George W. George
Encyclopedia
George W. George was an American
theater, Broadway
and film producer
. His credits included the 1981 film My Dinner With Andre
and several hit Broadway productions.
on February 8, 1920. His parents were the well known cartoonist
Rube Goldberg
and Goldberg's wife, Irma Seeman. George attended Williams College
.
George's father, Rube Goldberg, often received hate mail
for his political cartoons during World War II
. Rube insisted that both of his sons, George and Thomas, change their surnames to protect themselves. When Thomas chose the last name of "George", George decided to take the same surname as his brother. The newly renamed George W. George wanted to keep a sense of family togetherness by having the same name as his brother.
The James Dean Story, which was directed and produced by Robert Altman
. Other films to his credit included Rich Kids in 1979, which was written by his wife, Judith Ross George and 1973's Night Watch
, which starred Elizabeth Taylor
.
George's most well known film was My Dinner With Andre
, which was released in 1981. George co-produced the film with Beverly Karp. Starring Andre Gregory
and Wallace Shawn
, it opened to little enthusiasm but soon received critical acclaim and ultimately pulled in a 5 million-dollar box office
gross. At the time, five million was considered a good total for a low-budget, independent film
released in the early 1980s.
George made his Broadway debut in 1964 when he produced Dylan
, starring Sir Alec Guinness as Dylan Thomas
and written by Sidney Michaels
. George soon enjoyed a second consecutive hit with Any Wednesday, which opened shortly after Dylan
. Any Wednesday, a comedy
which starred Sandy Dennis
and Gene Hackman
, ran for more than two years on Broadway and was made into a film
. Other hits that George W. George produced include Alan Ayckbourn
's Bedroom Farce
, which earned a Tony Awards nomination for best play in 1979, and Ben Franklin in Paris
, (1964) which starred Robert Preston
.
However, despite a string of hits, George was not always successful. His less successful Broadway flops included Happily Never After, which ran for only four shows, and Via Galactica
, which closed after just seven Broadway performances.
George W. George also worked as a television
and film screenwriter
in the 1950s and early 1960s. His television credits included The Nevadan
, Peter Gunn and Smoke Signal. He and his wife Judith also wrote storylines and screenplays for the ABC television series Combat!, including the episode "The Chateau".
George had a daughter Jennifer, born in 1960. She is a writer and jewelry designer.
in Manhattan on November 7, 2007. He was 87 years old.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theater, Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and film 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...
. His credits included the 1981 film My Dinner With Andre
My Dinner with Andre
My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 film starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by Louis Malle.-Plot:...
and several hit Broadway productions.
Early early life
George Warren Goldberg was born in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on February 8, 1920. His parents were the well known cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
and Goldberg's wife, Irma Seeman. George attended Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
.
George's father, Rube Goldberg, often received hate mail
Hate mail
Hate mail is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient...
for his political cartoons during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Rube insisted that both of his sons, George and Thomas, change their surnames to protect themselves. When Thomas chose the last name of "George", George decided to take the same surname as his brother. The newly renamed George W. George wanted to keep a sense of family togetherness by having the same name as his brother.
Career
George W. George made his film producing debut with the 1957 documentaryDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
The James Dean Story, which was directed and produced by Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
. Other films to his credit included Rich Kids in 1979, which was written by his wife, Judith Ross George and 1973's Night Watch
Night Watch (1973 film)
-Plot:Based on a still-frequently-performed play by Lucille Fletcher, it is the story of a woman who claims she has witnessed a murder from her window at night. Unfortunately she is not able to prove this. The film reunited Taylor with co-star Laurence Harvey from their 1960 film BUtterfield 8...
, which starred Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
.
George's most well known film was My Dinner With Andre
My Dinner with Andre
My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 film starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by Louis Malle.-Plot:...
