Critic's Choice – adapted from Levin's 1960 stage play, and one of his four outright stage comedies – starred Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.

Inspired by an anecdotal challenge in a book by noted theater critic Walter Kerr, Levin wove this comic tale of a drama critic faced with the moral quandary of honestly reviewing his spouse's sub-par stage play.

Though the cast was stellar, as happened with the film adaptation of Levin's comedy-infused Deathtrap, the original play's humor got blanched in the leap to film, and Levin's acid-tongued, adult play was reduced to something of a broad slapstick.

(Above) Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell