Join us as we unpack the 1973 murder mystery film The Last of Sheila, written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. The discussion features guest James McCusker, a 45-year fan of Sondheim and a college composition professor. They explore the movie's origins, the unique parlor games that inspired the screenplay, and its impact on pop culture. Additional insights are provided by David Leopold from the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, highlighting Hirschfeld's unique promotional artwork for the film. The episode concludes by examining the film's game design elements and how they reflect Sondheim's creative mind.
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00:00 Introduction to The Last of Sheila
01:26 Meet the Hosts: Barry and James
02:39 Origins of The Last of Sheila
05:02 Sondheim and Perkins: A Creative Partnership
13:52 The Games in The Last of Sheila
23:41 Exploring the Mysteries in Sheila
31:13 Clinton's Game and the Broken Pattern
32:23 The True Purpose of Clinton's Party
34:59 The Promotion and Press Book
36:23 Al Hirschfeld's Contribution
48:31 The Impact of 'The Last of Sheila'
53:53 Sondheim's Puzzle Design Values
57:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Special Links:
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Animation from Sondheim’s notes at the Library of Congress that create a crossword grid of the actor’s names.
Thanks to everyone who contributed behind the scenes to this episode, specifically the musical stingers composed by Mateo Chavez Lewis, and the theme song to our podcast with lyrics and music by Colm Molloy, and sung by the one and only Ann Morrison, who created the role of Mary in Merrily We Roll Along.