George Abbott

For other people named George Abbott, see George Abbott (disambiguation).

George Abbott
Born	George Francis Abbott (1887-06-25)June 25, 1887 Forestville, New York, U.S.
Died	January 31, 1995(1995-01-31) (aged 107) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Playwright, producer, director, screenwriter
Nationality	American
Spouse	Edna Levis (m.1914-1930; her death) Mary Sinclair (m.1946-1951; divorced) Joy Valderrama (m.1983-1995; his death)
Information
Period	1915–1995
Debut works	The Fall Guy (1925) Love 'em and Leave 'em (1926)
Magnum opus	Damn Yankees (1955) Fiorello! (1959)
Works with	Sheldon Harnick Richard Rodgers Jerome Weidman
Awards	Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director (1983) Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1960) Tony Award Best Direction (1960, 1963) Tony Award Best Musical (1955, 1956, 1960) Special Tony Award (1987)

George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theater producer and director, playwright, screenwriter, and film director and producer whose career spanned more than nine decades.

Biography

Early years

Abbott was born in Forestville, New York, and later moved to the town of Salamanca, which twice elected his father mayor. In 1898, his family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he attended Kearney Military Academy. Within a few years, his family returned to New York, and he graduated from Hamburg High School in 1907. Four years later, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester, where he wrote his first play, Perfectly Harmless, for the University Dramatic Club.

Abbott then went to Harvard University, where he studied playwriting under George Pierce Baker. Under his tutelage, he wrote The Head of the Family, which was performed at the Harvard Dramatic Club in 1912. He then worked for a year as assistant stage manager at the Bijou Theatre in Boston, where his play The Man in the Manhole won a contest.

Career

He started acting on Broadway in 1913. While acting in several plays in New York City, he began to write; his first successful play was The Fall Guy (1925). Abbott acquired a reputation as an astute "show doctor." He frequently was called upon to supervise changes when a show was having difficulties in tryouts or previews prior to its Broadway opening. His first great hit was Broadway, written and directed in partnership with Philip Dunning, whose play Abbott "rejiggered". It opened on September 16, 1926 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 603 performances. Other successes followed, and it was a rare year that did not have an Abbott production on Broadway.

He also worked in Hollywood as a writer and director while continuing with his theater work.

Among those who crossed paths with Abbott early in their careers are Desi Arnaz, Gene Tierney, Betty Comden, Hal Prince, Adolph Green, Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, Bob Fosse, Stephen Sondheim, Elaine Stritch, John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Liza Minnelli.

In 1963, he published his autobiography, Mister Abbott.

Personal life

Abbott was married to Edna Lewis from 1914 to her death in 1930; they had one child. Actress Mary Sinclair was his second wife. Their marriage lasted from 1946 until their 1951 divorce. He had a long romance with Maureen Stapleton, from 1968 to 1978. She was 43 and he was 81 when they began their affair, then ten years later Abbott left her for a younger woman. His third wife was Joy Valderrama. They were married in 1983 until his death in 1995.

Abbott was a vigorous man who remained active past his 100th birthday by golfing and dancing. He died of a stroke January 31, 1995 in Miami Beach at age 107. The New York Times obituary read, "Mrs. Abbott said that a week and a half before his death he was dictating revisions to the second act of Pajama Game with a revival in mind, in addition to working on a revival of Damn Yankees. Last year, at the age of 106, he walked down the aisle on opening night of the Damn Yankees revival and received a standing ovation. He was heard saying to his companion, "There must be somebody important here."

Honors

In 1965, the 54th Street Theatre was rechristened the George Abbott Theater in his honor. The building was demolished in 1970. New York's George Abbott Way, the section of West 45th Street northwest of Times Square, is also named after him.

He received New York City's Handel Medallion in 1976, honorary doctorates from the Universities of Rochester and Miami, and the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award in 1982. He was also inducted into the Western New York Entertainment Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Hall of Fame. In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Work

Stage

• 1915: The Yeomen of the Guard (actor)
• 1918: Daddies (actor)
• 1920: The Broken Wing (actor)
• 1923: Zander the Great (actor)
• 1925: The Fall Guy (playwright)
• 1926: Love 'em and Leave 'em (playwright, director)
• 1926: Chicago (director)
• 1926: Broadway (playwright, director)
• 1928: Gentlemen of the Press (director)
• 1932: Lilly Turner (playwright, director, producer)
• 1932: Twentieth Century (director, producer)
• 1935: "Three Men on a Horse" (playwright, director)
• 1935: Jumbo (director)
• 1936: On Your Toes (book)
• 1937: Room Service (director, producer)
• 1938: The Boys from Syracuse (book, director, producer)
• 1939: Too Many Girls (director, producer)
• 1940: Pal Joey (director, producer)
• 1944: On the Town (director)
• 1947: High Button Shoes (director)
• 1948: Where's Charley? (book, director)

