How a gritty, six-hour stage disaster became a lighthearted Frank Sinatra movie classic
In short: Arnold Schulman’s original play was a somber, six-hour exploration of human suffering. By the time it reached the screen in 1959, it had been transformed into a breezy Frank Capra comedy starring Frank Sinatra. The writer famously lamented the metamorphosis, yet the film remains a celebrated piece of American cinema.
The journey of A Hole in the Head began in 1949 as a one-act play titled The Dragon's Head. Early iterations were experimental and grueling; one production at Westport, directed by Lee Strasberg, famously lasted six hours on opening night because actors spent minutes on 'sense memory' between simple lines of dialogue. By 1955, a television version titled The Hearts of Forgotten Hotel offered a stark, unhappy, and simple slice of life that Schulman later remembered as the production's artistic peak.
The transition to a commercial hit required a radical departure from this original vision. When the story moved to Broadway in 1957, Schulman consciously stripped away the serious elements, injected humor, and crafted a happy ending. He later admitted that this process felt like selling out, describing the final film version as nauseatingly sentimental. Despite Schulman's personal embarrassment, the 1959 film directed by Frank Capra found success, earning $5.2 million in theatrical rentals across the United States and Canada.
Production was marked by the distinct working styles of its stars and director. Frank Capra, returning to filmmaking, utilized long takes to accommodate Frank Sinatra’s well-known aversion to repeating scenes. This efficiency allowed the team to finish 80 days ahead of schedule, with a final production cost of $1.89 million. While critics like Bosley Crowther praised the film as a return to form for Capra, the project highlights the tension between artistic integrity and the demands of Hollywood entertainment, turning a dark, intimate story into a vibrant, colloquial comedy.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: A Hole in the Head
- Also: Wikidata — A Hole in the Head · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — A Hole in the Head · CC0
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