John Murray Anderson: Difference between revisions

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}

'''John Murray Anderson''' (September 20, 1886 – January 30, 1954) was a Canadian [[theatre director]] and [[theatre producer|producer]], songwriter, actor, screenwriter, dancer and [[lighting designer]], who made his career in the United States, primarily in New York City and Hollywood. He worked in almost every genre of show business, including [[vaudeville]], [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], and film. He also directed plays in London.

 

 

==Career==

After completing studies in Europe, Anderson moved to New York City, where he became an antiques dealer. He sold collections he had accumulated in [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]].<ref name="encyclopedia">''[[Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador]]'', {{ISBN|0-9693422-1-7}}.</ref> This lasted a year; as Anderson said, he had "everything but customers" in his store.<ref>J. Ernest Kerr, ''Imprint of the Maritimes'', 1959, Boston: Christopher Publishing, p. 35.</ref>

 

 

In the 1920s and early 1930s, with Robert Milton, Anderson ran an acting school in [[Manhattan]], teaching [[Bette Davis]] and [[Lucille Ball]], among others. He and Davis remained good friends. When her 1952 Broadway-bound [[revue]] ''[[Two's Company (musical)|Two's Company]]'' ran into problems on the road, she hired Anderson to restage it.

Anderson produced the ''[[Ziegfeld Follies]]'' in 1934, 1936, and 1943, the [[Harold Arlen]]-[[Ira Gershwin]]-[[E. Y. Harburg]] revue ''[[Life Begins at 8:40]]'' (1934), [[Billy Rose]]'s ''[[Jumbo (musical)|Jumbo]]'' (1935), ''One for the Money'' (1939), ''[[Two for the Show (musical)|Two for the Show]]'' (1940), and ''Three to Make Ready'' (1946), and ''[[New Faces of 1952]]''. He also directed productions in London; in the [[West End theatre|West End]], he directed ''The League of Notions'', ''Bow Bells'', and ''Fanfare''.