George Abbott
Encyclopedia
George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theater producer and director, playwright
, screenwriter
, and film director
and producer
whose career spanned more than nine decades.
, and later moved to the town 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. Four years later, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Rochester
, where he wrote his first play, Perfectly Harmless, for the University Dramatic Club.
Abbott then went to Harvard University
, where he studied playwriting under George Pierce Baker
. Under his tutelage, he wrote 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 play The Man in the Manhole won a contest.
While acting in several plays in New York City
, he began to write; his first successful play was The Fall Guy (1925). 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. His first great hit was Broadway
, written and directed in partnership with Philip Dunning, whose play Abbott "rejiggered". 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 writer and director while continuing with his theater work.
Among those who crossed paths with Abbott early in their careers are Desi Arnaz
, Gene Tierney
, Betty Comden
, Hal Prince
, Adolph Green
, Leonard Bernstein
, Jule Styne
, Bob Fosse
, Stephen Sondheim
, Elaine Stritch
, John Kander
, Fred Ebb
, and Liza Minnelli
.
Abbott was a vigorous man who remained active past his 100th birthday by golfing and dancing. He died of a stroke
January 31, 1995 in Miami Beach aged 107. The New York Times
obituary read, "Mr. 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, in addition to working on a revival of Damned Yankees. In 1993, at a mere 106 years old, he walked down the aisle on opening night of the Damned Yankees revival and received a standing ovation. He was heard saying to his companion there must be somebody important here.
Theatre was rechristened the George Abbott Theater in his honor. The building was demolished in 1970. New York'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 Center Lifetime Achievement Award
in 1982. He was also inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame
. In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
.
Nominations
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
whose career spanned more than nine decades.
Early years
Abbott was born in Forestville, New YorkForestville, New York
Forestville is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 770 at the 2000 census.The Village of Forestville is within the Town of Hanover and in the northeast part of the county....
, and later moved to the town of Salamanca, which twice elected his father mayor. In 1898, his family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, where he attended Kearney Military Academy. Within a few years, his family returned to New York, and he graduated from Hamburg
Hamburg (town), New York
Hamburg is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 56,259.The Town of Hamburg is on the western border of the county and is south of Buffalo, New York. Hamburg is one of the "Southtowns" in Erie County...
High School in 1907. Four years later, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
, where he wrote his first play, Perfectly Harmless, for the University Dramatic Club.
Abbott then went to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he studied playwriting under George Pierce Baker
George Pierce Baker
George Pierce Baker was an American educator in the field of drama.Baker graduated in the Harvard University class of 1887, and taught in the English Department at Harvard from 1888 until 1924. He started his "47 workshop" class in playwrighting in 1905. He was instrumental in creating the Harvard...
. Under his tutelage, he wrote 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
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where his play The Man in the Manhole won a contest.
Career
Abbott's career spanned 92 years from 1903 until his death in 1995.While acting in several plays in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, he began to write; his first successful play was The Fall Guy (1925). 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. His first great hit was Broadway
Broadway (play)
Broadway is the title of a Broadway play produced by Jed Harris and written and directed by George Abbott and Philip Dunning. It was Abbott's first big hit on his way to becoming "the most famous play doctor of all time" after he "rejiggered" Dunning's play...
, written and directed in partnership with Philip Dunning, whose play Abbott "rejiggered". It opened on September 16, 1926 at the Broadhurst Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
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 writer and director while continuing with his theater work.
Among those who crossed paths with Abbott early in their careers are Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
, Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney
Gene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
, Betty Comden
Betty Comden
Betty Comden was one-half of the musical-comedy duo Comden and Green, who provided lyrics, libretti, and screenplays to some of the most beloved and successful Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century...
, Hal Prince
Hal Prince
Harold Smith Prince is an American theatrical producer and director associated with many of the best-known Broadway musical productions of the past half-century...
, Adolph Green
Adolph Green
Adolph Green was an American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for some of the most beloved movie musicals, particularly as part of Arthur Freed's production unit at MGM, during the genre's heyday...
, Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
, Jule Styne
Jule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
, Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...
, Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
, Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist. She has appeared in numerous stage plays and musicals, feature films, and many television programs...
, John Kander
John Kander
John Harold Kander is the American composer of a number of musicals as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.-Life and career:Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernice and Harold S. Kander...
, Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera....
, and Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
.
