Editing David Merrick

{{Short description|American theatre producer (1911–2000)}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = David Merrick
| image              = David Merrick (13563015335).jpg
| caption            = Merrick in 1962
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1911|11|27|mf=y}}
| birth_place        = [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2000|4|25|1911|11|27|mf=y}}
| death_place        = [[London]], England
| death_cause        = 
| resting_place      = 
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| nationality        = American
| other_names        = 
| known_for          = 
| education          = 
| alma mater         = [[Washington University in St. Louis]]<br />[[Saint Louis University School of Law]]
| employer           = 
| occupation         = Theatrical producer
| title              = 
| term               = 
| predecessor        = 
| successor          = 
| party              = 
| boards             = 
| spouse             = Leonore Beck (m. 1938; div. 1963)<br />Jeanne Gibson (m. 1963; div. 1966)<br />Etan Aronson (m. 1969; div. 1976; m. 1983; div. 1999)<br />Karen Prunczik (m. 1982; div. 1983) <br />Natalie Ting Teresa Lloyd (m. 1999 - 2000 his death)
| children           = 2
| parents            = 
| relatives          = 
}}

'''David Merrick''' (born '''David Lee Margulois'''; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of [[Tony Awards]].

==Life and career==
Born '''David Lee Margulois''' to [[Jewish]] parents in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], Merrick graduated from [[Washington University in St. Louis]], then studied law at the Jesuit-run [[Saint Louis University School of Law]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Merrick |url=https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/david-merrick/ |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=The Official Masterworks Broadway Site |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1940, he left his legal career to become a successful theatrical producer.

His first seven productions were hits, starting with ''Clutterbuck'' in 1949, which he produced in partnership with Irving Jacobs, and he set a precedent in 1958 of having four productions on Broadway simultaneously; all hits:  ''[[Look Back in Anger]]'', ''[[Romanoff and Juliet (play)|Romanoff and Juliet]]'', ''[[Jamaica (musical)|Jamaica]]'' and ''[[The Entertainer (play)|The Entertainer]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety210-1958-03/page/n159/mode/1up|title='Jamaica' Nears Payoff, Will Give Merrick 4-Hit B'way Grand Slam|date=March 19, 1958|page=1|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref> He often was his own competition for the Tony Award, and he frequently won multiple nominations and/or wins in the same season.

Merrick was known for his love of [[publicity stunt]]s. In 1949, his comedy ''Clutterbuck'' was running out of steam, but along with discount tickets, he paged hotel bars and restaurants around Manhattan during cocktail hour for a "fictive Mr. Clutterbuck" as a way of generating name recognition for his production, and it helped his show keep alive for another few months.<ref name=twsMarD>{{cite news |title= David Merrick, 88, Showman Who Ruled Broadway, Dies |work= [[The New York Times]] |quote= Mr. Merrick kept it alive for six months with discount tickets and a publicity stunt: |date= April 27, 2000 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/27/theater/david-merrick-88-showman-who-ruled-broadway-dies.html?pagewanted=3 |access-date= March 4, 2010}}</ref> Another famous stunt promoted the poorly reviewed 1961 musical ''[[Subways Are For Sleeping]]''. Merrick found seven New Yorkers who had the same names as the city's seven leading theater [[critic]]s: [[Howard Taubman]], [[Walter Kerr]], John Chapman, John McClain, [[Richard Watts Jr.]], Norman Nadel, and Robert Coleman. Merrick invited the seven [[namesake]]s to the musical and secured their permission to use their names and pictures in an advertisement alongside quotes such as "One of the few great musical comedies of the last thirty years" and "A fabulous musical. I love it."  Merrick then prepared a newspaper ad featuring the namesakes' rave reviews under the heading "7 Out of 7 Are Ecstatically Unanimous About Subways Are For Sleeping". Only one newspaper, the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'', published the ad, and only in one edition; however, the publicity that the ad garnered helped the musical remain open for 205 performances (almost six months). Merrick later revealed that he had conceived the ad several years previously, but had not been able to execute it until [[Brooks Atkinson]] retired as ''[[The New York Times]]'' theater critic in 1960 since he could not find anyone with the same name.<ref>[http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/subways_are_for_sleeping/ Museum of Hoaxes.com]; "A 4-Star Smash? Says Who?", ''Miami News'', January 6, 1962, p. 4A</ref>

