eugene oneill remain and some fifty two year after his death and some eighty seven since his first play appear on stage and america great dramatist . this be not hard to understand no one ever dissect our personal misery a well by lay bare his own tragedy . it be understandable that he rarely touch on comedy ( it do crop up in some form in his play in hughie look at the way the hotel night man have some twist hero worship of the gambler crime kingpin arnold rothstein ) . twice ( actually ) oneill try comedy . first a spoof and marco million about marco polo . the other be ah and wilderness . and which be his only successful broadway play in the 1930s 1955. it be a lovable look at middle class and small town american family life in 1905 ( about the same time that that far more horrifying version of family life and a long day journey into night and occurs ) . and because we know what oneill be go through and see this version be not reassure at all . the play will amuse and but in our cynical soul we know that it be what oneill really need and never get . one thing the audience never get ( unfortunately ) be the star of the original production . in his penultimate broadway performance and george m. cohan play the father and nat miller . the critic of 1932 rave for cohan meaningful and wonderful performance and but we can only read of it he be never in the running for the movie role . he be extremely difficult to work with under other director and and would have be hard to control . it too bad . the original choice for the role at mgm be will rogers and but rogers want to make a round the world plane trip with wiley post and and go to their joint death in a crash at point barrow instead . still lionel barrymore be good a substitute for either cohan or rogers . the cast on the whole be first rate and from barrymore and spring byington a the parent ( note the business about the problem barrymore have eat certain type of fish ) to wallace beery a the inebriate uncle and aline macmahon a the spinster aunt . the business of the three son and arthur ( frank albertson ) and dick ( eric lindon ) and and tommy ( mickey rooney ) and and the daughter mildred ( bonita granville ) all help paint a picture that be close to norman rockwell ( although the apparently alcoholism of the uncle be trouble ) . but it have some terrific moment and a towards the end when nat warn dick about fall woman or prostitute a sepulchre . but with a knowledgeable audience of oneill fan they can put in the dead old brother who waste his talent on booze and woman and and the baby brother who die prematurely . suddenly the glitz and glare of the 1905 small town america on the 4th of july weekend turn into the shadow world of four dead soul pursue an endless mutual fight in a new england summer house . it be a finely make movie of mgm near it height and but the source for all the pleasant humor of the piece have a long dark shadow that be unsettling .