• 1949: Mrs. Gibbons' Boys (producer, director)
• 1950: Call Me Madam (director)
• 1951: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (book, director, producer)
• 1953: Wonderful Town (director)
• 1954: The Pajama Game (book, director)
• 1955: Damn Yankees (book, director)
• 1957: New Girl in Town (book, director)
• 1959: Once Upon a Mattress (director)
• 1959: Fiorello! (book, director)
• 1960: Tenderloin (book, director)
• 1962: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (director)
• 1964: Fade Out - Fade In (director)
• 1965: Flora, The Red Menace (book, director)
• 1965: Anya (book, director)
• 1967: How Now, Dow Jones (director)
• 1968: The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N (director)
• 1969: The Fig Leaves Are Falling (director)
• 1970: Norman, Is That You? (director)
• 1976: Music Is (book, director)
• 1987: Broadway (revival, book, director)
• 1994: Damn Yankees (revival, book, consultant, script revisions)

Filmography

Year	Title	Credit
1918	The Imposter	Writer, actor (Lem)
1926	Love 'Em and Leave 'Em	Writer
1927	Hills of Peril	Playwright, A Holy Terror
1928	Four Walls	Playwright, writer
1929	Coquette	Playwright
1929	The Carnival Man	Director
1929	Broadway	Playwright, writer
1929	The Bishop's Candlesticks	Director
1929	Why Bring That Up?	Director, writer
1929	The Saturday Night Kid	Playwright, Love 'Em and Leave 'Em
1929	Night Parade	Playwright, Ringside
1929	Halfway to Heaven	Director, writer
1930	El Dios del mar	Writer
1930	All Quiet on the Western Front	Writer
1930	The Fall Guy	Playwright
1930	Manslaughter	Director, writer
1930	The Sea God	Director, writer
1931	Der Sprung ins Nichts	Writer
1931	Stolen Heaven	Director; writer
1931	La Incorregible	Playwright, Manslaughter
1931	Sombras del circo	Playwright, Halfway to Heaven
1931	À mi-chemin du ciel	Playwright, Halfway to Heaven
1931	Secrets of a Secretary	Director, writer
1931	My Sin	Director; writer
1931	The Cheat	Director
1932	Halvvägs till himlen	Writer
1932	Those We Love	Playwright
1933	Lilly Turner	Playwright
1934	Heat Lightning	Playwright
1934	Straight Is the Way	Playwright, Four Walls
1936	Three Men on a Horse	Playwright
1938	Broadway	Writer
1939	On Your Toes	Playwright
1940	Too Many Girls	Director
1940	The Boys from Syracuse	Playwright, director
1941	Highway West	Playwright, Heat Lightning
1942	Broadway	Playwright
1947	Beat the Band	Playwright
1957	The Pajama Game	Writer, director, producer
1958	Damn Yankees	Writer, director, producer

Awards and nominations

Awards

• 1955 Tony Award for Best Musical – The Pajama Game
• 1956 Tony Award for Best Musical – Damn Yankees
• 1960 Pulitzer Prize for Drama – Fiorello!
• 1960 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Fiorello!
• 1960 Tony Award for Best Musical – Fiorello!
• 1963 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• 1976 Special Tony Award: The Lawrence Langer award
• 1982 Kennedy Center Honors
• 1983 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical – On Your Toes
• 1987 Special Tony Award on the occasion of his 100th birthday

Nominations

• 1930 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Writing – All Quiet on the Western Front
• 1958 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Musical – Damn Yankees
• 1958 Tony Award for Best Musical – New Girl in Town
• 1958 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Musical – The Pajama Game
• 1959 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures – Damn Yankees
• 1963 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – Never Too Late
• 1968 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – How Now, Dow Jones

See also

• List of centenarians (actors, filmmakers and entertainers)

External links

• George Abbott at the Internet Broadway Database
• George Abbott at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• George Abbott at the Internet Movie Database
• George Abbot fansite