The Family Upstairs
The Family Upstairs is a play in three acts by Harry Delf. It has a medium-sized cast, one setting, and quick pacing. It is a domestic comedy, centered around the five-member apartment-dwelling Heller family, their endless bickering, and the elder daughter's suitor. The original performance was produced by Sam H. Harris, and staged by Sam Forrest. The production, which starred Ruth Nugent, Clare Woodbury, and Walter Wilson, ran on Broadway from August through October 1925 before going on tour. It had a brief revival on Broadway during October 1933, and was adapted for motion pictures on three occasions. Characters Listed in order of appearance within their scope. Leads Emma Heller is early 40's, hard-working housewife with gallstones, who wants her daughter Louise married. Joe Heller is mid-40's, a streetcar inspector, annoyed with Willie's indolence and Emma's interference. Louise Heller is 21, a stenographer, a quiet girl who loves books and doesn't often go out. Supporting Annabelle Heller is 12, a would-be flapper condemned to piano practice by her mother Emma. Willie Heller is 17, a school dropout with no job, outspoken, a pool shark and a bit of a sheik. Charles Grant is 25, a bank teller earning $40 a