The plot of Guys and Dolls is based off of the stories of Damon Runyon, which involve tales of various gamblers and other unique characters in a highly fantastical version of New York.

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Damon Runyon:

• Damon Runyon (1880–1946) was a newspaper columnist and sportswriter who carved out a niche in American letters when he began writing short stories about the characters he encountered on Broadway around Times Square.

• The world he wrote about was so original and specific that it became known as Runyonland, and the language he used was dubbed “Runyonese.” 
   

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Primary Stories Used in Guys and Dolls:

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• The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown (1933)

• Blood Pressure (1937)

• Pick The Winner (1938)

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   - Other notable stories of characters you can find in Guys and Dolls:

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• A Piece of Pie (1937)

• Delegates at Large (1938)

• Hold 'Em Yale (1937)

• Lonely Heart (1938)

• Tobias the Terrible (1937)

• The Hottest Guy in the World (1938)

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Here is a breakdown of what characters you can find in these stories:

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