Design for Living is a black comedy written by Noel Coward which premiered in 1932. It concerns a threesome of neurotic, camp but intensely artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo. Noel Coward Sir Noel Peirce Coward (December 16, 1899 – March 26, 1973) was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ...

Originally written for Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne (as Otto and Gilda respectively), with Coward himself taking the role of Leo, the play is darkly humorous throughout and filled with sparkling trademark Coward quips and dialogue, but it explores deeper themes which can seem controversial even today. Moral justification for infidelity, analysis of the pressures of fame on an unstable mind, and a strongly hinted ménage à trois are among some of the topics alluded to or tackled head-on in the course of Design for Living; the fact that it was a roaring success on its debut is testament to the play's excellent structure and enduring wit. Alfred Lunt photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1932 Alfred Lunt (August 12, 1892–August 3, 1977) was an American actor. ... Portrait of Lynn Fontane by Carl Van Vechten, May 23, 1932 Lynn Fontanne (December 6, 1887 - July 30, 1983) was a famous stage and film star. ... Look up ménage à trois in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Many years later, a 1995 revival of the play featured a then-unknown actress named Rachel Weisz in the role of Gilda, prompting her rise to national recognition and thus effectively kick-starting her career. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rachel Weisz (born March 7, 1971) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe-winning, BAFTA-nominated British actress. ...

The 1933 Ernst Lubitsch movie Design for Living, with a screenplay by Ben Hecht based on the Coward play, starred Gary Cooper, Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, and Edward Everett Horton. See also: 1932 in film 1933 1934 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events British Film Institute founded. ... Ernst Lubitsch (January 28, 1892 – November 30, 1947), was a German-born Jewish film director. ... Ben Hecht (February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was a prolific Hollywood screenwriter, even though he professed disdain for the motion picture industry. ... Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper May 7, 1901 – May 13, 1961) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor of English heritage. ... Fredric March photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1939 Fredric March (August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress. ... Edward Everett Horton (March 18, 1886 - September 29, 1970) was an American actor with a long career including motion pictures, theater, radio, television and voice work for animated cartoons. ...

External links

• Design for Living at Internet Broadway Database