F. Ray Comstock (27 August 1878 – 15 October 1949) was an American theatrical producer and theater operator. He pioneered the intimate musical comedy, staging several successful comedies at his Princess Theatre in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. He also produced spectacular musicals, variety shows and serious plays by authors such as Henrik Ibsen and

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (russian: link=no, Алексе́й Макси́мович Пешко́в; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (russian: Макси́м Го́рький, link=no), was a Russian writer and social ...

Early years

F. Ray Comstock was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, on 27 August 1878. His first job was as a theater usher in Buffalo. He moved to New York, and became assistant treasurer at the Criterion Theatre. In 1905 he presented ''The School Girl'', which ran for 150 nights at Daly's Theater. The original show ran for 400 nights at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

, London. In 1905 Comstock held the lease at the Hippodrome Theatre. That year he entered into a partnership with

Morris Gest Morris Gest (also Maurice Guest, March 15, 1875 – May 16, 1942) was an American theatre producer, theatrical producer of the early 20th century. Early life Moishe Gershnowitz was born near Vilna (then part of the Russian empire, now Lithuania), ...

. Gest was of Russian Jewish origins, an immigrant to the USA. In 1907 Comstock put on his first

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

production, ''Fascinating Flora''. This was followed in 1908 by ''Bandana Land'', one of the first “Negro” musicals. In 1909 Comstock leased the Colonial Theater in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, Ohio. The next year he leased it to the

Shubert brothers The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th cen ...

Princess Theatre musicals

Archibald Selwyn Archibald Selwyn (also Arch or Archie Selwyn; 3 November 1877 – 21 June 1959) was an American play broker, theater owner and stage producer who had many Broadway successes. He and his brother Edgar Selwyn were partners. They were among the foun ...

partnered with the

Shubert Brothers The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th cen ...

and William A. Brady in building the Princess Theatre, a small 299-seat auditorium on 39th street that opened in 1913. The theater was not successful at first, and Selwyn and Brady gave up their shares to Comstock. Comstock produced

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

's ''Nobody Home'' in 1915, presented in the Princess Theatre. The reaction was generally favorable, and Comstock recognized that a small house like the Princess could provide a venue for a musical comedy that was more intimate and friendly than a larger theater. Comstock formed the Marbury-Comstock Company with Elizabeth Marbury, and commissioned a second musical comedy from Kern, ''

Very Good Eddie ''Very Good Eddie'' is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Philip Bartholomae, music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Schuyler Greene, with additional lyrics by Elsie Janis, Herbert Reynolds, Harry B. Smith, John E. Hazzard, Ring Lardner and Je ...

''. This opened on 23 December 1915 and ran for 341 performances. It then went on the road for another year. The show was deliberately informal and low key, with a more coherent story line than most such comedies and less dancing. It established the genre of the "intimate" musical comedy. The Princess Theatre musicals revolved around modern people in situations that were comic but possible. A cast of about thirty was supported by an eleven-piece orchestra. There were two sets, both relatively simple. This was a gamble, but it paid off. Elliot and Comstock co-produced '' Oh, Boy!'', which opened at the Princess on 20 February 1917. The show, by Kern,

Guy Bolton Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred ...

and

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

, starred the young

Marion Davies Marion Davies (born Marion Cecilia Douras; January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies fled the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl ...

Justine Johnstone Justine Olive Johnstone Wanger (January 31, 1895 – September 4, 1982) was an American stage, and silent screen actress, pathologist and expert on syphilis. Working under her married name, she was part of the team that developed the modern ...

Tom Powers Thomas McCreery Powers (July 7, 1890 – November 9, 1955) was an American actor in theatre, films, radio and television. A veteran of the Broadway stage, notably in plays by George Bernard Shaw, he created the role of Charles Marsden in Eug ...

and

Edna May Oliver Edna May Oliver (born Edna May Nutter, November 9, 1883 – November 9, 1942) was an American stage and film actress. During the 1930s, she was one of the better-known character actresses in American films, often playing tart-tongued spinsters. ...

. ''Oh, Boy!'' ran for 463 performances. '' Oh, Lady! Lady!!'' was another successful musical by the same team. It opened at the Princess on 1 February 1918 and ran for 219 performances. Stars included

Vivienne Segal Vivienne Sonia Segal (April 19, 1897 – December 29, 1992) was an American actress and singer. Early years Segal was born on April 19, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the elder daughter of Jewish parents Bernhard Segal, a physician, ...

and Margaret Dale.

Film productions

Comstock ventured into film. The F. Ray Comstock Film Corporation released '' Evidence'' in 1915, a silent film drama. In 1916 the F. Ray Comstock Photoplay Company released '' The Lottery Man'', a silent feature based on the play of the same name by Rida Johnson Young. Comstock co-produced the film with

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

and Theodore Wharton. The film was made in 1915 at Wharton Studios in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named ...

Other shows

1922 program cover for US tour of La Chauve Souris

Leave It to Jane ''Leave It to Jane'' is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, based on the 1904 play '' The College Widow'', by George Ade. The story concerns the football rivalry between Atwater ...

'', co-produced with William Elliot, opened at the Longacre Theatre on 28 August 1917 and ran for 167 performances. This was another new musical with lyrics by P.G. Wodehouse. ''

Miss 1917 ''Miss 1917'' is a musical revue with a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, music by Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern and others, and lyrics by Harry B. Smith, Otto Harbach, Henry Blossom and others. Made up of a string of vignettes, the show fea ...

'' opened at the Century Theatre on 5 November 1917. It only lasted 48 performances. In 1917 Comstock and Morris Gest began rehearsals for a Broadway production of the hit British musical extravaganza ''

Chu Chin Chow ''Chu Chin Chow'' is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of '' Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves''. Gänzl, Kurt"''Chu Chin Chow'' Musical Tal ...

'' at the

Manhattan Opera House The Manhattan Center is a building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street, it houses Manhattan Center Studios, the location of two recording studios; its Grand Ballroom; and the Hammerstein Ballroo ...

. After several weeks of rehearsal, the cast still did not know when the show would open or what they would be paid. The

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

, had been formed in 1913 to arbitrate disputes over pay and working hours with the Managing Producer's Association. They saw ''Chu Chin Chow'' as an opportunity for a class action. Comstock moved quickly to agree on wages with the cast, and forestalled the threat. ''Chu Chin Chow'', staged by Gest, William Elliott and Comstock was a "musical tale of the East". The musical starred

Tyrone Power, Sr. Frederick Tyrone Edmond Power Sr. (2 May 1869 – 23 December 1931) was an English-born American stage and screen actor, known professionally as Tyrone Power. He is now usually referred to as Tyrone Power Sr. to differentiate him from his son ...

, Florence Reed and

George Rasely George Rasely (October 27, 1890, St. Louis, Missouri – 3 January 1965, Lawrence, Kansas) was an American tenor who had an active career in operas, concerts, and musicals during the first half of the 20th century. He was also a frequent per ...

. It combined elements of

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

, ballet, musical comedy and comic opera. The settings, lighting, music and stagecraft techniques combined to make a remarkable production. On 31 December 1917 William Elliott, Comstock, and Gest announced that they had leased the Century Theatre and would transfer ''Chu Chin Chow'' there in January 1918. They subsequently used the Manhattan Opera House for melodramatic spectacles, while the Century would be devoted exclusively to "the highest class musical productions". Comstock and Gest produced ''Aphrodite'' at the Century Theatre, running for 148 performances in 1919–20. An exotic musical spectacle with an Oriental theme, the show had no real substance. In January 1922 Comstock and Gest announced that they had engaged the Chauve-Souris company from the Art Theatre, Moscow. This was a 35-person company directed by Nikita Balieff that performed one-act plays, comedies, tragedies, songs, dances and musical numbers. Balieff was seen as a rebel, and was much praised in America. F. Ray Comstock died in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Massachusetts, on 15 October 1949.

