becoming one of the most successful plays of its era. The story centers on the eccentric Sycamore family and the chaos that ensues when their daughter brings her conservative fiancé and his straight-laced parents to dinner. Celebrating individuality and critiquing materialism, the play was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1938 directed by Frank Capra.

Plot

The plot unfolds in the chaotic Manhattan home of Martin Vanderhof, where his daughter Penny Sycamore writes plays and his son-in-law Paul Sycamore manufactures fireworks in the basement. Their daughter Alice Sycamore works for the Wall Street firm of Kirby & Co., where she falls in love with her boss's son, Tony Kirby. When the staid Mr. and Mrs. Kirby arrive for a disastrous dinner on the wrong night, they encounter a household including a ballet-dancing Essie Carmichael, her xylophone-playing husband Ed Carmichael, and a Russian ballet teacher Boris Kolenkhov. The evening culminates in the arrest of the entire household after a firework explosion, leading to a courtroom scene where Grandpa Vanderhof’s philosophy of happiness over money ultimately wins over the Kirbys.

Characters

The central character is Martin Vanderhof (Grandpa), a retired man who abandoned his business career to enjoy life. His daughter, Penny Sycamore, is an aspiring playwright influenced by a typewriter mistakenly delivered years prior. Her husband, Paul Sycamore, and his friend, Mr. De Pinna, obsess over homemade fireworks. The Sycamores' younger daughter, Essie Carmichael, practices ballet incessantly while her husband, Ed Carmichael, prints anarchist leaflets and plays the xylophone. Alice Sycamore, the "normal" daughter, works for Kirby & Co. and is courted by Tony Kirby. The strait-laced Mr. Kirby and his wife represent Wall Street conventionality, while other colorful figures include the passionate Boris Kolenkhov, a Grand Duchess Olga working as a waitress, and government agents Henderson and Wilbur C. Henderson.

Production history

The play premiered on December 14, 1936, at the Booth Theatre in New York City, produced by Sam H. Harris. The original cast included Henry Travers as Grandpa, Josephine Hull as Penny, and Frank Conroy as Mr. Kirby. Staged by co-author George S. Kaufman, it was an immediate commercial and critical success, running for 838 performances. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1937, solidifying the reputations of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman as masters of American comedy. Major revivals have been staged by institutions like the Williamstown Theatre Festival and on Broadway, including a 2014 production at the Longacre Theatre featuring James Earl Jones as Grandpa.

Adaptations

The most famous adaptation is the 1938 Columbia Pictures film directed by Frank Capra, starring Lionel Barrymore as Grandpa, Jean Arthur as Alice, and James Stewart as Tony Kirby. This version won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Academy Award for Best Director. A 1979 television film was broadcast on CBS, and a 1984 Broadway musical version, titled *Senator Joe*, had a brief run. The play has also been a staple of community theatre and regional theaters worldwide, including productions at the Chichester Festival Theatre and the Shaw Festival.

Critical reception and legacy

Upon its premiere, critics like Brooks Atkinson of *The New York Times* praised its warmth, humor, and humanitarian message. The play’s victory in the Pulitzer Prize competition was seen as a recognition of its perfect comedic construction and social commentary. The Frank Capra film adaptation was both a critical and popular success, further cementing the work's place in American culture. The play remains a frequently performed classic, celebrated for its affirmation of nonconformity and its critique of the American Dream's materialistic pursuits, influencing later comedic works about eccentric families.

Category:American plays Category:Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners Category:1936 plays