Herman Shumlin

{{Short description|American theatre director and producer (1898–1979)}} {{Infobox person | name = Herman Shumlin | image = Herman-Shumlin-1931.jpg | alt =  | caption = Herman Shumlin in 1931 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|12|06}} | birth_place = Atwood, Colorado | death_date = {{Death date and age|1979|06|04|1898|12|06}} | death_place = New York City, New York | nationality = | other_names = | occupation = Theatrical producer, director | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }}

'''Herman Shumlin''' (December 6, 1898, Atwood, Colorado – June 4, 1979, New York City) was a prolific Broadway theatrical director and theatrical producer, beginning in 1927 with the play ''Celebrity'' and continuing through 1974 with a short run of ''As You Like It'', notably with an all-male cast. He also directed two movies, including ''Watch on the Rhine'' (1943), which he had first directed and produced on Broadway in 1941.

During a Broadway career lasting 47 years, he was the director, producer, or both, of 45 productions, including three separate productions of ''The Corn Is Green'' (1940, 1943, and 1950). Other productions include ''The Little Foxes'' (1939), ''Watch on the Rhine'' (1941), and ''Inherit the Wind'' (1955). ''Inherit the Wind'' ran for 806 performances, and was made into a movie in 1960 starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Gene Kelly, and has been remade three times since, in 1965, 1988, and 1999.

Shumlin taught directing in the Theater Department of The City College of New York in the 1960s and 1970s. As well as ''Watch on the Rhine'', he directed the movie ''Confidential Agent'' (1945).