Merrick joined [[The Lambs]] in 1950, and in 1968 he joined the board of directors of the [[Riviera (hotel and casino)|Riviera]], a hotel and casino on the [[Las Vegas Strip]] in [[Las Vegas, Nevada]], alongside [[Harvey Silbert]] and Harry A. Goodman.<ref name="merrickavegaskansas">{{cite news|title=Merrick a Vegas Investor|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/52314035/?terms=%22Harvey%2BSilbert%22|access-date=August 18, 2016|work=[[Kansas City Times]] |date=May 13, 1968|page=2|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=registration }}</ref> He also worked with director and choreographer [[Gower Champion]], who directed Merrick's production of ''[[42nd Street (musical)|42nd Street]]''. But on the morning of August 25, 1980, Champion died of a rare blood cancer, and Merrick announced the news himself to both the cast and the audience at the opening night curtain call.

Merrick suffered a [[stroke]] in 1983, after which he spent most of his time in a wheelchair. He established the David Merrick Arts Foundation in 1998 to support the development of American musicals.

== Personal life ==
Merrick was married six times to five women.

His first marriage was to fellow native-St. Louisan Leonore Beck. They married January 16, 1938,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |page=47 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> and divorced on January 11, 1963.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=252 |oclc=28800530}}</ref>

His second wife, Jeanne Gibson, was a Kentucky-born Broadway press agent.  They met at the Savoy Hotel in London, where Gibson was working as the hotel’s press consultant.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=189 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> She became pregnant in 1962, while Merrick was still married to Beck.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=244 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> Their daughter, Cecilia Ann Merrick, was born January 1963.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=251 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> Gibson and Merrick were married from spring 1963 until October 1966.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Boston Globe 08 Oct 1968, page 2 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/434557758/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

He married Etan Aronson (February 24, 1944 - July 26, 2023),<ref>{{Cite web |title=ETAN MERRICK Obituary (2023) - New York, NY - New York Times |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/etan-merrick-obituary?id=52592573 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref> a Swedish model and former flight attendant, twice. They first married in September 1969, and divorced in Mexico three weeks later,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=399 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> but the divorce was not finalized in America until 1976.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arizona Daily Sun 04 Sep 1983, page 8 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/515886905/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> Together, they had a daughter, Marguerita Merrick (born September 1972).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=437 |oclc=28800530}}</ref>

On July 1, 1982, Merrick married actor Karen Prunczik,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=460 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> who originated the role of Anytime Annie and filled in for a week playing the lead character Peggy Sawyer in Merrick’s ''42nd Street''. They divorced in 1983.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Karen Prunczik – Broadway Cast & Staff {{!}} IBDB |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/karen-prunczik-77625#broadway |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref>

Merrick and Aronson married for the second time on Tuesday, August 30, 1983 in Greenwich, Connecticut.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arizona Daily Sun 04 Sep 1983, page 8 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/515886905/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> In the late 1980s, they adopted two children, Olivia Merrick (born May 1988) and Carl Christian Merrick (born July 1987),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=482 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> although in 1994 Merrick petitioned the court to cancel the adoption.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Newsday (Suffolk Edition) 25 Mar 1994, page 8 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/725421227/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> Merrick and Aronson divorced again in October 1999, after lengthy divorce proceedings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daily News 27 Oct 1999, page 32 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/408123036/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

Merrick met Natalie Lloyd (born Natalie Ting Teresa in Shanghai in 1954) in the late 1980s when she was working as a receptionist in the office of William Goodstein, Merrick’s lawyer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kissel |first=Howard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/28800530 |title=David Merrick, the abominable showman : the unauthorized biography |date=1993 |isbn=1-55783-172-6 |location=New York |pages=484 |oclc=28800530}}</ref> They started living together almost immediately, while Merrick was still married to Aronson. Merrick and Lloyd married November 1999, less than six months before Merrick’s death on April 25, 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Omaha World-Herald 26 Apr 2000, page 2 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/892832164/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Honors ==
In 1965, Merrick received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/}}</ref>

In 2001, Merrick was inducted into the [[St. Louis Walk of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/?view=achievement|title=St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees|last=St. Louis Walk of Fame|publisher=stlouiswalkoffame.org|access-date=April 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031162946/http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/?view=achievement|archive-date=October 31, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Biography ==
An unauthorized biography by [[Howard Kissel]] is titled ''David Merrick: The Abominable Showman'' ({{ISBN|978-1-55783-361-7}}).

==Cultural references==
In "What Does A Naked Lady Say to You?", a first-season episode of ''[[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|The Odd Couple]]'', the director of the nude [[off-Broadway]] play ''Bathtub'' (itself based on ''[[Oh! Calcutta!]]'') complains after police officer Murray Greschler ([[Al Molinaro]]) busts the production for indecency, "Murray, you wouldn't do this to me if I was David Merrick!"

In "We Closed in Minneapolis", a first-season episode of ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'', Mary's character comments to the mailroom guy upon seeing his delivery to Murray's desk of what she assumes to be a rejection letter, "Oh, poor Murray. He's been writing this play for three years. You'd think Broadway producers would be sensitive enough to do more than just stick mimeographed rejection slips in when they send it back. You know, something like a nice, handwritten note saying, "Good work, Murray. Nice try. Love, David Merrick."

==Quotes==
* "It's not enough that I should succeed, others should fail."  (This statement has also been attributed to [[François de La Rochefoucauld (writer)|François de La Rochefoucauld]], [[Gore Vidal]], and [[Genghis Khan]].)<ref>{{cite web |title=It Is Not Enough to Succeed; One's Best Friend Must Fail |url=https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/08/06/succeed-fail/ |website=quoteinvestigator.com |date=August 6, 2012 |access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
{{colbegin}}
* 1958 Tony Award for Best Play (''[[Romanoff and Juliet (play)|Romanoff and Juliet]]'', nominee)
* 1958 Tony Award for Best Play (''[[Look Back in Anger]]'', nominee)
* 1958 Tony Award for Best Musical (''[[Jamaica (musical)|Jamaica]]'', nominee)
* 1959 Tony Award for Best Play (''[[Epitaph for George Dillon]]'', nominee)
* 1959 Tony Award for Best Musical (''[[La Plume de Ma Tante]]'', nominee)
* 1960 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Take Me Along'', nominee)
* 1961 Special Tony Award ('''winner''')
* 1961 Tony Award for Best Play (''Becket'', '''winner''')
* 1961 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Do Re Mi'', nominee)
* 1961 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Irma La Douce'', nominee)
* 1962 Tony Award for Best Producer of a Play (''Ross'', nominee)
* 1962 Tony Award for Best Producer of a Musical (''Carnival'', nominee)
* 1962 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Carnival'', nominee)
* 1963 Tony Award for Best Producer of a Musical (''Oliver!'', nominee)
* 1963 Tony Award for Best Musical (''[[Oliver!]]'', nominee)
* 1963 Tony Award for Best Musical (''[[Stop the World – I Want to Get Off]]'', nominee)
* 1964 Tony Award for Best Producer (Musical) (''Hello, Dolly!'', '''winner''')
* 1964 Tony Award for Best Play (''Luther'', '''winner''')
* 1964 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Hello, Dolly!'', '''winner''')
* 1965 Tony Award for Best Producer of a Musical (''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd'', nominee)
* 1965 Tony Award for Best Musical (''[[Oh, What a Lovely War!]]'', nominee)
* 1966 Tony Award for Best Play (''Inadmissible Evidence'', nominee)
* 1966 Tony Award for Best Play (''[[Philadelphia, Here I Come!]]'', nominee)
* 1966 Tony Award for Best Play (''[[Marat/Sade]]'', '''winner''')
* 1967 Tony Award for Best Musical (''I Do! I Do!'', nominee)
* 1968 Special Tony Award ('''winner''')
* 1968 Tony Award for Best Producer of a Play (''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'', '''winner''')
* 1968 Tony Award for Best Play (''[[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead]]'', '''winner''')
* 1968 Tony Award for Best Musical (''The Happy Time'', nominee)
* 1968 Tony Award for Best Musical (''[[How Now, Dow Jones]]'', nominee)
* 1969 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Promises, Promises'', nominee)
* 1970 Tony Award for Best Play (''Child's Play'', nominee)
* 1971 Tony Award for Best Play (''The Philanthropist'', nominee)
* 1972 Tony Award for Best Play (''Vivat! Vivat Regina!'', nominee)
* 1973 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Sugar'', nominee)
* 1975 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Mack & Mabel'', nominee)
* 1976 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival (''Very Good Eddie'', nominee)
* 1976 Tony Award for Best Play (''Travesties'', '''winner''')
* 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (''42nd Street'', nominee)
* 1981 Tony Award for Best Musical (''42nd Street'', '''winner''')
* 1986 [[Drama Desk Award]] for Outstanding Revival (''Loot'', nominee)
* 1986 Tony Award for Best Reproduction (''Loot'', nominee)
{{colend}}

