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George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades.[1]

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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	Theatre producer theatre director playwright screenwriter film producer film director
Alma mater	University of Rochester
Period	1913–1995
Notable 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) National Medal of Arts (1990)
Spouse	Edna Levis ​ ​ (m. 1914; died 1930)​ Mary Sinclair ​ ​ (m. 1946; div. 1951)​ Joy Valderrama ​ ​ (m. 1983)​

Early years

Abbott was born in Forestville, New York, to George Burwell Abbott (May 1858 Erie County, New York – February 4, 1942 Hamburg, New York) and Hannah May McLaury (1869 – June 20, 1940 Hamburg, New York). He later moved to the city 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.[1][2]

In 1911 he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester,[1][2] where he wrote his first play, Perfectly Harmless, for the University Dramatic Club. Abbott then attended Harvard University, to take a course in playwriting from George Pierce Baker.[2] Under Baker's tutelage, he wrote The Head of the Family, which was performed at the Harvard Dramatic Club in 1912.[3] He then worked for a year as "author, gofer, and actor" at the Bijou Theatre in Boston, where his play The Man in the Manhole won a contest.[2]

Career

Abbott started acting on Broadway in 1913, debuting in The Misleading Lady.[1][4] While acting in several plays in New York City, he began to write; his first successful play was The Fall Guy (1925).[1][4]

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.[5] His first hit was Broadway, written and directed in partnership with Philip Dunning, whose play Abbott "rejiggered".[6] 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 film writer and director [7] while continuing with his theatre work.

Among those who worked with Abbott early in their careers are Desi Arnaz, Gene Kelly, June Havoc, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Leonard Bernstein, Jules Styne, Stephen Sondheim, Elaine Stritch, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Carol Burnett and Liza Minnelli.[7] He introduced the "fast-paced, tightly integrated style that influenced" performers and especially directors such as Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse and Hal Prince.[4]

Autobiography

In 1963, he published his autobiography, Mister Abbott.[1]

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.[8] He had a long romance with actress Maureen Stapleton[3] 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.[9] His third wife was Joy Valderrama. They were married from 1983 until his death in 1995.[8][10]

Abbott was a vigorous man who remained active past his 100th birthday by golfing and dancing. He died of a stroke on January 31, 1995, at his home on Sunset Island off Miami Beach, Florida, 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 Pyjama Game with a revival in mind, in addition to working on a revival of Damn Yankees.[10]

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.'" Just thirteen days before his 107th birthday, Abbott made an appearance at the 48th Tony Awards, coming onstage with fellow Damn Yankees alumni Gwen Verdon and Jean Stapleton at the end of the opening number, a medley performed by the nominees for Best Revival of A Musical, which included Grease, She Loves Me, Carousel, and his own Damn Yankees.[10]

He was cremated at Woodlawn Park Cemetery in Miami and the ashes were taken by his wife.[11]

Family

In addition to his wife, who died in 2020 at 88, Abbott was survived by a sister, Isabel Juergens, who died a year later at the age of 102; two granddaughters, Amy Clark Davidson and Susan Clark Hansley; a grandson, George Clark, and six great-grandchildren.[10]

Honours

In 1965, the 54th Street Theatre was rechristened the George Abbott Theatre in his honour. The building was demolished in 1970.[3][12] New York City'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 Centre Lifetime Achievement Award in 1982.[10] He was also inducted into the Western New York Entertainment Hall of Fame[13] and the American Theatre Hall of Fame. In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.[14]

He received the Kennedy Centre Honours in 1982.[15][16][17]

Work

Stage

Source: Playbill [18]

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	Half Way 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	The Leap into the Void	Writer
1931	Stolen Heaven	Director; writer
1931	The Incorrigible	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[1]
1958	Damn Yankees	Writer, director, producer

Awards and nominations

Source: Playbill[18]

Awards

Nominations

See also

• List of centenarians (actors, filmmakers and entertainers)

References

External links

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

На других языках

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[de] George Abbott

George Francis Abbott (* 25. Juni 1887 in Forestville, New York; † 31. Januar 1995 in Miami Beach, Florida) war ein US-amerikanischer Theaterproduzent, Filmproduzent, Filmregisseur und Drehbuchautor.[1] Er galt als „Broadway-Gigant“ und zeichnete sich als Regisseur und Produzent in seiner insgesamt über 70 Jahre währenden Karriere für zahlreiche erfolgreiche Produktionen verantwortlich.[2]

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- [en] George Abbott

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[ru] Эбботт, Джордж

Джордж Фрэ́нсис Э́бботт[4][5][6] (25 июня 1887 — 31 января 1995) — американский продюсер, режиссёр, драматург, сценарист. Проявив интерес к драматургии во время учёбы в Рочестерском университете, Эббот изучал драматургию у Джорджа Пирса Бейкераruen из Гарвардского университета, который рассказал начинающему писателю, как отказаться от такого лишнего багажа, как мотивация и подтекст, и сосредоточиться на «практическом вопросе, как сделать шоу». И это было то, что Эббот делал лучше всего в течение следующих 80 лет: он создавал множество шоу, как актёр, сценарист и режиссёр.

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