Personal life
Abbott was married to Edna Lewis from 1914 - 1930 (her death), they had 1 child. Actress Mary Sinclair was his second wife. Their marriage lasted from 1946 - 1951 when they divorced. Maureen Stapleton had a long romance with George Abbott from 1968 to 1978. She was 43 and he was 81 when they began their affair, then ten years later Abbott dropped her for a younger woman. His third wife was Joy Valderrama. They were married in 1983 until his death in 1995.Abbott was a vigorous man who remained active past his 100th birthday by golfing and dancing. He died of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
January 31, 1995 in Miami Beach aged 107. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
obituary read, "Mr. 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, in addition to working on a revival of Damned Yankees. In 1993, at a mere 106 years old, he walked down the aisle on opening night of the Damned Yankees revival and received a standing ovation. He was heard saying to his companion there must be somebody important here.
Honors
In 1965, the 54th Street54th Street (Manhattan)
54th Street is a two-mile-long, one-way street traveling west to east across Midtown Manhattan.-West Side Highway:*The route begins at the West Side Highway . Opposite the intersection is the New York Passenger Ship Terminal and the Hudson River...
Theatre was rechristened the George Abbott Theater in his honor. The building was demolished in 1970. New York's George Abbott Way
George Abbott Way
George Abbott Way is a section of West 45th Street northwest of Times Square in New York City, named for famed Broadway producer and director George Abbott...
, the section of West 45th Street northwest of Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, is also named after him.
He received New York City's Handel Medallion
Handel Medallion
The Handel Medallion is an American award presented by the City of New York, New York. It is the city's highest award given to individuals for their contribution to the city's intellectual and cultural life.-Establishment:...
in 1976, honorary doctorates from the Universities of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
and Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, and the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for—and...
in 1982. He was also inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame
American Theatre Hall of Fame
The American Theatre Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the Executive Committee. In an announcement at a luncheon meeting on March 1972, he said that the new Theater Hall of Fame would be located in the Uris Theatre . James M...
. In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
.
Stage
- 1915: The Yeomen of the GuardThe Yeomen of the GuardThe Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
(actor) - 1918: Daddies (actor)
- 1920: The Broken Wing (actor)
- 1923: Zander the Great (actor)
- 1925: The Fall Guy (playwright)
- 1926: Love 'em and Leave 'em (playwright, director)
- 1926: ChicagoChicago (play)Chicago is a 1926 play written by Maurine Dallas Watkins. It was based on two unrelated 1924 cases of two women, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, who were both suspected and later acquitted for murder, that Watkins had covered for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter...
(director) - 1926: BroadwayBroadway (play)Broadway is the title of a Broadway play produced by Jed Harris and written and directed by George Abbott and Philip Dunning. It was Abbott's first big hit on his way to becoming "the most famous play doctor of all time" after he "rejiggered" Dunning's play...
(playwright, director) - 1928: Gentlemen of the Press (director)
- 1932: Lilly Turner (playwright, director, producer)
- 1932: Twentieth CenturyTwentieth Century (play)Twentieth Century is a play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur based on the unproduced play Napoleon of Broadway by Charles B. Millholland, inspired by his experience working for the eccentric Broadway impresario David Belasco....
(director, producer) - 1935: "Three Men on a Horse" (playwright, director)
- 1935: JumboJumbo (musical)Jumbo is a musical produced by Billy Rose, with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and book by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.-Production:...
(director) - 1936: On Your ToesOn Your ToesOn Your Toes is a musical with a book by Richard Rodgers, George Abbott, and Lorenz Hart, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart. It was adapted into a film in 1939....
(book) - 1937: Room ServiceRoom Service (play)Room Service is a play written by Allen Boretz and John Murray. It was originally produced by George Abbott and debuted at the Cort Theatre in New York on May 19, 1937. Its initial production ran for 500 performances, closing on July 16, 1938. The play was revived for a short run of 16...
(director, producer) - 1938: The Boys from SyracuseThe Boys from SyracuseThe Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical...
(book, director, producer) - 1939: Too Many GirlsToo Many Girls (musical)Too Many Girls is a Broadway musical comedy and a 1940 film version of the show, starring Lucille Ball.-Broadway version:Too Many Girls opened October 18, 1939, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by George Marion Jr. It was produced by George Abbott...
