Guys And Dolls was one of the major Broadway successes of the 1950s. Written by Frank Loesser and based on two short stories by Damon Runyon, the show opened in November 1950 and would run for some 1,200 performances. Featuring Robert Alda, Sam Levene and Vivian Blaine, a cast recording was issued in December 1950 and hit the top of the American charts the following March. Although the show has been frequently restaged and was turned into a successful film in 1955, the original Broadway Cast recordings is still considered the definitive recording. Hallmark.