==Theatre credits== {{multiple image  | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 220  | image1 = The-Last-Mile-1930-B.jpg | alt1 = | caption1 = Howard Phillips and Spencer Tracy in ''The Last Mile'' (1930)  | image2 = Act-1-Scene-7-Grand-Hotel-1930.jpg | alt2 = | caption2 = Henry Hull, William Nunn, Eugenie Leontovich, Lester Alden and Rafaela Ottiano in ''Grand Hotel'' (1930)  | image3 = The-Children's-Hour-1935-1.jpg | alt3 = | caption3 = Robert Keith, Anne Revere, Florence McGee, Katherine Emery and Katherine Emmet in ''The Children's Hour'' (1934)  | image4 = Merchant-of-Yonkers-Waram-Cowl.jpg | alt4 = | caption4 = Percy Waram and Jane Cowl in Thornton Wilder's ''The Merchant of Yonkers'' (1938)  | image5 =The-Little-Foxes-Bankhead-1.jpg | alt5 = | caption5 = Tallulah Bankhead as Regina Giddens in ''The Little Foxes'' (1939)  | image6 = Waring-Barrymore-The-Corn-is-Green.jpg | alt6 = | caption6 = Richard Waring and Ethel Barrymore in the Broadway production of ''The Corn Is Green'' (1940)  | image7 = Lukas-Watch-on-the-Rhine-1941.jpg | alt7 = | caption7 = Paul Lukas as Kurt Mueller in ''Watch on the Rhine'' (1941) }} {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! class="unsortable" | Date ! Title ! class="unsortable" | Venue ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | December 26, 1927 – January 1928 | ''Celebrity'' | Lyceum Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin">{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/herman-shumlin-6288 |title=Herman Shumlin |publisher=Internet Broadway Database |accessdate=2016-10-12}}</ref> |- | October 3 – October 1928 | ''{{sortname|The|Command Performance|nolink=1}}'' | Klaw Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 13, 1928 – January 1929 | ''To-Night at 12'' | Hudson Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | October 23, 1929 – October 1929 | ''Button, Button'' | Bijou Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | February 13 – October 1930 | ''{{sortname|The|Last Mile|The Last Mile (play)}}'' | Sam H. Harris Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 13, 1930 – December 1931 | ''Grand Hotel'' | National Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | September 14 – December 3, 1932 | ''Clear All Wires'' | Times Square Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | October 17, 1933 – January 1934 | ''Ten Minute Alibi'' | Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | September 13 – September 1934 | ''{{sortname|The|Bride of Torozko|nolink=1}}'' | Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 20, 1934 – July 1936 | ''{{sortname|The|Children's Hour|The Children's Hour (play)}}'' | Maxine Elliott Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | October 11 – October 1935 | ''Sweet Mystery of Life'' | Shubert Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | December 15 – December 1936 | ''Days to Come'' | Vanderbilt Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | February 21 – March 1938 | ''Wine of Choice'' | Guild Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | December 28, 1938 – January 1939 | ''{{sortname|The|Merchant of Yonkers}}'' | Guild Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | February 15, 1939 – February 1940 | ''{{sortname|The|Little Foxes}}'' | National Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | January 9 – August 3, 1940 | ''{{sortname|The|Male Animal|nolink=1}}'' | Cort Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 26, 1940 – January 17, 1942 | ''{{sortname|The|Corn Is Green}}'' | National Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | April 1, 1941 – February 21, 1942 | ''Watch on the Rhine'' | Martin Beck Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 26 – December 19, 1942 | ''{{sortname|The|Great Big Doorstep|nolink=1}}'' | Morosco Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | May 3 – June 19, 1943 | ''{{sortname|The|Corn Is Green|nolink=1}}'' | Martin Beck Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | April 12, 1944 – January 20, 1945 | ''{{sortname|The|Searching Wind|nolink=1}}'' | Fulton Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | October 17 – November 4, 1944 | ''{{sortname|The|Visitor|nolink=1}}'' | Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | March 20 – June 23, 1945 | ''Kiss Them for Me'' | Belasco Theatre and Fulton Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | February 21–28, 1946 | ''Jeb'' | Martin Beck Theatre, New York City | Producer, director, production supervisor<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | March 30 – April 9, 1949 | ''{{sortname|The|Biggest Thief in Town|nolink=1}}'' | Mansfield Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | January 11–22, 1950 | ''{{sortname|The|Corn Is Green|nolink=1}}'' | New York City Center, New York City | Volunteer consultant<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | September 18 – November 4, 1950 | ''Daphne Laureola'' | Music Box Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | February 20 – March 10, 1951 | ''{{sortname|The|High Ground|nolink=1}}'' | 48th Street Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | September 4 – November 10, 1951 | ''Lace on Her Petticoat'' | Booth Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 19–24, 1951 | ''To Dorothy, A Son'' | John Golden Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | January 30 – February 2, 1952 | ''Gertie'' | Plymouth Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | April 22 – May 17, 1952 | ''Candida'' | National Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | October 13 – November 1, 1952 | ''{{sortname|The|Gambler|nolink=1}}'' | Lyceum Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 20, 1954 – February 26, 1955 | ''Wedding Breakfast'' | 48th Street Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | April 21, 1955 – June 22, 1957 | ''Inherit the Wind'' | National Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | January 29 – May 2, 1959 | ''Tall Story'' | Belasco Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | November 19 – December 12, 1959 | ''Only in America'' | Cort Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | December 1–17, 1960 | ''Little Moon of Alban'' | Longacre Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | March 2 – July 10, 1963 | ''Dear Me, The Sky is Falling'' | Music Box Theatre, New York City | Director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | September 24, 1963 | ''Bicycle Ride to Nevada'' | Cort Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | February 26 – November 28, 1964 | ''{{sortname|The|Deputy}}'' | Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City | Producer, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | December 14, 1967 – June 8, 1968 | ''Spofford'' | ANTA Playhouse, New York City | Playwright, director<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | May 1–18, 1968 | ''Soldiers'' | Billy Rose Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | October 7–26, 1974 | ''Flowers'' | Biltmore Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |- | December 3–8, 1974 | ''As You Like It'' | Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City | Producer<ref name="IMDb Shumlin"/> |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Herman Shumlin}} * {{IBDB name}} * {{IMDb name|0795864}} * [http://archives.nypl.org/the/22736 Herman Shumlin papers, circa 1902-1989 [bulk 1932-1978]], held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shumlin, Herman}} Category:American theatre directors Category:1898 births Category:1979 deaths Category:People from Logan County, Colorado