==Additional notable stage productions==
{{colbegin}}
* ''Clutterbuck'' (1949)
* ''[[Fanny (musical)|Fanny]]'' (1954)
* ''[[The Matchmaker]]'' (1955)
* ''[[Look Back in Anger]]'' (1957)
* ''[[Romanoff and Juliet (play)|Romanoff and Juliet]]'' (1957)
* ''[[Jamaica (musical)|Jamaica]]'' (1957)
* ''[[The Entertainer (play)|The Entertainer]]'' (1958)
* ''[[The World of Suzie Wong (play)|The World of Suzie Wong]]'' (1958)
* ''[[La Plume de Ma Tante]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Destry Rides Again]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Take Me Along]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Irma La Douce (musical)|Irma La Douce]]'' (1960)
* ''[[A Taste of Honey]]'' (1960)
* ''[[Becket]]'' (1960)
* ''[[Do Re Mi (musical)|Do Re Mi]]'' (1960)
* ''[[Carnival!]]'' (1961)
* ''[[Subways Are For Sleeping]]'' (1961)
* ''[[I Can Get It for You Wholesale]]'' (1962)
* ''[[Stop the World – I Want to Get Off]]'' (1962)
* ''[[Oliver!]]'' (1963)
* ''[[Luther (play)|Luther]]'' (1963)
* ''[[110 in the Shade]]'' (1963)
* ''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]'' (1963)
* ''[[The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Foxy (musical)|Foxy]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Oh, What a Lovely War!]]'' (1964)
* ''[[The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Pickwick (musical)|Pickwick]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Cactus Flower (play)|Cactus Flower]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Marat/Sade]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Don't Drink the Water (play)|Don't Drink the Water]]'' (1966)
* ''[[I Do! I Do!]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (musical)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead]]'' (1967)
* ''[[How Now, Dow Jones]]'' (1967)
* ''[[The Seven Descents of Myrtle]]'' (1968)
* ''[[The Happy Time]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Promises, Promises (musical)|Promises, Promises]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Forty Carats]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Play It Again, Sam (play)|Play It Again, Sam]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Private Lives]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Mack and Mabel]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Very Good Eddie]]'' (1975)
* ''[[State Fair (musical)|State Fair]]'' (1996)
{{colend}}

== Film productions ==

Merrick produced four films:

* ''[[Child's Play (1972 film)|Child's Play]]'' (1972)
* ''[[The Great Gatsby (1974 film)|The Great Gatsby]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Semi-Tough]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Rough Cut (1980 film)|Rough Cut]]'' (1980)

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Archival records|title=David Merrick collection, 1956-1970|location= [[Library of Congress]]|description_URL= https://lccn.loc.gov/2006560771}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/27/theater/david-merrick-88-showman-who-ruled-broadway-dies.html ''The New York Times'' obituary]
* {{IMDb name|0581195}}
* {{IBDB name}}
*[http://arcat.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=781/ David Merrick Paper] s at the [[Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150308172004/http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/david-merrick.html St. Louis Walk of Fame]
* {{Find a Grave|6640283}}

{{Special Tony Award}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrick, David}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:American theatre directors]]
[[Category:American theatre managers and producers]]
[[Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople]]
[[Category:Broadway theatre producers]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from St. Louis]]
[[Category:Missouri Democrats]]
[[Category:New York (state) Democrats]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Washington University in St. Louis alumni]]
[[Category:Saint Louis University School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:American casino industry businesspeople]]
[[Category:American corporate directors]]
[[Category:Special Tony Award recipients]]