Abel Green
Abel Green (June 3, 1900 – May 10, 1973) was an American journalist best known as the editor of Variety for forty years. Sime Silverman first hired Green as a reporter in 1918, and Green's byline first appeared on May 30, 1919.
Biography
Born in New York, Green attended Stuyvesant High School, but was a college drop-out. The first time his signature appeared in "Variety" was in the May 30, 1919 issue, when he reviewed a film called "Playthings of Passion", signing it "Abel".[1] By 1925 he penned a column in the music section headed "Abel's Comment". Later, in 1928 he wrote a weekly column in "Variety" called "Around New York" and one called "Radio Rambles".[2]
Green was responsible for the creation of much of Variety's characteristic jargon, including the 1935 headline "Sticks Nix Hick Pix";[3] in his obituary, TIME said that if Variety was the Bible of show business, then Green "was its King James".[4] In 1951, Green collaborated with Joe Laurie, Jr. on Show Biz: From Vaude to Video, a history of show business.[5]
Green appeared in the 1947 film Copacabana.[5]
He married Grace Fenn in 1921 and was married for 52 years.[5] Like Sime, Green always wore a bowtie.[5]
Bibliography
- "Inside Variety" by Peter Besas. Madrid: Ars Millenii,2000.
- "God Wears a Bowtie" by Lyle Stuart. New York: Greenberg, 1949.
References
- ^ "Playthings of Passion". Variety. May 30, 1919. p. 75.
- ^ "Radio Rambles". Variety. December 5, 1928. p. 49.
- ^ Besas, Peter. "Abel Green". Simesite. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ^ "King James to the End". TIME. 1973-05-21. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ^ a b c d "Abel Green, 72, Editor of Variety, Dies; 52 Years on Show Beat". Variety. May 16, 1973. p. 1.
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