George Abbott - Credits

Director, producer, and playwright, born in Forestville, New York, USA. He began his career in 1913 as an actor, but made his name as a writer and Broadway director and producer, establishing himself with The Fall Guy (co-written with James Gleason) in 1925. He wrote or co-wrote almost 50 plays and musicals, among them The Pajama Game (with Richard Bissell, 1954) and Damn Yankees (1955). In addition to an illustrious career as a producer, he directed over 100 theatrical pieces, winning six Tony awards for his work, and was still writing on his 100th birthday.

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 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. While acting in several plays in New York City he began to write, with his first successful play being 1925's The Fall Guy. 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).

Credits

* Year Title Classification Role

1911 The Man in the Manhole play director, actor 1913 The Misleading Lady play performer 1915 The Yeomen of the Guard operetta 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 Poppa play 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; performer 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front film writer: screen play 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; 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; 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 1938 All That Glitters play Producer; Staging 1938 What a Life play Producer 1938 The Boys from Syracuse musical Producer; score by Rodgers and Hart 1938 Boy Meets Girl film producer 1938 Room Service film producer 1938 Brother Rat film producer 1939 The Primrose Path play Producer; Staging 1939 See My Lawyer play Producer 1939 Too Many Girls musical Producer; Staging 1939 On Your Toes film writer: based on his play On Your Toes 1940 The Unconquered play Producer; score by Rodgers and Hart 1940 The Boys from Syracuse film writer: based on his play The Boys from Syracuse; 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 Jason play Producer 1942 Three Men on a Horse play (revival) Writer 1942 Beat the Band musical Producer; director 1942 Sweet Charity play director 1942 Broadway film writer: based on his play Broadway 1943 Kiss and Tell play Producer; director 1944 A Highland Fling play Producer; score by Leonard Bernstein 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; score by Jule Styne 1947 Beat the Band film writer: based on his play Beat the Band 1948 Where's Charley? musical Book; director 1949 Mrs. Gibbons' Boys play Producer; Staging 1949 Touch and Go musical Producer 1950 Call Me Madam musical director 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 1952 The Skin of Our Teeth TV drama actor 1953 Wonderful Town musical, director 1953 Me and Juliet musical, director 1954 The Pajama Game musical, 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! 1959 Once Upon a Mattress musical, director 1959 Fiorello! 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 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum musical director; score by Stephen Sondheim 1962 Never Too Late play director; George Forrest 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*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N 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 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 1994 Damn Yankees revival, musical Book;