1+ no3HI THE COMEDY OF GEORGE ABBOTT Robert W. MacClennan A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 1975 Approved by Doctoral Committee Advisor © 1976 ROBERT WALTON MaCCLENNAN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED * « 11 ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to analyze the comic dramaturgy of George Abbott, by analyzing the playwriting techniques of Abbott with emphasis on his style of comedy; assessing what influence Abbott’s directing had on his playwriting; and, seeking an evolutionary pattern in his work. Ten works were analyzed: Broadway, Poppa, Page Miss Glory, Three Men On A Horse, The Boys Prom Syracuse, Where’s Charley?, Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, New Gi~rl In Town, and Tenderloin. The analysis of thescripts con­ centrated upon identifying and categorizing the comic de­ vices used by Abbott. As a framework of convenience, the analysis applied the comic theory of Alan Reynolds Thomp­ son, an eclectic theory which identifies the sources and natures of laughter in eleven categories. Three sources were examined to identify the features of Abbott’s direct­ ing style: periodical reviews and accounts of shows he had directed; comments by Abbott regarding his directing and playwriting, and comments by actors and actresses who had been directed by him and by lyricists and composers who had worked with him. These findings were applied to the plays and musicals to determine whether there was a relationship between the directing and the playwriting. The study found that verbal effect was the dominant source of laughter, resulting most frequently in the laughter of derision/ridicule, followed closely by con- trast/incongruity. No evolutionary pattern was discovered in Abbott’s work. Abbott’s directing and playwriting are a combined task and influence each other. Ill ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This writer wishes to acknowledge the many people who helped him in so many ways. First, he wishes to thank the members of his committee, Dr. Charles Boughton, Dr. Raymond Brown, Dr. Robert Goodwin, Dr. Allen Kepke, and Dr. Norman Myers for their advice and guidance. To Dr. F. L. Miesle, his academic and dissertation advisor, the writer wishes to express his most sincere gratitude for the patience, the encouragement, and the un­ tiring effort he put forth in seeing this project through to its completion. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.................................................................................. 1 Objectives of the Study....................................................2 Importance of the Study...................................,...3 Method of Investigation ................................................. 5 Thompson’s Theory of Comedy ........................................ 9 Organization of the Study............................................. 33 AUTHORED WORKS.................................................................................37 The Boys From Syracuse.......................... 37 Where’s Charley?, ............................................................... 58 New Girl In Town....................................................................74 Conclusion. ............................................................................ 88 CO-AUTHORED PLAYS AND MUSICALS ............................................. 94 Broadway.....................................................................................94 Three Men On A Horse........................................................ 103 Pajama Game .......................................................................... 120 Damn Yankees.......................................................................... 134 Tenderloin.............................................................................. 148 Conclusion.............................. 164 V THE DOCTORED PLAYS.................................................................... 169 FP£Pa ....................................................................................... 169 Page Miss Glory................................................................. 181 Conclusion.............................................................................. 195 MR. ABBOTT: THE DIRECTOR................................. 198 Abbott’s Directing Techniques ................................ 199 Abbott's Views of Playwriting ............................... 226 Influences on Abbott’s Writing........................... 231 CONCLUSION....................................................................................... 237 Summary.................................................................................. 237 Conclusions ..........................................................................240 Suggestions for Further Research.............................. 247 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................. 250 APPENDICES ............................................................................ 257 George Abbott’s Theatre Record................................ 258 George Abbott Interview ..................................... 262 Letters.................................................................................. 273 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In 1913 Mr. Abbott went to New York to try to earn a living as an actor ’until some smart producer snatched up one of my great plays.’ But it was a long wait, and in the meantime he became successful on the stage playing leads in such plays as Processional and the Pulitzer Prize play. Hell-bent for Heaven. Finally in 1^26 he had his'first hit as a playwright, Broadway, written with Phillip Dunning. Coquette and Three Men on a Horse, also collabora­ tions’, "Toil owed, and since that time he has usually been co-author, director, or producer of one or two Broadway shows each season.1 Today George Abbott is the undis­ puted dean of Broadway directors . ., and he has been connected with more hits than anyone in the history of Amer­ ican theatre.2 When a man is active and successful in American com­ mercial theatre for sixty-odd years, a natural question is, ’’Why? What causes a man’s plays to be accepted by chang­ ing audiences for almost half a century?” A listing of Abbott plays will show that most are comedies. Many of these comedies have had successful revivals as many as thirty years after their original production. What causes people to laugh at Abbott’s plays? What comic devices have kept Abbott’s plays popular? It was questions such as these that led to this study, 2 which concerns itself with analyzing the plays of a popu­ lar comic playwright, George Abbott. I. Objectives of the Study Since Mr. Abbott is a popular commercial playwright, this study examines his plays from a theatrical as well as a literary point of view. His plays have been written to sell, to be viewed by an audience, and their success is determined by how well or for how long they are accepted and attended by the theatre-going public. That they are successful can be established by examining a list of Broad­ way hits from almost any year from 1926 until the present. The question this study hopes to answer is, "What comic devices has Abbott used to make them successful?" Mr. Abbott has written plays and musicals alone and in collaboration, and also has been called upon frequently to act as a "play doctor." Do the works in these three cate­ gories rely on the same comic devices, or does emphasis on particular comic devices differ from category to category? In other words, is it possible to determine what contribu­ tions Abbott made to co-authored and doctored works? Because Mr. Abbott is involved in theatrical work not only as a writer, but also as a director, the question arises, "Can any influence of his directing on his writing be traced?". The mere fact that Abbott has been writing suc­ cessfully over a long period of time raises the questions, 3 “Has his writing changed through the years? Has he used different comic devices or combinations for different gen­ erations of theatre goers? Has he developed a pattern in his writing?” In the analysis of the comic dramaturgy of George Ab­ bott in a theatrical context, three major objectives emerge They are: 1. to analyze and describe the comic devices in specific plays and musicals of George Abbott; 2. to seek a possible evolutionary pattern in Mr. Abbott’s work; 3. to attempt to assess what influence, if any, Mr. Abbott’s directing has had on his playwriting. II. Importance of the Study George Abbott has been a significant force in the American commercial theatre as playwright, co-author, play doctor, director, actor, and producer. From 1913 to the present he has been involved actively in over one hundred professional productions in one or more capacities. He has achieved financial and popular success, as indicated by the fact that each decade from 1920 to the present has witnessed a significant number of George Abbott “hits” mounted on Broadway. Because he has been so popular over such a long period of time, and obviously has reached a substantial audience, it would seem justifiable to examine his plays and musicals in order to discover the comic 4 devices which helped to make and keep them popular. Mr. Abbott’s sixty years of theatrical activity provide a rare opportunity for the theatre student to examine the develop­ ment of a popular playwright and his comedy. An interesting by-product which might be produced from this investigation is some knowledge about the type of audi­ ence attracted to an