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This article is about the Broadway showman. For others named George Abbott or George Abbot, see George Abbot.
George Abbott (June 25, 1887—January 31, 1995) was a Broadway showman who became one of the most versatile and successful theatre craftsmen in the modern era of American stage. Abbott wrote, produced and directed some of the most notable Broadway plays, including The Pajama Game, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Damn Yankees.
He was born George Francis Abbott in Forestville, New York, near the town of Salamanca, which twice elected his father mayor. At the age of 13 he attended Kearney Military Academy in Cheyenne, Wyoming upon his family's move there in 1898. Within a few years the family was back in New York where Abbott graduated from Hamburg High School in 1907. In 1911 he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester and wrote the play Perfectly Harmless which was performed at the University Dramatic Club.
Abbott then went to Harvard University where he studied play writing under George Pierce Baker. Under Baker's tutelage he wrote the play 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 The Man in the Manhole won a play contest.
Abbott first appeared as an actor on Broadway in The Misleading Lady in 1913. While acting in several plays in New York City he began to write, with his first successful play being 1925's The Fall Guy. He moved on to work in Hollywood as a writer and director, while continuing with his theatre work. His most notable directorial efforts were the Rodgers and Hart shows Jumbo, On Your Toes, The Boys from Syracuse and Pal Joey, as well as On the Town (with Comden and Green and Leonard Bernstein), High Button Shoes, Where's Charley?, Call Me Madam, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wonderful Town, The Pajama Game (in which Bob Fosse got his break as a choreographer), Damn Yankees, Fiorello!, The early Stephen Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and the team of Kander and Ebb's first musical Flora the Red Menace which presented Liza Minnelli in her Broadway debut at age 19).
In addition to his other activities, Abbott acquired a reputation as an astute (and ruthless) "show doctor" he would be called in to supervise changes when a show was having difficulties in tryouts or previews.
He married his first wife Ednah Levis in 1914 and they had a daughter Judith, who became an actress and married actor Tom Ewell in 1946. Ednah died in 1930 and Abbott married his second wife, Mary Sinclair in April 1946—they divorced in 1951. On November 21, 1983, five months past his 96th birthday, he married his third wife Joy Valderrama.
In 1965 the 54th St. Theater (previously the Adelphi Theater) was named the George Abbott Theater in his honor. The theater was demolished in 1970.
He died of a stroke in Miami Beach, four months and three weeks short of his 108th birthday. While a lifespan of this length is rare, being not only competent but artistically productive at such an age may be unmatched. 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. Last year, at a mere 106 years old, 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."
George Abbott stands as one of the most admired men in the history of Broadway and has been inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
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Credits
Year Title Classification Role
1911 The Man in the Manhole play director, actor
1913 The Misleading Lady play performer
1916 The Queen's Enemies one act play performer
1918 Daddies play performer
1918 The Impostor film director, actor
1920 The Broken Wing play performer
1921 Dulcy play performer (on tour)
1923 Zander the Great play performer
1923 White Desert play performer
1924 Hell-bent Fer Heaven play performer
1924 Lazybones play performer
1925 Processional play performer
1925 The Fall Guy play Writer
1925 A Holy Terror play Writer; performer
1926 Love 'em and Leave 'em play Writer; director
1926 Broadway play Writer; director
1926 Chicago play director
1926 Love 'Em and Leave 'Em film writer
1927 Spread Eagle play Staging
1927 Four Walls play Writer; director
1927 Coquette play Writer; director
1927 Bless You, Sister play director
1927 Hills of Peril film writer: based on his play A Holy Terror
1927 Broadway novelization author (with Philip Dunning) of novelization of his play Broadway
1928 Gentlemen of the Press play Staging
1928 Ringside play Writer; Staging
1928 Four Walls film writer: based on his play Four Walls
1929 Coquette film writer: based on his play Coquette
1929 Broadway film writer: based on his play Broadway
1929 Why Bring That Up? film writer: adaptation, additional dialogue
1929 The Saturday Night Kid film writer: based on his play Love 'Em and Leave 'Em
1929 Night Parade film writer: based on his play Ringside
1929 Halfway to Heaven film writer: adaptation
1929 Why Bring That Up? film director
1929 Halfway to Heaven film director
1929 The Carnival Man film director
1929 Bishop's Candlesticks film director
1930 Those We Love play Writer; director; performer
1930 The Fall Guy film writer: based on his play The Fall Guy
1930 Manslaughter film writer: adaptation
1930 The Sea God film writer: adaptation and additional dialogue
1930 Manslaughter film director
1930 The Sea God film director
1930/1 El Dios del mar film writer: based on his script The Sea God
1931 Louder, Please play director
1931 Stolen Heaven film writer: adaptation
1931 La Incorregible film writer: based on his script Manslaughter
