Herman Shumlin

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, 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

Date Title Venue Notes December 26, 1927 – January 1928 Celebrity Lyceum Theatre, New York City Producer October 3 – October 1928 Klaw Theatre, New York City Producer November 13, 1928 – January 1929 To-Night at 12 Hudson Theatre, New York City Producer October 23, 1929 – October 1929 Button, Button Bijou Theatre, New York City Producer February 13 – October 1930 Sam H. Harris Theatre, New York City Producer November 13, 1930 – December 1931 Grand Hotel National Theatre, New York City Producer, director September 14 – December 3, 1932 Clear All Wires Times Square Theatre, New York City Producer, director October 17, 1933 – January 1934 Ten Minute Alibi Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City Director September 13 – September 1934 Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City Producer, director November 20, 1934 – July 1936 Maxine Elliott Theatre, New York City Producer, director October 11 – October 1935 Sweet Mystery of Life Shubert Theatre, New York City Producer, director December 15 – December 1936 Days to Come Vanderbilt Theatre, New York City Producer, director February 21 – March 1938 Wine of Choice Guild Theatre, New York City Director December 28, 1938 – January 1939 Guild Theatre, New York City Producer February 15, 1939 – February 1940 National Theatre, New York City Producer, director January 9 – August 3, 1940 Cort Theatre, New York City Producer, director November 26, 1940 – January 17, 1942 National Theatre, New York City Producer, director April 1, 1941 – February 21, 1942 Watch on the Rhine Martin Beck Theatre, New York City Producer, director November 26 – December 19, 1942 Morosco Theatre, New York City Producer, director May 3 – June 19, 1943 Martin Beck Theatre, New York City Producer, director April 12, 1944 – January 20, 1945 Fulton Theatre, New York City Producer, director October 17 – November 4, 1944 Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City Producer, director March 20 – June 23, 1945 Kiss Them for Me Belasco Theatre and Fulton Theatre, New York City Director February 21–28, 1946 Jeb Martin Beck Theatre, New York City Producer, director, production supervisor March 30 – April 9, 1949 Mansfield Theatre, New York City Director January 11–22, 1950 New York City Center, New York City Volunteer consultant September 18 – November 4, 1950 Daphne Laureola Music Box Theatre, New York City Producer February 20 – March 10, 1951 48th Street Theatre, New York City Director September 4 – November 10, 1951 Lace on Her Petticoat Booth Theatre, New York City Producer, director November 19–24, 1951 To Dorothy, A Son John Golden Theatre, New York City Producer, director January 30 – February 2, 1952 Gertie Plymouth Theatre, New York City Producer, director April 22 – May 17, 1952 Candida National Theatre, New York City Director October 13 – November 1, 1952 Lyceum Theatre, New York City Director November 20, 1954 – February 26, 1955 Wedding Breakfast 48th Street Theatre, New York City Director April 21, 1955 – June 22, 1957 Inherit the Wind National Theatre, New York City Producer, director January 29 – May 2, 1959 Tall Story Belasco Theatre, New York City Director November 19 – December 12, 1959 Only in America Cort Theatre, New York City Producer, director December 1–17, 1960 Little Moon of Alban Longacre Theatre, New York City Director March 2 – July 10, 1963 Dear Me, The Sky is Falling Music Box Theatre, New York City Director September 24, 1963 Bicycle Ride to Nevada Cort Theatre, New York City Producer, director February 26 – November 28, 1964 Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City Producer, director December 14, 1967 – June 8, 1968 Spofford ANTA Playhouse, New York City Playwright, director May 1–18, 1968 Soldiers Billy Rose Theatre, New York City Producer October 7–26, 1974 Flowers Biltmore Theatre, New York City Producer December 3–8, 1974 As You Like It Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City Producer