MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Feb. 1 -- Director-producer-playwright George Abbott, whose work made it to Broadway 125 times during a century- spanning career, has died of a stroke. He was 107. Abbott, famed for a string of successes including 'Damn Yankees,' 'Pajama Game,' and 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' died Tuesday night at his home on Sunset Island, off Miami Beach. His wife and a granddaughter were at his side. 'It was a peaceful, beautiful exit,' said his wife, Judy. Broadway's lights were to be dimmed for one minute at curtain time Wednesday night as a tribute to Abbott. Abbott began his career as an actor in 1913 and then branched out as a director, playwright and producer. One of his last triumphs on Broadway was supervising last year's revival of the musical comedy 'Damn Yankees,' now closed but scheduled to reopen Feb. 28. Abbott made his final appearance before the theater community at the Tony Awards ceremony in New York on June 12, 1994, when he was recognized for his achievements and the 'Damn Yankees' revival. He appeared frail but accepted a standing ovation graciously, saying only, 'On with the show!' as he exited the stage. Born in Forestville, N.Y., on June 25, 1887, Abbott initially wanted to be a newspaperman but changed his focus to drama while at Harvard, where he won a $100 prize for writing a one-act play called 'The Man and the Manhole.' His first big success in the theater was in 1932 when he brought 'Twentieth Century' to Broadway.
He acted in, wrote, produced or directed 126 productions after that, both in New York and London's West End, a record in modern theatrical history. In the more than half-century that followed, Abbott scored hit after hit as producer, director or writer. He was so good with scripts that he became known as a 'play doctor.' Among the long-running hits associated with Abbott were 'Brother Rat,' 'Boy Meets Girl,' 'Pal Joey,' 'Room Service,' 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,' 'Best Foot Forward,' 'On the Town,' 'Kiss and Tell,' 'Pajama Game,' 'Damn Yankees,' 'Call Me Madam,' 'Fiorello,' 'Tenderloin,' 'Three Men on a Horse,' 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' and 'High Button Shoes.' His 'play doctor' reputation skyrocketed after his startling success with 'Brother Rat,' which had been turned down by 31 producers. Abbott's retooled version was an instant hit. He went to Hollywood during the switch-over from silent pictures to sound and collaborated on the script for Lewis Milestone's Oscar-winning 1930 movie 'All Quiet on the Western Front.' As a film director, his credits included 'Why Bring That Up?' and 'Half-Way to Heaven' in 1929, 'Manslaughter' and 'The Sea God' in 1930, 'Stolen Heaven' and 'Secrets of a Secretary' in 1931, and 'Too Many Girls' in 1940, which he also produced. He produced several other films, including 'Boy Meets Girl' with James Cagney and Pat O'Brien in 1938. Abbott preferred the live action of the theater, however, and confined his later moviemaking to screen versions of his stage shows. He collaborated with director Stanley Donen on the movies 'The Pajama Game' in 1957 and 'Damn Yankees' in 1958. He won the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics Award for the stage musical 'Fiorello' in 1960. Abbott married three times. His first wife, Ednah Levis, died. They had one child. His second marriage, to actress Mary Sinclair, ended in divorce after three years. He was married a third time, to Joy Valderrama, when he was 96. Perhaps his lifestyle accounted for his long life. He liked to dance and play golf and tennis. When he celebrated his 99th birthday in June 1986, he was preparing a new stage production. 'Don't take life too seriously and never look back,' he said at the time, but added, 'Work has given me my greatest happiness.' A month later, he was in New York for rehearsals for a revival of 'On Your Toes,' originally written when he was 49. In 1989, Abbott wrote 'Frankie,' a musical about Frankenstein, which he directed at the York Theatre. Abbott's 100th birthday produced a flurry of theatrical celebrations including a star-studded gala and a revival of his 1926 hit 'Broadway' at New York's Royale Theater. There was a shower of congratulations from such contemporaries as composer Irving Berlin, then 99, actress Lillian Gish, 93, and younger Broadway stars such as Carol Channing, Nanette Fabray, and Edie Adams. On a traffic island on Broadway, in 90-degree heat, he arrived by horse-drawn carriage to watch the unveiling of a street sign proclaiming 'George Abbott Way.' Asked how he enjoyed the fanfare, Abbott snapped, 'I hate it. You ought to take a picture of the horse, not me.' Explaining his unparalleled career in the American theater, Abbott said, 'I love the theater and I like to work, so I just keep going.' He said the biggest mistake he made in his career was turning down the direction of 'West Side Story.' 'The musical theater has changed,' he once observed. 'We're still getting musicals but they're different. The plotted show is out and the spectacle is in, though personally I think audiences still like a plot.. .But I don't like to look back and talk about the good old days. There is much that is wonderful in the theater today.' A private service is planned, with a public memorial service to be scheduled later. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the George Abbott Scholarship Fund at the University of Rochester or to the George Abbott Scholarship fund at the New World School of the Arts in Miami. Abbott is survived by his wife, a sister, a granddaughter and grandson, and six great-children.