1931 Secrets of a Secretary film writer: adaptation
1931 My Sin film writer: adaptation
1931 Der Sprung ins Nichts film writer
1931 Sombras del circo film writer: based on his script Half-Way to Heaven
1931 À mi-chemin du ciel film writer
1931 Stolen Heaven film director
1931 Secrets of a Secretary film director
1931 My Sin film director
1931 The Cheat film director
1932 Lilly Turner play Producer, Writer; director
1932 The Great Magoo play Staging
1932 Twentieth Century play Producer; director
1932 Those We Love film writer: based on his play Those We Love
1932 Halvvägs till himlen film writer
1933 Heat Lightning play Producer, Writer; director
1933 The Drums Begin play Producer; Staging
1933 Lilly Turner film writer: based on his play Lilly Turner
1934 John Brown play Producer; Staging; performer
1934 Kill That Story play Producer, Staging
1934 Small Miracle play Staging
1934 Ladies' Money play Writer; Staging
1934 Page Miss Glory play Staging
1934 Heat Lightning film writer: based on his play Heat Lightning
1934 Straight Is the Way film writer: based on his play Four Walls
1935 Three Men on a Horse play Writer; Staging
1935 Boy Meets Girl play Producer; Staging
1936 Sweet River play Producer; Writer; director
1936 Brother Rat play Producer; director
1936 Three Men on a Horse film writer: based on his play Three Men on a Horse
1937 Room Service play Producer; Staging
1937 Angel Island play Producer; Staging
1937 Brown Sugar play Producer; Staging
1938 All That Glitters play Producer; Staging
1938 What a Life play Producer
1938 The Boys from Syracuse musical Producer; Book; director; score by Rodgers and Hart
1938 Boy Meets Girl film producer
1938 Brother Rat film producer
1939 The Primrose Path play Producer; Staging
1939 Mrs. O'Brien Entertains play Producer; Staging
1939 See My Lawyer play Producer
1939 Ring Two play Producer; Staging
1939 On Your Toes film writer: based on his play On Your Toes
1940 The Unconquered play Producer; Staging
1940 Goodbye in the Night play Producer; Staging
1940 The Primrose Path film producer (uncredited)
1941 Best Foot Forward musical Producer; director
1941 Banjo Eyes musical Based on his play "Three Men on a Horse"
1941 Highway West film writer: based on his play Heat Lightning
1942 Three Men on a Horse play (revival) Writer
1942 Beat the Band musical Producer; Book; director
1942 Broadway film writer: based on his play Broadway
1943 Kiss and Tell play Producer; Staging
1943 Get Away Old Man play Producer; director
1944 A Highland Fling play Producer; Staging
1944 Snafu play Producer; Staging
1945 Billion Dollar Baby musical director
1945 Kiss and Tell film producer
1945 Snafu film executive producer
1946 The Dancer play (revival) Producer
1947 It Takes Two play Producer; director
1947 Barefoot Boy With Cheek musical Producer; director
1947 Beat the Band film writer: based on his play Beat the Band
1948 Where's Charley? musical Book; director
1948 Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'! musical Producer; director
1949 Mrs. Gibbons' Boys play Producer; Staging
1949 Touch and Go musical Producer
1950 Out of This World musical, Additional direction by George Abbott (play doctoring)
1951 Where's Charley? musical, Book; director
1951 The Number play, Staging
1952 In Any Language play, Producer; director
1952 Where's Charley film writer: based on his play Where's Charley?
1952 "The U.S. Royal Showcase TV Series Host
1953 Me and Juliet musical, director
1954 On Your Toes revival, musical Producer; Book; director
1955 The Skin of Our Teeth revival, play performer
1957 New Girl in Town musical Book; director
1957 The Pajama Game film writer: based on his play The Pajama Game
1957 Drei Mann auf einem Pferd film writer: based on his play Three Men on a Horse
1957 The Pajama Game film director, producer
1958 Drink to Me Only play director
1958 Damn Yankees! film director, producer, writer: based on his play Damn Yankees!
1960 Tenderloin musical, Book; director
1961 A Call on Kuprin play director
1961 Let It Ride musical, Based on his play "Three Men on a Horse"
1961 Take Her, She's Mine play director
1962 Never Too Late play director; Staging
1964 Fade Out - Fade In musical director
1964 Mister Abbott autobiography author
1966 Agatha Sue, I Love You play director
1966 Help Stamp Out Marriage! play director
1967 How Now, Dow Jones musical director
1968 The Education of H musical director
1969 The Fig Leaves Are Falling musical director
1969 Three Men on a Horse revival, play Writer; director
1970 Norman, Is That You? play director
1970 Not Now, Darling play director
1970 Trois hommes sur un cheval film writer play Three Men on a Horse
1973 The Pajama Game revival, musical, Book; director; score by Adler and Ross
1974 Where's Charley? revival, musical, Book; score by Frank Loesser
1976 Music Is musical, Book; director
1983 On Your Toes revival, musical Book; director
1986 The Boys from Syracuse television play writer based on his play The Boys from Syracuse
1987 Broadway revival, play Writer; director
1993 Three Men on a Horse revival, play, Writer
2002 The Boys from Syracuse revival, musical Based on the original Book
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Awards and nominations
Abbott won five Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize (for "Fiorello!"). He was Academy Award nominated for All Quiet on the Western Front. Abbott was also honored at the 1982 Kennedy Center Honors. He received an award for his 70+ year dedication to American theater.
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