George Schaefer (director)
Encyclopedia
George Louis Schaefer was a director of television and Broadway theatre
from the 1950s to the 1990s.
, and lived in Oak Park, Illinois for much of his boyhood and young adulthood. He was the son of Elsie (née Otterbein) and Louis Schaefer, who worked in sales. Schaefer studied stage directing at the Yale School of Drama
. He began his directing career while serving in the U.S. Army Special Services
during World War II
. He directed over 50 plays for the troops. After being discharged, he directed for the Broadway theatre
. His first production was of Shakespeare's Hamlet
starring Maurice Evans
. In 1953, Schaefer won a Tony Award
his production of The Teahouse of the August Moon
which he co-produced with Evans.
During the Golden Age of Television
, he directed numerous live TV adaptations of Broadway plays for NBC
's Hallmark Hall of Fame
. His first episode for Hallmark was an adaptation of his Broadway staging of Hamlet starring Evans. In the 1980s, several of his productions for Hallmark aired in syndication under the title George Schaefer Showcase Theatre
. His television work garnered him five Emmy wins out of 21 total nominations. He also won four Directors Guild of America Awards
out of 17 nominations. He holds the record for the most DGA Award nominations. He also directed five theatrical films but to limited success.
In February 1962, actors who had worked with Schaefer, including Ed Wynn
, Ethel Griffies
and Boris Karloff
, participated in a tribute to him on the late-night talk show PM East/PM West
that was based in New York and distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting
to a select few cities, none of them in the Deep South
. This telecast holds the distinction of being the only episode of PM East/PM West
, which aired five nights a week for more than a year, to survive completely. (Only the audio survives from other episodes with a young and unknown Barbra Streisand
.) A videocassette of the 1962 telecast is available for viewing at the UCLA Film and Television Archive
. During the first several minutes of the show, host Mike Wallace
asks Ed Wynn
to confirm that he strongly admires Schaefer's talent, to which Wynn, then 75, replies with a risque (for television in that era) facetious hint that no, he does not have a man-crush on Schaefer.
From 1979 to 1981, Schaefer was president of the Directors Guild of America
. He was as a board member of President Ronald Reagan
's National Council on the Arts from 1982 to 1988. In 1985, he was appointed Chairman and later associate Dean
at the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television
where he stayed until 1991.
In 1996, he released his autobiography
From Live to Tape to Film: 60 Years of Inconspicuous Directing.
Schaefer continued directing TV movies until his death in 1997. His final TV movie was an adaptation of Harvey
. He is survived by his wife, Mildred, whom he married in 1954.
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Life and career
Schaefer was born in Wallingford, ConnecticutWallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
, and lived in Oak Park, Illinois for much of his boyhood and young adulthood. He was the son of Elsie (née Otterbein) and Louis Schaefer, who worked in sales. Schaefer studied stage directing at the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
. He began his directing career while serving in the U.S. Army Special Services
Special Services (entertainment)
Special Services are the entertainment branch of the American military. The unit was created on 22 July 1940 by the War Department as part of the Army Service Forces. Special Services would not only use their own specially trained and talented troops but would often engage local performers.Special...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He directed over 50 plays for the troops. After being discharged, he directed for the Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. His first production was of Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
starring Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (actor)
Maurice Herbert Evans was an English actor noted for his interpretations of Shakespearean characters. In terms of his screen roles, he is probably best known as Dr...
. In 1953, Schaefer won a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
his production of The Teahouse of the August Moon
The Teahouse of the August Moon (play)
The Teahouse of the August Moon is a 1953 play written by John Patrick adapted from the 1951 novel by Vern Sneider. It was later adapted for film in 1956, and the 1970 Broadway musical, Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen.-Plot summary:...
which he co-produced with Evans.
During the Golden Age of Television
Golden Age of Television
The Golden Age of Television in the United States began sometime in the late 1940s and extended to the late 1950s or early 1960s.-Evolutions of drama on television:...
