The Moon Is Blue is a play byF. Hugh Herbert. A comedy in three acts, the play consists of one female and three male characters.

The Moon Is Blue premiered at The Playhouse inWilmington, Delaware on February 16, 1951 fortryout performances in preparation for the New York stage.^[1] This was followed by further tryout performances at theWilbur Theatre in Boston in early March 1951.^[2] The production premiered onBroadway on March 8, 1951 atHenry Miller's Theatre withBarbara Bel Geddes as Patty O'Neill,Donald Cook as David Slater,Barry Nelson as Donald Gresham, andRalph Dunn as Michael O'Neill. Produced byRichard Aldrich, Richard Myers, andJulius Fleischmann, the production was staged byOtto Preminger.^[3][4] A hit, the play closed in 1953 after 924 performances.

Given the audience response to the work, the same production team mounted a concurrent national tour starringMaggie McNamara as Patty O'Neill,Murray Hamilton as Donald Gresham,Leon Ames as David Slater, and Wallace Rooney as Michael O'Neill which began in Detroit on April 20, 1951.^[5] Prior to going on tour, the cast performed scenes from the play on the television programShowtime, U.S.A.^[6] McNamara later replaced Barbara Bel Geddes as Patty in the Broadway production in 1952.^[7] A second national touring company operated byWarren Caro and theTheatre Guild began its tour in Pittsburgh on October 20, 1951 with a cast includingHiram Sherman andColeen Gray.^[8]

The play received several stagings internationally including at the J.C. WIlliamson Theatre in Melbourne, Australia (1951),^[9] theAlléteatern in Stockholm Sweden (1952),^[10] the Jofestadt Theatre in Vienna, Austria (1952).,^[11] and Hamilton Theatre in Hamilton, Bermuda (1953).^[12] In July 1952 theLa Jolla Playhouse staged the play withDiana Lynn,Scott Brady,David Niven, and Jack Shea.^[13] An eight week tour of the play throughout Texas starringJohn Ireland andJoanne Dru occurred in the summer of 1953.^[14]

The play debuted on London'sWest End at theDuke of York's Theatre on July 7, 1953 with Diana Lynn as Patty O'Neill,Biff McGuire as Donald Graham,Robert Flemyng as David Slater, and Harry Fine as Michael O'Neill.^[15]

The play was revivedOff-Broadway in 1961 at the 41st St Theatre. Staged byMatt Cimber, the production starredPatricia Bosworth as Patty O'Neill, William Severs as Donald Gresham, Walter Flanagan as Michael O'Neill, andDonald Cook is a reprisal of his Broadway role as David Slater.^[16]

A1953 film adaptation of the play was released byUnited Artists.^[17] Otto Preminger, who had directed the original stage production, also directed this film. Maggie McNamara and David Niven reprised the roles that they had played on stage in the film.^[17]

• The Moon Is Blue at IBDB