Legendary Broadway writer/producer/director George Abbott was born in 1887 in Forestville, New York. His father was mayor of Salamanca, New York, for two terms. In 1898 his family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Abbott attended Kearney Military Academy. The family returned to New York, where Abbott attended Hamburg High School, graduating in 1907, ...
June 25, 1887, Forestville, New York, United States
Died
January 31, 1995, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Place Of Birth
Forestville, New York, USA
Weight
69 kg
Profession
Writer, Director, Miscellaneous Crew
Nationality
American
Spouse
Joy Valderrama (m. 1983–1995), Mary Sinclair (m. 1946–1951), Edna Levis (m. 1914–1930)
Children
Judy Abbott
Siblings
Isabel Juergens
Awards
Tony 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...
Nominations
Academy 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
Movies
Damn Yankees, The Pajama Game
Star Sign
Cancer
#
Quote
1
It's because I love the theater so much that I thought I'd stick around.
2
Pace 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.
3
Many great minds have made a botch of matters because their emotions fettered their thinking.
4
I must confess that one of my main defects as a director has always been an incurable impatience.
He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1990 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.
3
Won 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".
4
He 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.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Boys from Syracuse
1986
TV Movie book by
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd
1978
TV Movie play "Three Men on a Horse"
Trois hommes sur un cheval
1969
play "Three Men on a Horse"
The Jazz Age
1968
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Damn Yankees!
1967
TV Movie book
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd
1961
TV Movie play
Damn Yankees!
1958
book / screenplay
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd
1957
play "Three Men on a Horse" - as Abbott
The Pajama Game
1957
book / screenplay
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd
1957
TV Movie play
Playhouse 90
1957
TV Series play - 1 episode
The Best of Broadway
1955
TV Series play - 1 episode
Best Foot Forward
1954
TV Movie original musical
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
1954
TV Series play - 1 episode
Where's Charley?
1952
play
Broadway Television Theatre
1952
TV Series play - 1 episode
The Prudential Family Playhouse
1950
TV Series play - 1 episode
Beat the Band
1947
based on the stage play by
Broadway
1942
play
Highway West
1941
play "Heat Lightning"
The Boys from Syracuse
1940
play
On Your Toes
1939
based on the musical play by
Broadway
1938
TV Movie
Three Men on a Horse
1936
from the play by
Straight Is the Way
1934
from a play by
Heat Lightning
1934
from the original play by
Lilly Turner
1933
play
Halvvägs till himlen
1932
Those We Love
1932
play
Der Sprung ins Nichts
1932
My Sin
1931
adaptation
Secrets of a Secretary
1931
adaptation
À mi-chemin du ciel
1931
Sombras del circo
1931
script "Half-Way to Heaven"
La incorregible
1931
script "Manslaughter"
Stolen Heaven
1931
adaptation
El Dios del mar
1930
script "The Sea God"
The Sea God
1930
adaptation / dialogue
Manslaughter
1930
adaptation
The Fall Guy
1930
by
All Quiet on the Western Front
1930
screen play
Halfway to Heaven
1929
adaptation
Night Parade
1929
play "Ringside"
The Saturday Night Kid
1929
play "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em"
Why Bring That Up?
1929
adaptation - dialogue
Broadway
1929
play / script
Coquette
1929
based on the stage production by
Four Walls
1928
play / script
Hills of Peril
1927
play "A Holy Terror"
Love 'Em and Leave 'Em
1926
play
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Damn Yankees!
1958
The Pajama Game
1957
Too Many Girls
1940
The Cheat
1931
My Sin
1931
Secrets of a Secretary
1931
Stolen Heaven
1931
The Sea God
1930
Manslaughter
1930
Halfway to Heaven
1929
Why Bring That Up?
1929
The Bishop's Candlesticks
1929
Short
The Carnival Man
1929
Short
The Impostor
1918
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Never Too Late
1965
director: stage play
Pal Joey
1957
produced on the stage by
The Pajama Game
1957
stage director
On the Town
1949
directed on the stage by
Best Foot Forward
1943
producer: stage play
Primrose Path
1940
play as produced by
Brother Rat
1938
producer: stage play
Room Service
1938
producer: stage play
Boy Meets Girl
1938
producer: stage play
Twentieth Century
1934
producer: stage play
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Producers' Showcase
1955
TV Series
Mr. Antrobus
The U.S. Royal Showcase
1952
TV Series
Emcee
Why Bring That Up?
1929
Director (uncredited)
The Impostor
1918
Lem
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Damn Yankees!
1958
producer
The Pajama Game
1957
producer
My Sin
1931
producer
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Too Many Girls
1940
producer: musical play "Too Many Girls"
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
American Masters
1997
TV Series documentary
Himself
The 48th Annual Tony Awards
1994
TV Special
Himself - Presenter: Best Revival of a Musical
Great Performances
1990
TV Series
Himself
Tattinger's
1988
TV Series
Himself
The 3th Annual Mr. Abbot Awards
1987
TV Special
Himself
The 41st Annual Tony Awards
1987
TV Special
Himself - Honoree
The 40th Annual Tony Awards
1986
TV Special
Himself - Audience Member
The 37th Annual Tony Awards
1983
TV Special
Himself - Presenter: Best Direction of a Musical
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
1982
TV Special
Himself - Honoree
The 30th Annual Tony Awards
1976
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Lawrence Langner Award
NET Playhouse
1970
TV Series
Himself
The 22nd Annual Tony Awards
1968
TV Special
Himself
The 20th Annual Tony Awards
1966
TV Special
Himself - Host
The 19th Annual Tony Awards
1965
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
The 18th Annual Tony Awards
1964
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
The 14th Annual Tony Awards
1960
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Direction of a Musical and Best Musical
The Arthur Murray Party
1959
TV Series
Himself - Judge
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1955
TV Series
Himself - Actor / Himself - Host
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mr. Prince
2009
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The 50th Annual Tony Awards
1996
TV Special
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1957
Boxoffice Blue Ribbon Award
Boxoffice Magazine Awards
Best Picture of the Month for the Whole Family (September)
The Pajama Game (1957)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1959
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
$500,000
