The Pleasure of His Company

Pleasure of His Company, The (1958), a comedy by Samuel Taylor and Cornelia Otis Skinner. [ Longacre Theatre, 474 perf.] Jessica Poole's world is thrown into confusion just be‐fore her marriage to Roger Henderson (George Peppard), the son of a rich rancher. Jessica (Dolores Hart) has been raised by her mother, Katherine Dougherty (Skinner), and stepfather, Jim Dougherty (Walter Abel). Now her roving, sybaritic father, Biddeford Poole (Cyril Ritchard), suddenly reappears after a fifteen‐year absence. He makes Jessica's life and fiancé seem hopelessly stolid. When he begs her to give up her wedding plans and travel with him she finally agrees—but only for a year. The play was one of the last literate high comedies to achieve success in New York.