Guys and Dolls is a remarkable and classic musical with many adaptations, the most prominent of which are the original Broadway stage production and the 1955 movie musical. Both tell the same story, but do so in very different ways.
The story opens on the bustling streets of New York City, where we meet Rusty Charlie, Benny Southstreet and Nicely-Nicely Johnson, discussing the horse races until they are interrupted by the singing of Sarah Brown and the rest of her Save-A-Soul mission as they try to bring the corrupt minds of New York to the Lord. Nathan Detroit, the operator of the oldest established floating crap game, is looking for a place to hold his next game. His friends suggest the Biltmore Garage. They call Joey Biltmore, and who refuses to let them use his garage unless he is paid $1000 in advance. Nathan has no way to get this money, and the other gamblers are getting antsy. Nathan figures he can bet against Sky Masterson to get the money. He bets Sky that he can take Sergeant Sarah Brown to Havana, Cuba. Sky visits the mission to convince Sarah that he is a reformed sinner, but Sarah does not believe him and refuses his romantic advances. Nathan’s fiancée of 12 years, Miss Adelaide, is the main performer at the Hot Box club. After a show, she begs Nathan to marry her, but he refuses. Then, General Cartwright threatens to shut down the mission due to a lack of activity. Sky hears this and says he will promise Sarah a dozen genuine sinners for her next meeting in exchange for her accompanying him to Havana. She accepts the offer reluctantly. The gamblers wait for the game, and Lt. Branigan sees them and interrogates them until one of the guys shouts that it is a bachelor party. At this moment, Miss Adelaide walks by and overhears that she will be getting married the next day, and is ecstatic. Nathan is still waiting for Sky to give him the money when he sees the mission walking by without Sarah. In Cuba, Sky and Sarah get drunk and begin to fall for one another. They return home to find that the mission has been out marching all night to raise awareness; they go to the mission to see it being raided as Nathan has held a crap game there. Sarah believes Sky has something to do with this, so she states she is done with him. Arvide, a parental figure to Sarah, tells Sky that if he doesn’t make good on his promise, he will sully his name around New York. Nathan holds the crap game in the sewer for 24 hours, and Sky tells the rest of the gamblers he will play them in a game; if he loses, he will give them each $1,000, but if he wins, they all go to the meeting for Sarah’s mission. Sky wins the crap game and escorts the gamblers to the Save-A-Soul mission. Sky leaves so as not to upset Sarah anymore and puts Nathan in charge of the crapshooters. Nathan makes the guys give testimony, and Nicely-Nicely tells the story of a dream that made him see the lord in a new way. Lt. Brannigan walks in and asks Sarah if they gambled inside her mission. She says she had never seen them before. After Brannigan leaves, Nathan confesses that he bet Sky that he couldn’t take a certain doll on a certain trip, and Sky told him he won. Hearing this, Sarah knows that Sky is a changed man, and she and Adelaide marry their respective partners.
The movie musical “Guys and Dolls”, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, stars Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit, Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson, Jean Simmons as Sarah Brown and Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide. The original Broadway production, directed by George S. Kaufman, stars Sam Levene as Nathan Detroit, Robert Alda as Sky Masterson, Isabel Bigley as Sarah Brown, and this production again starred Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide.
The biggest difference between the two shows is the music. The tracks, “A Bushel and a Peck”, “My Time of Day/I’ve Never Been in Love Before”, “Marry the Man Today” and “More I Cannot Wish You,” were all omitted from the movie’s soundtrack. “A Bushel and a Peck” was replaced by “Pet Me, Poppa,” while “My Time of Day/I’ve Never Been in Love Before” was replaced by “(Your Eyes Are the Eyes of) A Woman in Love”. Additionally, another song titled “Adelaide” was written for the movie to showcase Frank Sinatra’s vocals. The movie shows how Nicely-Nicely joins the mission at the end of the show’s wedding, but this detail is nonexistent in the stage production. Another difference in the music is that the song “Guys and Dolls” is sung by Nathan, Benny and Nicely in the movie, but in the stage version, it’s just a duet between Nicely and Benny.
One curious thing is that the movie has Sarah constantly fiddling with the buttons on her jacket. She always undoes the second one from the top when talking to Sky to show her anxiety, but this detail is nonexistent in the stage version. Another difference between the shows is the marriage of Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson. In the movie, they have a double wedding with Nathan and Adelaide, while in the stage production, they are already married when they attend Nathan and Adelaide’s wedding. Other similarities include large portions of the script and many cast members. As mentioned, Vivian Blaine plays Miss Adelaide in both productions, and there are a few more returning cast members: Stubby Kaye, who played Nicely-Nicely Johnson, B.S. Pully, who played Big Jule and Johnny Silver, who played Benny Southstreet; all reprised Broadway roles.
Besides a few minor things, the movie stays true to the source material while making necessary adjustments for its adaptation. Both shows tell the story excellently with their twists and interpretations. These adaptations are fantastic and show how someone can tell stories in different ways, but get the same outcome.
