[3] Sheridan Whiteside, a sharp-tongued and famous radio critic, is on a lecture tour in Ohio when he slips on the icy steps of the home of the prominent Stanley family and breaks his hip.
The already dramatic situation is further complicated by a series of events: Whiteside’s secretary, Maggie Cutler, falls in love with a local newspaper reporter named Bert Jefferson.
As Whiteside continues his manipulations and the Stanley home becomes more chaotic with penguins in the library and octopi in the cellar, it’s revealed that he has been well enough to leave for some time but has stayed for his own amusement and purposes.
As he’s departing, he slips on the icy steps again, implying that the entire comedic cycle might begin anew.Wickes recreated the role she originated on Broadway in 1939 and which she played in the 1942 film version.
"[3] The play was adapted and updated for the modern day by Sam Denoff and Bill Persky, who turned Whiteside into a TV talk show host.