Advertisement in The Sun, July 1916Actors Madge Kennedy and John Cumberland in the 1915 Broadway production of Fair and Warmer.
Fair and Warmer is a three-act comedy play by the American writer Avery Hopwood. It was first staged at the Eltinge Theatre in New York City on November 15, 1915, running for 377 performances, featuring Madge Kennedy, John Cumberland, Janet Beecher, Ralph Morgan, Hamilton Revelle, Olive May, Robert Fisher and Harry Lorraine. Staged by Robert Milton, it was well received by critics.[1] It is a farce about a mild-mannered banker who becomes embroiled in an innocent scheme to rekindle the romance in his marriage using his best friend's wife.
Plot
Friends Laura Bartlett and Jack Wheeler enjoy going out partying, but their respective spouses, Billy Bartlett and Blanche Wheeler, do not. One evening when Laura and Jack are out together, Billy and Blanche decide to try partying themselves. The inexperienced drinkers mix a cocktail so potent that they pass out together after just one drink, leading their spouses to think they are having an affair. Blanche returns the next day to apologize, but Laura has already decided to leave Billy and is having the furniture removed. The misunderstanding is resolved by Tessie, the Barletts' maid.
Cast and characters
From left to right actors Janet Beecher, Hamilton Revelle, John Cumberland, Ralph Morgan, and Madge Kennedy in Fair and Warmer.John Cumberland as Billy Bartlett and Madge Kennedy as Blanche Wheeler.
The characters and cast from the Broadway production are given below:
The 1937 German comedy The Model Husband with Heinz Rühmann was based on Hopwood's play and was followed up by West German and Swiss remakes in 1956 and 1959, respectively.
