DAISY MAYME

   This lightly satiric three-act comedy by George Kelly opened on 25 October 1926 at the Playhouse Theatre. Cliff Mettinger, a lifelong bachelor caring for his deceased sister's daughter, horrifies his other two sisters, both small-minded gossips, by becoming betrothed to the title character, a vulgar, good-natured spinster from the wrong side of the tracks. Despite attempts by his sisters to break up the relationship, Cliff prevails, persuading Daisy that she means more to him as a person than simply as a prospective mother for his orphaned niece. Accepting Cliff's proposal, Daisy gets her wish to become a "lady." Kelly's play overcame middling reviews to achieve 112 performances and numerous amateur productions.