, he directed numerous live TV adaptations of Broadway plays for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
. His first episode for Hallmark was an adaptation of his Broadway staging of Hamlet starring Evans. In the 1980s, several of his productions for Hallmark aired in syndication under the title George Schaefer Showcase Theatre
George Schaefer Showcase Theatre
George Schaefer Showcase Theatre was a syndicated series that ran on cable channels in the 1980s. It consisted of videotaped productions in color directed by George Schaefer which had originally been telecast on the Hallmark Hall of Fame and had been sold as a television package to stations around...
. His television work garnered him five Emmy wins out of 21 total nominations. He also won four Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D.W. Griffith....
out of 17 nominations. He holds the record for the most DGA Award nominations. He also directed five theatrical films but to limited success.
In February 1962, actors who had worked with Schaefer, including Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn was a popular American comedian and actor noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor....
, Ethel Griffies
Ethel Griffies
Ethel Griffies was an English actress of stage, screen, and television....
and Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
, participated in a tribute to him on the late-night talk show PM East/PM West
PM East/PM West
PM East/PM West was a late night talk show hosted by Mike Wallace and Joyce Davidson in New York City , and San Francisco Chronicle television critic Terrence O'Flaherty in San Francisco...
that was based in New York and distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting
Westinghouse Broadcasting
The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndication....
to a select few cities, none of them in the Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
. This telecast holds the distinction of being the only episode of PM East/PM West
PM East/PM West
PM East/PM West was a late night talk show hosted by Mike Wallace and Joyce Davidson in New York City , and San Francisco Chronicle television critic Terrence O'Flaherty in San Francisco...
, which aired five nights a week for more than a year, to survive completely. (Only the audio survives from other episodes with a young and unknown Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
.) A videocassette of the 1962 telecast is available for viewing at the UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
. During the first several minutes of the show, host Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace
Michael Wallace may refer to:*Mike Wallace , television correspondent**The Mike Wallace Interview, his TV series*Mike Wallace , American historian...
asks Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn was a popular American comedian and actor noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor....
to confirm that he strongly admires Schaefer's talent, to which Wynn, then 75, replies with a risque (for television in that era) facetious hint that no, he does not have a man-crush on Schaefer.
From 1979 to 1981, Schaefer was president of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
. He was as a board member of President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's National Council on the Arts from 1982 to 1988. In 1985, he was appointed Chairman and later associate Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
at the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television
UCLA School of Theater Film and Television
The UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television , is one of the twelve schools within UCLA. It is located in Los Angeles, California, USA, and is unique in that it combines all three of these aspects into a single school. The graduate programs are usually ranking within the top 3 nationally,...
where he stayed until 1991.
In 1996, he released his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
From Live to Tape to Film: 60 Years of Inconspicuous Directing.
Schaefer continued directing TV movies until his death in 1997. His final TV movie was an adaptation of Harvey
Harvey (play)
Harvey is a 1944 play by American playwright Mary Chase. Produced by Brock Pemberton and directed by Antoinette Perry, the play premiered on 1 November 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre on Broadway where it was staged for 1,775 performances before closing on January 15, 1949. The original production...
. He is survived by his wife, Mildred, whom he married in 1954.
Selected television work
- HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(1953) - MacbethMacbeth (1954 film)Macbeth is a live television adaptation of the William Shakespeare play. This Hallmark Hall of Fame production was directed by George Schaefer, and starred Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson...
(1954) - Richard IIRichard II (play)King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
(1954) - One Touch of VenusOne Touch of VenusOne Touch of Venus is a musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the novella The Tinted Venus by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygmalion myth. The show satirizes contemporary American suburban values,...
(1955) - Alice in Wonderland (1955)
- The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
(1956) - Man and SupermanMan and SupermanMan and Superman is a four-act drama, written by George Bernard Shaw in 1903. The series was written in response to calls for Shaw to write a play based on the Don Juan theme. Man and Superman opened at The Royal Court Theatre in London on 23 May 1905, but with the omission of the 3rd Act...
(1956) - The Green Pastures (1957)
- The Yeomen of the GuardThe Yeomen of the GuardThe Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
(1957) - Kiss Me, KateKiss Me, KateKiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
(1958) - The Gift of the MagiThe Gift of the Magi"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story written by O. Henry , about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money...