(director, producer) - 1940: Pal Joey (director, producer)
- 1944: On the Town (director)
- 1947: High Button ShoesHigh Button ShoesHigh Button Shoes is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by George Abbott and Stephen Longstreet. It was based on the semi-autobiographical 1946 novel The Sisters Liked Them Handsome by Longstreet...
(director) - 1948: Where's Charley?Where's Charley?Where's Charley? is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway and in the West End...
(book, director)
- 1949: Mrs. Gibbons' BoysMrs. Gibbons' BoysMrs. Gibbons' Boys is a play by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman. The comedy centers on the mother of three delinquent boys.Produced and directed by George Abbott, the Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre on May 4, 1949 and closed after five performances...
(producer, director) - 1950: Call Me MadamCall Me MadamCall Me Madam is a musical with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.A satire on politics and foreign affairs that spoofs America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to needy countries, it centers on Sally Adams, a well-meaning but ill-informed...
(director) - 1951: A Tree Grows in BrooklynA Tree Grows in Brooklyn (musical)A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Betty Smith, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Arthur Schwartz....
(book, director, producer) - 1953: Wonderful TownWonderful TownWonderful Town is a musical with a book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Leonard Bernstein...
(director) - 1954: The Pajama GameThe Pajama GameThe Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
(book, director) - 1955: Damn YankeesDamn YankeesDamn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
(book, director) - 1957: New Girl in TownNew Girl in TownNew Girl in Town is a musical with a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill based on Eugene O'Neill's 1921 gloomy play Anna Christie, about a prostitute who tries to live down her past. New Girl, unlike O'Neill's play, focuses on the jealousy of the character Marthy and on...
(book, director) - 1959: Once Upon a MattressOnce Upon a MattressOnce Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway...
(director) - 1959: Fiorello!Fiorello!Fiorello! is a musical about New York City mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, a reform Republican who took on Tammany Hall. The book is by Jerome Weidman and George Abbott, drawn substantially from the 1955 volume Life With Fiorello by Ernest Cuneo, with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock...
(book, director) - 1960: TenderloinTenderloin (musical)Tenderloin is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Jerome Weidman, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock, their follow-up to the highly successful Pulitzer Prize-winning Fiorello! a year earlier. The musical is based on a 1959 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams...
(book, director) - 1962: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
(director) - 1964: Fade Out - Fade InFade Out - Fade InFade Out - Fade In is a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne. The story involves the movie industry in the 1930s...
(director) - 1965: Flora, The Red Menace (book, director)
- 1965: AnyaAnya (musical)Anya is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Guy Bolton and music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest. As they had done with Song of Norway and Kismet , Wright and Forrest developed the musical score using themes written by a classical composer, in this case Sergei...
(book, director) - 1967: How Now, Dow JonesHow Now, Dow JonesHow Now, Dow Jones is a musical comedy by Academy Award winner Elmer Bernstein, Tony Award nominee Carolyn Leigh and Max Shulman. The original Broadway production opened in December 1967. A critically acclaimed revised version premiered in August 2009....
(director) - 1968: The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N (director)
- 1969: The Fig Leaves Are FallingThe Fig Leaves Are FallingThe Fig Leaves Are Falling is a musical with a book and lyrics by Allan Sherman and music by Albert Hague. It was inspired by Sherman's 1966 divorce following 21 years of marriage....
(director) - 1970: Norman, Is That You?Norman, Is That You?Norman, Is That You? is a 1970 play in two acts by American playwrights Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick about a Jewish couple coming to terms with their son's homosexuality. The work is notably the first play written by both writers. After 19 preview performances, the play officially opened on Broadway...
(director) - 1976: Music IsMusic IsMusic Is is a musical with a book by George Abbott, music by Richard Adler, and lyrics by Will Holt. It is the second musical adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Twelfth Night, following Your Own Thing in 1968....
(book, director) - 1987: BroadwayBroadway (play)Broadway is the title of a Broadway play produced by Jed Harris and written and directed by George Abbott and Philip Dunning. It was Abbott's first big hit on his way to becoming "the most famous play doctor of all time" after he "rejiggered" Dunning's play...
