Known for movies

Short Info

Date Of BirthJune 25, 1887
DiedJanuary 31, 1995, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
SpouseJoy Valderrama, Mary Sinclair, Edna Levis
FactGeorge Abbott won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical "Fiorello!" collaborating with Jerome Weidman, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.


George Francis Abbott was born on June 25, 1887, in Forestville, New York, the son of George and Alice (née Jones) Abbott. His father was a carpenter and his mother a schoolteacher. He had two sisters, Mary and Gladys. Abbott’s father died when he was four years old, and his mother subsequently married Henry Lewis.

Abbott was educated at the Forestville Academy and Fredonia Normal School. He began his career as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Falconer, New York. He later worked as a principal in Salamanca, New York, and then as a superintendent of schools in Little Valley, New York.

In 1911, Abbott began working as a director at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He made his Broadway debut as a director in 1913 with the play The Misleading Lady. He went on to direct several more Broadway plays, including The Great Divide (1914), On Your Toes (1933), and Pal Joey (1940).

Abbott also directed a number of successful Hollywood films, including Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935), You Can’t Take It with You (1938), and On the Town (1949).

George Abbott was married three times. His first wife was actress Grace Bradley, whom he married in 1916. They had two children together, a son and a daughter. Bradley died in 1979.

Abbott’s second wife was actress and dancer Doris Kenyon, whom he married in 1940. They had one child together, a daughter. Kenyon died in 1979.

Abbott’s third wife was actress and singer Polly Rowles, whom he married in 1984. They remained married until Abbott’s death in 1995.

George Abbott died on January 31, 1995, at the age of 107.

General Info

Date Of BirthJune 25, 1887
DiedJanuary 31, 1995, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Place Of BirthForestville, New York, United States
Weight69 kg
ProfessionActor, Film director, Film producer, Playwright, Screenwriter, Theatre Director, Choreographer, Theatrical producer, Librettist
NationalityAmerican

Family

SpouseJoy Valderrama, Mary Sinclair, Edna Levis
ChildrenJudy Abbott
SiblingsIsabel Juergens

Accomplishments

AwardsTony Award for Best Musical, Kennedy Center Honors, Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, Special Tony Award, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical, Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical, Out...
NominationsAcademy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Musical
MoviesAll Quiet on the Western Front, Damn Yankees, Too Many Girls, The Pajama Game, The Cheat, My Sin, Secrets of a Secretary, The Sea God, Half Way to Heaven, Coquette, Three Men on a Horse, The Saturday Night Kid, Lilly Turner, Straight Is the Way, Night Parade, Heat Lightning, Manslaughter, Broadway, ...

Social profile links

Quotes

#Quote
1It's because I love the theater so much that I thought I'd stick around.
2Pace is a matter of taste. It means keeping the action alive. But that can be done with pauses as well as picking up cues. It means not having any deadwood.
3Many great minds have made a botch of matters because their emotions fettered their thinking.
4I must confess that one of my main defects as a director has always been an incurable impatience.

Facts

#Fact
1George Abbott won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical "Fiorello!" collaborating with Jerome Weidman, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.
2He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1990 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.
3Won 11 Tony Awards, second only to his protégé Harold Prince's unprecedented 20-win record. Abbott's wins: in 1955, with collaborator Richard Bissell, as Best Authors (Musical) and as co-author of the book of the Best Musical winner "The Pajama Game"; in 1956, with collaborator Douglass Wallop, as Best Authors (Musical) and as co-author of the book of the Best Musical winner "Damn Yankees!"; in 1960, as Best Director (Musical), and, with collaborator Jerome Weidman, as Best Authors (Musical) and as co-author of the book of the Best Musical winner "Fiorello!"; in 1963, as Best Director (Musical) for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"; in 1976, the Lawrence Langner Award; and, in 1987, a Special Tony Award "on the occasion of his 100th birthday". He was also nominated in 1958 as author of the book of Best Musical nominee "New Girl in Town" and, in 1963, as Best Director (Dramatic) for "Never Too Late".
4He was nominated for a 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for "Damn Yankees!" for Outstanding Musical Production of the 1997 season.
5"The Pajama Game" (which he wrote) was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2000 (1999 season) for Outstanding Musical Production.