(1958) - Meet Me in St. LouisMeet Me in St. Louis (musical)Meet Me in St. Louis is a musical based on the 1944 film of the same title, about a family living in St. Louis, Missouri on the eve of the 1904 World's Fair....
(1959) - A Doll's HouseA Doll's House (1959 film)A Doll's House is a 1959 made for television movie, directed by George Schaefer. It is based on Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play A Doll's House.-Cast:* Julie Harris — Nora Helmer* Christopher Plummer — Torvald Helmer* Hume Cronyn — Nils Krogstad...
(1959) - WintersetWinterset (play)Winterset is a play by Maxwell Anderson.A verse drama written largely in poetic form, the tragedy deals indirectly with the famous Sacco-Vanzetti case, in which two Italian immigrants with radical political beliefs were executed...
(1959) - The TempestThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
(1960) - MacbethMacbeth (1960 film)Macbeth is a 1960 film adaptation of the William Shakespeare play. This, the second Hallmark Hall of Fame series teleplay of Macbeth was, like the 1954 live version, also directed by George Schaefer, and also starred Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson...
(1960) - PygmalionPygmalion (play)Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of...
(1963) - Abe Lincoln in IllinoisAbe Lincoln in Illinois (play)Abe Lincoln in Illinois is a play written by the American playwright Robert E. Sherwood in 1938. The play, in three acts, covers the life of President Abraham Lincoln from his childhood through his final speech in Illinois before he left for Washington. The play also covers his romance with Mary...
(1964) - Inherit the WindInherit the Wind (1965 film)Inherit the Wind is a 1965 television film adaptation of the play of the same name. The original 1955 play was written as a parable which fictionalized the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial as a means of discussing the 1950s McCarthy trials...
(1965) - The Magnificent YankeeThe Magnificent Yankee (1965 film)The Magnificent Yankee is a 1965 biographical film in the Hallmark Hall of Fame television anthology series. The film was adapted by Robert Hartung from the Emmet Lavery play of the same title, which was in-turn adapted from the book Mr. Justice Holmes by Francis Biddle. The story examines the life...
(1965) - Eagle in a CageEagle in a CageEagle in a Cage is a 1972 American and British historical drama film directed by Fielder Cook. Napoleon is played by Kenneth Haigh.An earlier version of the story had been made in 1965, when an episode of the television series Hallmark Hall of Fame depicted the events starring Trevor Howard as...
(1965) - Saint JoanSaint Joan (play)Saint Joan is a play by George Bernard Shaw, based on the life and trial of Joan of Arc. Published not long after the canonization of Joan of Arc by the Roman Catholic Church, the play dramatises what is known of her life based on the substantial records of her trial. Shaw studied the transcripts...
(1967) - The Admirable CrichtonThe Admirable CrichtonThe Admirable Crichton is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. It was produced by Charles Frohman and opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in London on 4 November 1902, running for an extremely successful 828 performances. It starred H. B. Irving and Irene Vanbrugh...
(1968) - GideonGideon (play)Gideon, a play by Paddy Chayefsky, is a seriocomic treatment of the story of Gideon, a judge in the Old Testament. The play had a successful Broadway run in 1961 and was broadcast on NBC in 1971 as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special.-The story:...
(1971) - A War Of Children (1972)
- The Last of Mrs. LincolnThe Last of Mrs. LincolnThe Last of Mrs. Lincoln is a play by James Prideaux. It depicts the final seventeen years of Mary Todd Lincoln's life, following her husband's assassination....
(1976) - Our TownOur TownOur Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
(1977) - The Second Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
Special (1978) - The BunkerThe Bunker (1981 film)The Bunker is a 1981 CBS television film, Time/Life production based on the book The Bunker. The movie makes significant deviations from James O'Donnell's book--published in 1978. The deviations are mainly due to an effort to clarify the events, and allowing the actors license to interpret some of...
(1981) - The People vs. Jean HarrisJean HarrisJean Harris was the headmistress of The Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia who made national news in 1980 as the defendant in a high-profile murder case of her lover Dr...