Productions

Comstock's productions included: *''Fascinating Flora'' (Musical, Comedy) Produced by Burnside & Comstock, Inc., May 20, 1907 – September 7, 1907 *''Bandanna Land'' (Musical, Comedy) February 3, 1908 – April 18, 1908 *''Father and Son'' (Play) September 24, 1908 – October 1908 *''Mr. Lode of Koal'' (Musical) November 1, 1909 – December 4, 1909 *''The Watcher'' (Play) January 27, 1910 – February 1910 *''The Smoldering Flame'' (Play) September 23, 1913 – September 1913 *''The Third Party'' (Play) August 3, 1914 *''The Story of the Rosary'' (Play) September 7, 1914 – October 1914 *''The Revolt'' (Play) April 1, 1915 – May 1915 *''The Peasant Girl'' (Musical) Produced in association with F. Ray Comstock, March 2, 1915 – June 5, 1915 *''Nobody Home'' (Play with music) April 20, 1915 – August 7, 1915 *''Our Children'' (Play) Produced in association with F. Ray Comstock, September 10, 1915 *''Hobson's Choice'' (Play) November 2, 1915 *''

'' (Musical) Produced by Marbury-Comstock Co., December 23, 1915 – October 14, 1916 *''Go to It'' (Musical) October 24, 1916 – November 1916 *''The Wanderer'' (Play) February 1, 1917 – May 1917 *''Kitty Darlin (Musical, Romance) November 7, 1917 – November 17, 1917 *''

'' (Musical, Comedy) August 28, 1917 – January 19, 1918 *''Experience'' (Play, Play with music, Revival) January 22, 1918 *'' Oh, Boy'' (Musical) February 20, 1917 – March 30, 1918 *''

'' (Musical) October 22, 1917 – April 27, 1918 *'' Oh, Lady! Lady!!'' (Musical, Comedy) February 1, 1918 – August 10, 1918 *''

The Maid of the Mountains ''The Maid of the Mountains'', called in its original score a musical play, is an operetta or "Edwardian" musical comedy in three acts. The music was by Harold Fraser-Simson, with additional music by James W. Tate, lyrics by Harry Graham and ...

'' (Musical) September 11, 1918 – October 12, 1918 *'' Oh, My Dear!'' (Musical, Comedy) November 27, 1918 – May 10, 1919 *''The Five Million'' (Play, Comedy) July 8, 1919 – September 1919 *''Adam and Eva'' (Play, Comedy) September 13, 1919 – June 1920 *''The Luck of the Navy'' (Play, Drama) October 14, 1919 – November 1919 *''The Light of the World'' (Play, Drama) January 6, 1920 – February 1920 *''The Rose of China'' (Musical, Comedy) November 25, 1919 – January 7, 1920 *''Aphrodite'' (Play, Romance) November 24, 1919 – April 3, 1920 *''The Cave Girl'' (Play, Comedy) August 18, 1920 – September 1920 *''The Checkerboard'' (Play, Comedy) August 19, 1920 – September 1920 *''The Century Revue'' (Musical, Revue) July 12, 1920 – January 1, 1921 *''Mecca'' (Musical, Mime, Spectacle) October 4, 1920 – January 22, 1921 *'' Afgar'' (Musical, Spectacle) November 8, 1920 – April 2, 1921 *''

La Chauve-Souris ''La Chauve-Souris'' (French: ''The Bat'') was the name of a touring revue during the early 1900s. Originating in Moscow and then Paris, and directed by Nikita Balieff, the revue toured the United States, Europe, and South Africa. The show consist ...

'' (1922) (Musical, Vaudeville) Presented by F. Ray Comstock, February 4, 1922 – June 1922 *''

'' (1922) (Musical, Revue, Vaudeville) June 5, 1922 – October 1922 *''

'' (1922)' (Musical, Revue, Vaudeville) October 9, 1922 – January 1923 *'' Tsar Fyodor Ivanovitch'' (Play) 1923 *''

The Lower Depths ''The Lower Depths'' (russian: На дне, translit=Na dne, literally: ''At the bottom'') is a play by Russian dramatist Maxim Gorky written in 1902 and produced by the Moscow Arts Theatre on December 18, 1902 under the direction of Konstantin ...