Movies

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Boys from Syracuse1986TV Movie book by
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd1978TV Movie play "Three Men on a Horse"
Trois hommes sur un cheval1969play "Three Men on a Horse"
The Jazz Age1968TV Series writer - 1 episode
Damn Yankees!1967TV Movie book
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd1961TV Movie play
Damn Yankees!1958book / screenplay
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd1957play "Three Men on a Horse" - as Abbott
The Pajama Game1957book / screenplay
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd1957TV Movie play
Playhouse 901957TV Series play - 1 episode
The Best of Broadway1955TV Series play - 1 episode
Best Foot Forward1954TV Movie original musical
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre1954TV Series play - 1 episode
Where's Charley?1952play
Broadway Television Theatre1952TV Series play - 1 episode
The Prudential Family Playhouse1950TV Series play - 1 episode
Beat the Band1947based on the stage play by
Broadway1942play
Highway West1941play "Heat Lightning"
The Boys from Syracuse1940play
On Your Toes1939based on the musical play by
Broadway1938TV Movie
Three Men on a Horse1936from the play by
Straight Is the Way1934from a play by
Heat Lightning1934from the original play by
Lilly Turner1933play
Halvvägs till himlen1932
Those We Love1932play
Der Sprung ins Nichts1932
My Sin1931adaptation
Secrets of a Secretary1931adaptation
À mi-chemin du ciel1931
Sombras del circo1931script "Half-Way to Heaven"
La incorregible1931script "Manslaughter"
Stolen Heaven1931adaptation
El Dios del mar1930script "The Sea God"
The Sea God1930adaptation / dialogue
Manslaughter1930adaptation
The Fall Guy1930by
All Quiet on the Western Front1930screen play
Halfway to Heaven1929adaptation
Night Parade1929play "Ringside"
The Saturday Night Kid1929play "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em"
Why Bring That Up?1929adaptation - dialogue
Broadway1929play / script
Coquette1929based on the stage production by
Four Walls1928play / script
Hills of Peril1927play "A Holy Terror"
Love 'Em and Leave 'Em1926play

Director

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Damn Yankees!1958
The Pajama Game1957
Too Many Girls1940
The Cheat1931
My Sin1931
Secrets of a Secretary1931
Stolen Heaven1931
The Sea God1930
Manslaughter1930
Halfway to Heaven1929
Why Bring That Up?1929
The Bishop's Candlesticks1929Short
The Carnival Man1929Short
The Impostor1918

Miscellaneous

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Never Too Late1965director: stage play
Pal Joey1957produced on the stage by
The Pajama Game1957stage director
On the Town1949directed on the stage by
Best Foot Forward1943producer: stage play
Primrose Path1940play as produced by
Brother Rat1938producer: stage play
Room Service1938producer: stage play
Boy Meets Girl1938producer: stage play
Twentieth Century1934producer: stage play

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Producers' Showcase1955TV SeriesMr. Antrobus
The U.S. Royal Showcase1952TV SeriesEmcee
Why Bring That Up?1929Director (uncredited)
The Impostor1918Lem

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Damn Yankees!1958producer
The Pajama Game1957producer
My Sin1931producer

Music Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Too Many Girls1940producer: musical play "Too Many Girls"

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
American Masters1997TV Series documentaryHimself
The 48th Annual Tony Awards1994TV SpecialHimself - Presenter: Best Revival of a Musical
Great Performances1990TV SeriesHimself
Tattinger's1988TV SeriesHimself
The 3th Annual Mr. Abbot Awards1987TV SpecialHimself
The 41st Annual Tony Awards1987TV SpecialHimself - Honoree
The 40th Annual Tony Awards1986TV SpecialHimself - Audience Member
The 37th Annual Tony Awards1983TV SpecialHimself - Presenter: Best Direction of a Musical
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts1982TV SpecialHimself - Honoree
The 30th Annual Tony Awards1976TV SpecialHimself - Winner: Lawrence Langner Award
NET Playhouse1970TV SeriesHimself
The 22nd Annual Tony Awards1968TV SpecialHimself
The 20th Annual Tony Awards1966TV SpecialHimself - Host
The 19th Annual Tony Awards1965TV SpecialHimself - Presenter
The 18th Annual Tony Awards1964TV SpecialHimself - Presenter
The 14th Annual Tony Awards1960TV SpecialHimself - Winner: Best Direction of a Musical and Best Musical
The Arthur Murray Party1959TV SeriesHimself - Judge
The Colgate Comedy Hour1955TV SeriesHimself - Actor / Himself - Host

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Mr. Prince2009TV Movie documentaryHimself
The 50th Annual Tony Awards1996TV SpecialHimself

Awards

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1957Boxoffice Blue Ribbon AwardBoxoffice Magazine AwardsBest Picture of the Month for the Whole Family (September)The Pajama Game (1957)

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1959DGA AwardDirectors Guild of America, USAOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion PicturesDamn Yankees! (1958)
1959WGA Award (Screen)Writers Guild of America, USABest Written American MusicalDamn Yankees! (1958)
1958WGA Award (Screen)Writers Guild of America, USABest Written American MusicalThe Pajama Game (1957)
1930OscarAcademy Awards, USABest Writing, AchievementAll Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

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