(1981) - A Piano for Mrs. CiminoA Piano for Mrs. CiminoA Piano for Mrs. Cimino is a 1982 American television movie produced and directed by George Schaefer. The teleplay by John Gay is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Oliphant. It was broadcast on February 3 by CBS.-Plot:...
(1982) - The Best Christmas Pageant EverThe Best Christmas Pageant EverThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a book written by Barbara Robinson in 1972. It tells the story of six delinquent children surnamed Herdman. They go to church for the first time after being told that the church offers snacks...
(1983) - Right of WayRight of WayRight of Way is a 1983 television film drama starring Bette Davis and James Stewart, and directed by George Schaefer.The TV movie stars film veterans Davis and Stewart as an elderly long-married couple who must decide how to deal with the situation of one of them being diagnosed with a terminal...
(1983) - Stone PillowStone PillowStone Pillow was a 1985 television movie, directed by George Schaefer, in which Lucille Ball, in an attempt to make a dramatic "breakout" from her years in comedy, portrayed an older homeless woman with few resources and even fewer options...
(1985) - Laura Lansing Slept HereLaura Lansing Slept HereLaura Lansing Slept Here is a 1988 American television movie starring Katharine Hepburn and directed by George Schaefer. It was written by James Prideaux and co-stars Joel Higgins, Karen Austin and Hepburn's grandniece Schuyler Grant....
(1988) - The Man UpstairsThe Man Upstairs (1992 film)The Man Upstairs is a 1992 American television movie directed by George Schaefer and starring Katharine Hepburn and Ryan O'Neal. Hepburn plays an elderly woman whose house becomes a hideaway for an escaped convict , and the pair strike up an unlikely friendship...
(1992) - HarveyHarvey (play)Harvey is a 1944 play by American playwright Mary Chase. Produced by Brock Pemberton and directed by Antoinette Perry, the play premiered on 1 November 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre on Broadway where it was staged for 1,775 performances before closing on January 15, 1949. The original production...
(1998) (TV)
Selected Broadway theatre productions
- HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(1945–1946) - Man and SupermanMan and SupermanMan and Superman is a four-act drama, written by George Bernard Shaw in 1903. The series was written in response to calls for Shaw to write a play based on the Don Juan theme. Man and Superman opened at The Royal Court Theatre in London on 23 May 1905, but with the omission of the 3rd Act...
(1947–1948) - The Teahouse of the August MoonThe Teahouse of the August Moon (play)The Teahouse of the August Moon is a 1953 play written by John Patrick adapted from the 1951 novel by Vern Sneider. It was later adapted for film in 1956, and the 1970 Broadway musical, Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen.-Plot summary:...
(1953–1956) (co-producing only) - The Apple CartThe Apple CartThe Apple Cart: A Political Extravaganza is a 1928 play by George Bernard Shaw. It is satirical comedy about several political philosophies which are expounded by the characters, often in lengthy monologue...
(1956–1957) - ZendaZenda (musical)Zenda is a musical with a book by Everett Freeman, lyrics by Lenny Adelson, Sid Kuller, and Martin Charnin, and music by Vernon Duke.Based on the 1894 Anthony Hope novel The Prisoner of Zenda, it sets the action in contemporary times and transforms the protagonist into British song-and-dance man...
(1963; closed out-of-town) - The Last of Mrs. LincolnThe Last of Mrs. LincolnThe Last of Mrs. Lincoln is a play by James Prideaux. It depicts the final seventeen years of Mary Todd Lincoln's life, following her husband's assassination....
(1972–1973)
Filmography
- Pendulum (1969)
- Generation (1969)
- Doctors' Wives (1971)
- Once Upon a Scoundrel (1974)
- An Enemy of the PeopleAn Enemy of the PeopleAn Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen wrote it in response to the public outcry against his play Ghosts, which at that time was considered scandalous...
(1978)
External links
- A Tribute to George Schaefer by Delbert MannDelbert MannDelbert Martin Mann, Jr. was an American television and film director. He won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Director for the film Marty...