Burrows, Abe, 1910-1985

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Abe Burrows, playwright, lyricist, director, screenwriter, comedian and play doctor was born Abram S. Burrows on December 18, 1910 in New York City to Louis and Julia Burrows. His father was in the paint and wallpaper business. He graduated from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn and attended City College and New York University first in a pre-med program and then studying accounting. In 1931 he was hired by a brokerage firm on Wall Street where he worked for three years. He then worked in his father's paint business and as a traveling salesman for a maple syrup firm. During summers he was a popular entertainer in the Catskills and found he enjoyed making a living with his humor.

Burrows began selling radio sketches in 1938 and for four years was a writer for Ed Gardner's Duffy's Tavern, 1941-1945. He also wrote pieces for CBS Texaco Theater, The Joan Davis Show, and The Ford Program. In Hollywood he became a hit at exclusive parties with his satirical songs and recitations with titles such as The Girl with the Three Blue Eyes and I'm Walking down Memory Lane without a Single Thing to Remember. During the course of his career, he appeared on many radio and TV programs, recorded two albums of songs and published An Abe Burrows Songbook. In 1948 and 1949 he toured the country performing in nightclubs and also had his own radio shows: The Abe Burrows Show and Breakfast with Burrows .

Burrows' biggest hits, however, were in the world of musical theater. At CBS in Hollywood he had worked for Ernest Martin who later joined with Cy Feuer to produce Guys and Dolls. It was Martin who brought Burrows to work on the Broadway show. The Guys and Dolls that opened in November 1950 with book and lyrics by Burrows and music by Frank Loesser, was an award-winning production and major hit that ran for years and was revived in London, on Broadway and on school stages around the country. Burrows' other major hit, again with Frank Loesser, was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Tryingwhich won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1962.

From 1950 on Burrows' work was primarily for the Broadway stage as writer, director or both. In 1951 he doctored the musical Make a Wish, an adaption of Ferenc Molnar's The Good Fairy, and directed the revue, Two on the Aisle. In 1952 he was writer and director for Three Wishes for Jamie which he adapted with Charles O'Neal, in 1953 he wrote and directed Can-Can, and in 1954 he directed Reclining Figure. He adapted the screenplay of Ninotchka for the Cole Porter musical Silk Stockings and wrote the screenplay for Solid Gold Cadillacin 1955 and collaborated with Harry Kurnitz on Once More with Feeling in 1957 and with Richard and Marion Bissell on Say, Darlingwhich he also directed in 1958. He was also writer and director for First Impressions, an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and director of Golden Fleecing in 1959, for Cactus Flower, 1965, for Holly Golightly, 1966, a musical theater remake of the film Breakfast at Tiffany'swhich closed before its Broadway opening, and for Four on a Garden, 1971 . His other directing credits include Happy Hunting, Golden Fleecing, What Makes Sammy Run?, Forty Carats, and No Hard Feelings. He was a director for Good News, 1974 and co-writer and director for Hellzapoppin', 1976, but left both shows before their openings. He also did some directing work on the show Forty-Second Street in 1981.

Burrows married his first wife Ruth in 1936. The couple had two children: James born in 1940 and Laurie in 1944, and were divorced in 1948. He married Carin Smith on October 2, 1950. Abe Burrows died on May 17, 1985 after a long illness.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Edgar Dannenberg correspondence, 1952-1994 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Porter, Cole, 1891-1964. Can-can / music and lyrics by Cole Porter ; book by Abe Burrows ; concert adaptation by David Lee, 2004. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Guys and Dolls / based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon ; music and lyrics by Frank Loesser ; book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; devised and directed by Peter Dearing, 1961 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Loesser, Frank, 1910-1969. How to succeed in business without really trying! / music and lyrics by Frank Loesser ; book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert ; based on the book by Shepherd Mead, 1996. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Audio Recordings of "America's Town Meeting of the Air" Radio Programs, 1935–1954 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf CentreStage Theatre Archives. Guys and Dolls / based on story and characters of Damon Runyon ; music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; directed by Edward Gilbert, 1984 - performance file. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Abe Burrows collection of sound recordings [sound recording] The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Guys and Dolls / based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon ; music and lyrics by Frank Loesser ; book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; directed by Kelly Handerek, 2000 - performance file. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Jo Mielziner papers, 1903-1976 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn New Yorker records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Ruth and Augustus Goetz papers, 1930-1966 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Guys and Dolls / based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon ; music and lyrics by Frank Loesser ; book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; directed by Kelly Handerek, 2000 - reviews and articles. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Guys and Dolls / based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon ; music and lyrics by Frank Loesser ; book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; directed by Kelly Handerek, designers, Teresa Burns and Jennifer Suski, 2000 - technical drawings. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Alix Jeffry photographs Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Abe Burrows papers, 1904-1993 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Playwright lecture series [sound recording], 1951-1960 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Souvenir programs for theatrical productions, 1906-2005. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Edgar Dannenberg correspondence, 1952-1994 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Cactus Flower / by Abe Burrows ; based on a play by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy ; directed by Harding Greenwood, 1970 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Stratford Festival Collection. Guys and Dolls / a musical fable of Broadway, based on a story and characters of Damon Runyon, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Sweerling and Abe Burrows ; directed by Kelly Robinson, 2004 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Stratford Festival Collection. Guys and Dolls / based on a story and characters of Damon Runyon ; book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; directed by Bryan Macdonald, 1990 - Reviews and Articles. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Abe Burrows papers, 1904-1993 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Landesman, Eyal. Barnashim ṿa-ḥatikhot, me-aḥore ha-ḳelaʻim. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
referencedIn Cole Porter Collection, 1912-1957, (bulk 1948-1957) Library of Congress. Music Division
referencedIn Production Library Audio Recordings, 1999 - 2005 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Abe Burrows scores, 1947-1949 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Porter, Cole, 1891-1964. Cole Porter's Can-can [music] / book and direction by Abe Burrows. Libraries Australia
referencedIn Richard Barr and Clinton Wilder papers The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Loesser, Frank, 1910-1969. Guys and dolls / music and lyrics by Frank Loesser ; book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon, 1992. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Playwright lecture series [sound recording], 1951-1960 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
creatorOf Runyon, Damon, 1880-1946. Barnashim ṿa-ḥatikhot. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
creatorOf Styne, Jule, 1905-1994. Say, darling : a comedy about a musical / by Richard Bissell, Abe Burrows, Marian Bissell ; based on the best-selling novel by Richard Bissell ; songs by Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne ; April 10, 1958. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Burrows, Abe, 1910-. Typewritten letter signed, dated : New York, 19 February 1970, to Joan Nourse in Los Angeles, 1970 Feb. 19. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Stratford Festival Collection. Guys and dolls / book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows ; directed by Brian Macdonald, 1990 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Records of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, 1973 - . Video Tape Programs and Worldnet Broadcasts, 1999 - 2009 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn J. B. Matthews Papers, 1862-1986 and undated David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn William Pahlmann Associates. Publicity books of William Pahlmann Associates, 1936-1976. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Subject Files, 1964–2011 John F. Kennedy Library
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Place Name Admin Code Country
New York NY US
New York NY US
Subject
Theater
Theater
Theater
Humorous songs
Musical theater
Musical theater
Musical theater
Radio programs
Radio scripts
Radio writers
Talk shows
Television talk shows
Theatrical producers and directors
Occupation
Comedians
Composers
Dramatists
Librettists
Lyricists
Theatrical producers and directors
Activity

Person

Birth 1910-12-18

Death 1985-05-17

Americans

Information

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Ark ID: w63882qs

SNAC ID: 87997650