Merrily We Roll Along

I always thought the idea of telling a story in reverse chronological order was a relatively recent one—from Harold Pinter’s play “Betrayal” in 1978, to be exact. But I’ve just discovered that over a century ago, in 1923, George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart did it in their play “Merrily We Roll Along.” It starts with the smashing success of a playwright (the main character), and then goes backward in time through each act, showing through this remarkable reversed time scheme how the playwright sacrificed his ideals, friendships, and loved ones in order to reach that point. It’s a bitter…

An episode of the Flicks with The Film Snob podcast, hosted by Chris Dashiell, titled "Merrily We Roll Along" was published on March 30, 2026 and runs 3 minutes.

March 30, 2026 ·3m · Flicks with The Film Snob

Summary

I always thought the idea of telling a story in reverse chronological order was a relatively recent one—from Harold Pinter’s play “Betrayal” in 1978, to be exact. But I’ve just discovered that over a century ago, in 1923, George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart did it in their play “Merrily We Roll Along.” It starts with the smashing success of a playwright (the main character), and then goes backward in time through each act, showing through this remarkable reversed time scheme how the playwright sacrificed his ideals, friendships, and loved ones in order to reach that point. It’s a bitter…

Episode Description