The Man Who Had All the Luck

Poster for the 2002 Broadway revival

The Man Who Had All the Luck is a play by Arthur Miller.

The title character is David Beeves, a young Midwestern automobile mechanic who discovers he is blessed with what appears to be almost supernatural good fortune that allows him to overcome every seemingly insurmountable obstacle that crosses his path while those around him fall in defeat. Like Midas, everything he touches is tinged with gold, leaving him to wonder if and when his luck will change and he too will be forced to deal with life's tragedies, until he eventually realizes that his good heart, hard work, and quick thought have been responsible for his success far more than luck.

Although written in 1940, the play did not reach New York City until four years later, Miller's first to be mounted on Broadway. Directed by Joseph Fields, it opened on November 23 1944 at the Forrest Theatre, where it ran for only 4 performances. Karl Swenson starred as David Beeves.

The play's failure nearly derailed Miller's career, and it remained one of his least known works until 2000, when director Dan Fields mounted a production that ran for seven weeks at the Ivy Substation Theater in Los Angeles. The following year, a production was staged by the Williamstown Theatre Festival, which had presented the American premiere of Miller's The Ride Down Mt. Morgan.

After fifteen previews, a Broadway revival directed by Scott Ellis opened on May 1 2002 at the American Airlines Theatre, where it ran for 62 performances. The cast included Chris O'Donnell as David Beeves, with Samantha Mathis, Mason Adams, James Rebhorn, Richard Riehle, David Wohl, and Sam Robards, whose performance garnered him Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

In 2006, it was announced Ellis was directing a feature film adaptation of the play [1].

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing
• 2002 New York Times review

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