, which was released in 1981. George co-produced the film with Beverly Karp. Starring Andre Gregory
Andre Gregory
Andre William Gregory is an American theatre director, writer and actor.Gregory studied at Harvard University.During the 1960s and 1970s, Gregory directed a number of avant-garde productions developed through ensemble collaboration, the most famous of which was Alice In Wonderland , based on Lewis...
and Wallace Shawn
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawn , sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, author, voice artist, and intellectual. His best-known film roles include Wally Shawn in My Dinner with Andre , Vizzini in The Princess Bride , and debate teacher Mr...
, it opened to little enthusiasm but soon received critical acclaim and ultimately pulled in a 5 million-dollar box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
gross. At the time, five million was considered a good total for a low-budget, independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
released in the early 1980s.
George made his Broadway debut in 1964 when he produced Dylan
Dylan (1964 play)
Dylan is a 1964 play by Sidney Michaels. It is based on Dylan Thomas in America by John Malcolm Brinnin, and Leftover Life to Kill by Caitlin Thomas, and is about the final years of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. At the 18th Tony Awards it was nominated for Best Play, and earned Alec Guinness the award...
, starring Sir Alec Guinness as Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
and written by Sidney Michaels
Sidney Michaels
Sidney Michaels was an American playwright best known for the early and mid 1960s works Tchin-Tchin, Dylan, and Ben Franklin in Paris.-External links:...
. George soon enjoyed a second consecutive hit with Any Wednesday, which opened shortly after Dylan
Dylan (1964 play)
Dylan is a 1964 play by Sidney Michaels. It is based on Dylan Thomas in America by John Malcolm Brinnin, and Leftover Life to Kill by Caitlin Thomas, and is about the final years of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. At the 18th Tony Awards it was nominated for Best Play, and earned Alec Guinness the award...
. Any Wednesday, a comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
which starred Sandy Dennis
Sandy Dennis
Sandra Dale “Sandy” Dennis was an American theater and film actress. In 1966, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.-Early life:...
and Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
, ran for more than two years on Broadway and was made into a film
Any Wednesday
Any Wednesday is a 1966 comedy film directed by Robert Ellis Miller, starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. The story centers around a Manhattan woman who is trying to decide between two suitors on the day of her 30th birthday.On August 18, 2009, Warner Brothers released the movie...
. Other hits that George W. George produced include Alan Ayckbourn
Alan Ayckbourn
Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their...
's Bedroom Farce
Bedroom Farce (play)
Bedroom Farce is a 1975 comedic play by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It had a London production at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1978.-Overview:...
, which earned a Tony Awards nomination for best play in 1979, and Ben Franklin in Paris
Ben Franklin in Paris
Ben Franklin in Paris is a musical with a book and lyrics by Sidney Michaels, and music by Mark Sandrich, Jr. with two songs contributed by Jerry Herman.The story is a somewhat fictionalized account of Benjamin Franklin's adventures in the French capital...
, (1964) which starred Robert Preston
Robert Preston (actor)
-Early life:Preston was born Robert Preston Meservey in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of Ruth L. and Frank Wesley Meservey, a garment worker and billing clerk for American Express. After attending Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles, California, he studied acting at the Pasadena Community...
.
However, despite a string of hits, George was not always successful. His less successful Broadway flops included Happily Never After, which ran for only four shows, and Via Galactica
Via Galactica
Via Galactica is a rock musical with a book by Christopher Gore and Judith Ross, lyrics by Gore, and music by Galt MacDermot. It marked the Broadway debut of actor Mark Baker....
, which closed after just seven Broadway performances.
George W. George also worked as a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film 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:...
in the 1950s and early 1960s. His television credits included The Nevadan
The Nevadan
The Nevadan is a 1950 American film directed by Gordon Douglas.The film is also known as The Man from Nevada in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*Randolph Scott as Andrew Barclay*Dorothy Malone as Karen Galt*Forrest Tucker as Tom Tanner...
, Peter Gunn and Smoke Signal. He and his wife Judith also wrote storylines and screenplays for the ABC television series Combat!, including the episode "The Chateau".
George had a daughter Jennifer, born in 1960. She is a writer and jewelry designer.
Death
George W. George died of Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in Manhattan on November 7, 2007. He was 87 years old.