(revival, book, director) - 1994: Damn Yankees (musical) (revival, book, creative consultant, script revisions)
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 Four Walls (film) Four Walls is a 1928 film starring John Gilbert, Joan Crawford, and Carmel Myers. This is a lost film. -Plot summary:Benny Horowitz , a reformed gangster, proposes marriage to Bertha , a neighbor who had been a frequent visitor while he served his sentence... |
Playwright, writer |
| 1929 | Coquette Coquette (film) -Plot:Norma Besant, daughter of a Southern doctor, is an incorrigible flirt and has many suitors. Her father Dr. Besant favors Stanley , who is taken with Norma. However Norma has met a simple man named Michael Jeffrey who she has fallen madly in love with. Dr. Besant disapproves of Michael... |
Playwright |
| 1929 | The Carnival Man | Director |
| 1929 | Broadway Broadway (1929 film) Broadway is a 1929 film directed by Pál Fejös from the play of the same name by George Abbott and Philip Dunning. It stars Glenn Tryon, Evelyn Brent, Paul Porcasi, Robert Ellis, Merna Kennedy and Thomas E... |
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 | Halfway 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 Manslaughter (1930 film) Manslaughter is a 1930 film directed by George Abbott, and starring Claudette Colbert and Fredric March. An original print of the film is saved in the UCLA Film and Television Archive.-Cast:*Claudette Colbert as Lydia Thorne... |
Director, writer |
| 1930 | The Sea God | Director, writer |
| 1931 | Der Sprung ins Nichts | Writer |
| 1931 | Stolen Heaven | Director; writer |
| 1931 | La Incorregible | 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 Secrets of a Secretary Secrets of a Secretary is a 1931 film directed by George Abbott, and starring Claudette Colbert and Herbert Marshall.-Plot:Society girl becomes a social secretary when her father dies penniless... |
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 Three Men on a Horse (film) Three Men on a Horse is a 1936 comedy film adapted from the Broadway play of the same name written by George Abbott and John Cecil Holm. A mild-mannered greeting card poet has the uncanny ability to pick winners in horse races.-Plot:... |
Playwright |
| 1938 | Broadway | Writer |
| 1939 | On Your Toes On Your Toes On Your Toes is a musical with a book by Richard Rodgers, George Abbott, and Lorenz Hart, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart. It was adapted into a film in 1939.... |
Playwright |
| 1940 | Too Many Girls | Director |
| 1940 | The Boys from Syracuse The Boys from Syracuse The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical... |
Playwright, director |
| 1941 | Highway West | Playwright, Heat Lightning |
| 1942 | Broadway Broadway (1942 film) Broadway is a 1942 film about Broadway theatre with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Janet Blair, Broderick Crawford, Marjorie Rambeau, Anne Gwynne, and S.Z. Sakall. Raft plays himself, recalling an incident early in his pre-movie career as a dancer. The movie was directed by William A.... |
Playwright |
| 1947 | Beat the Band | Playwright |
| 1957 | The Pajama Game The Pajama Game (film) The article is about the 1957 film. For other uses see The Pajama Game .The Pajama Game is a 1957 musical film based on the stage musical of the same name... |
Writer, director, producer |
| 1958 | Damn Yankees Damn Yankees (film) Damn Yankees is a 1958 musical film made by Warner Bros., a modern version of the Faust story involving the New York Yankees and Washington Senators baseball teams. The film is based on the 1955 Broadway musical of the same name.... |
Writer, director, producer |
Awards and nominations
Awards- 1955 Tony Award for Best Musical – The Pajama Game
- 1956 Tony Award for Best Musical – Damn Yankees
- 1960 Pulitzer Prize for DramaPulitzer Prize for DramaThe Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
– Fiorello! - 1960 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Fiorello!
- 1960 Tony Award for Best Musical – Fiorello!
- 1963 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- 1976 Special Tony Award: The Lawrence Langer Award
- 1982 Kennedy Center HonorsKennedy Center HonorsThe Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for—and...
- 1983 Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Outstanding Director of a Musical – On Your Toes - 1987 Special Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
on the occasion of his 100th birthday
Nominations
- 1930 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Writing – All Quiet on the Western Front
- 1958 Writers Guild of AmericaWriters Guild of AmericaThe Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
Award for Best Written American Musical – Damn Yankees - 1958 Tony Award for Best Musical – New Girl in Town
- 1958 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Musical – The Pajama Game
- 1959 Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures – Damn Yankees - 1963 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – Never Too Late
- 1968 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – How Now, Dow Jones