Katharine Hepburn was in discussions to star in the original Broadway stage production of "Stage Door", but Broadway producer Leland Hayward, reportedly jealous of her deepening friendship with noted film director John Ford, cast his then-girlfriend Margaret Sullavan in the leading role. Hayward and Sullavan married one month after the stage play opened. Margaret Sullavan was considered for the film version but became pregnant with their first child, and the part went to Katharine Hepburn.Incredibly, Ann Miller was only 14 years old when she appeared in this film. She had lied about her age and procured a fake birth certificate, but the precocious Miller was so tall and beautiful at age 14 that she pulled it off. With this knowledge, today it is quite impressive to see her holding her own while dancing with Ginger Rogers, by then an international star as the dance partner of Fred Astaire.
George S. Kaufman, upset and bemused by the way the screenwriters had substantially changed the play, suggested that the title also be changed, to "Screen Door".
In an interview in "Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story" (1987), Katharine Hepburn relates that she was upset that she was given the diminished role of a character that she felt was pointless to the script. Hepburn asked director Gregory La Cava what was the essential point of her character. He responded "She is the human question mark." She then asked what that meant, and he replied "____ damned if I know!"
Katharine Hepburn's box office power had been declining and was given a smaller part than she was accustomed, and initially she was to receive second billing under Ginger Rogers. Hepburn protested to RKO producer Pandro S. Berman, who told Hepburn "she was lucky to have the 7th role in a star picture". Hepburn persisted and was giving more scenes as filming progressed, and she and Ginger Rogers eventually shared side-by-side top billing.
The famous line delivered by Katharine Hepburn ("The calla lilies are in bloom again...") is actually dialog taken from the play "The Lake", which Hepburn infamously played on Broadway (Dorothy Parker famously said that Hepburn "ran the gamut of emotions - from A to B.").
The screenplay was considerably altered from the hit stage play. Director Gregory La Cava was particularly gifted working with actresses. For two weeks prior to filming, he had his cast improvise in the boarding house set as if they were actually rooming together, and had a script girl take down all their interchanges. Most of the dialog you hear in the boarding house is extemporaneous ad-libs by the actresses during rehearsals.
CORRECTION: The "Footlights Club" was based on the Rehearsal Club, not the Three Arts Club, which was not, in fact, founded by Mrs. Hammond. Three Arts was founded by Deaconess Jane H. Hall in 1903 for female students of fine arts, music and drama (not singing, dancing and acting). Mrs. Hammond was a board member, but not a founder. In 1913, Deaconess Hall co-founded the Rehearsal Club, which was a residence for professional women of the theater. Edna Ferber was very familiar with the Rehearsal Club, which by 1936 was located on West 53rd Street, and based "Stage Door" on this residence.
The stage version of "Stage Door", written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, opened at the Music Box Theater in New York on October 22, 1936 and ran for 169 performances. In addition to Margaret Sullavan in the leading role, the supporting cast included Tom Ewell and Mary Wickes.
Cast of Stage Door
Katharine Hepburn as Terry Randall
Ginger Rogers as Jean Maitland
Adolphe Menjou as Anthony Powell
Gail Patrick as Linda Shaw
Constance Collier as Catherine Luther
Andrea Leeds as Kay Hamilton
Samuel S. Hinds as Henry Sims
Lucille Ball as Judy Canfield
Franklin Pangborn as Harcourt
William Corson as Bill
Pierre Watkin as Richard Carmichael
Grady Sutton as 'Butch'
Frank Reicher as Stage Director
Jack Carson as Milbank
Phyllis Kennedy as Hattie
Eve Arden as Eve
Ann Miller as Annie
Huntley Gordon as Cast of Stage Play
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