'' (Play) 1923 *''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'' (Play, Comedy) 1923 *'' The Three Sisters'' (Play, Drama) 1923 *''The Lady from the Provinces'' (Play) 1923 *''The Brothers Karamazoff'' (Play) 1923 *''Polly Preferred'' (Play, Comedy) January 11, 1923 – June 1923 *''

'' (1922) (Musical, Revue, Vaudeville) January 4, 1923 – May 5, 1923 *''

'' (1922) (Musical, Revue, Vaudeville) September 3, 1923 – September 29, 1923 *''The Brothers Karamazoff'' (Play) 1923 *''Mistress of the Inn'' (Play) 1923 *'' Ivanov'' (Play) 1923 *''

'' (Play, Comedy, Revival) 1923 *''In the Claws of Life'' (Play) 1923 *'' An Enemy of the People'' (Play, Drama, Revival) 1923 *''

Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man ''Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man'' (russian: На всякого мудреца довольно простоты; translit. Na vsyakogo mudretsa dovolno prostoty) is a five- act comedy by Aleksandr Ostrovsky.Brockett and Hildy (2003, 37 ...

'' (Play) 1923 *''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...

'' (Play, Drama) 1923 *''The Death of Pazukhin'' (Play) 1923 *''

'' (Play, Revival) 1923 *''

The Lady from the Sea ''The Lady from the Sea'' ( no, Fruen fra havet, link=no) is a play written in 1888 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen inspired by the ballad '' Agnete og Havmanden''. The drama introduces the character of Hilde Wangel who is again portrayed ...

'' (Play, Drama, Revival) November 29, 1923 – December 1923 *''Mistress of the Inn'' (Play) 1924 *'' Ivanov'' (Play, Revival) 1924 *''

'' (Play, Comedy, Revival) 1924 *''In the Claws of Life'' (Play) 1924 *'' An Enemy of the People'' (Play, Revival) 1924 *''

'' (Play) 1924 *''

'' (Play, Drama) 1924 *''The Death of Pazukhin'' (Play) 1924 *''

'' (Play, Revival) 1924 *'' The Miracle'' (Play) January 16, 1924 – June 1924 *''Mistress of the Inn'' (Play) 1924 *'' Ivanov'' (Play, Revival) 1924 *''

'' (Play, Drama, Revival) 1924 *''In the Claws of Life'' (Play) 1924 *'' An Enemy of the People'' (Play, Revival) 1924 *''

'' (Play) 1924 *''

'' (Play, Drama, Revival) 1924 *''The Death of Pazukhin'' (Play) 1924 *'' Tsar Fyodor Ivanovitch'' (Play, Revival) 1924 *''

'' (Play, Revival) 1924 *''Sitting Pretty'' (Musical, Comedy) April 8, 1924 – June 28, 1924 *''

Little Jessie James ''Little Jessie James'' was a musical farce that was the biggest hit of the 1923-24 Broadway season. Production ''Little Jessie James'' was written by Harlan Thompson, the author of the book and the lyrics. The music was by Harry Archer. It wa ...

'' (Musical, Farce, Comedy) Theatre Owned / Operated by F. Ray Comstock, August 15, 1923 – July 19, 1924 *''

'' (1925) (Musical, Revue, Vaudeville) January 14, 1925 – March 7, 1925 *''

Lysistrata ''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', "Army Disbander") is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponne ...

'' (Play, Comedy) December 14, 1925 – December 1925 *''Sour Grapes'' (Play, Comedy) Theatre Owned / Operated by F. Ray Comstock, September 6, 1926 – October 1926 *''The Command to Love'' (Play, Comedy) Theatre Owned / Operated by F. Ray Comstock, September 20, 1927 – April 1928 *''

'' (1927) (Special, Vaudeville) October 10, 1927 – December 17, 1927

References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

The Wodehouse Society's pageThe P G Wodehouse Society (UK)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comstock, F. Ray 1880 births 1949 deaths American theatre managers and producers