Dick and the Duchess

I watched this show when I was in my teens, and remembered Patrick O'Neal as a charming light comedian ever after. I was surprised, reading NIGHT OF THE IGUANA today, to find out that O'Neal had gone on from that sitcom to a Broadway triumph in an almost tragic role as the Reverend Shannon. But the first act or so of IGUANA requires a lot of comedic skill -- more than I think Richard Burton, who played the role on screen, had -- and I know O'Neal would have had a marvelously light touch in the play's comedic parts. That may account for the fact that the play was a great success on Broadway for him, while Burton didn't add much to his reputation, making the movie version.