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Joseph Anthony (May 24, 1912 – January 20, 1993) was an American playwright, actor, and director. He made his film acting debut in the 1934 film Hat, Coat, and Glove and his theatrical acting debut in a 1935 production of Mary of Scotland. On five occasions he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Direction.
Joseph Anthony was born as Joseph Deuster in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 24, 1912. His parents were Leonard Deuster and Sophie Deuster (née Hertz). Anthony attended the University of Wisconsin. He married Perry Wilson. He prepared for the stage at the Pasadena Playhouse from 1931 through 1935 and at the Daykarhanova School from 1935 through 1937. Anthony served in the United States Army in World War II from 1942 through 1946.
Joseph Anthony made his New York City directorial debut in April 1948 directing a production of Celebration at the Maxine Elliott Theatre. In 1954, Anthony directed the original production of The Rainmaker, a play of which he would later direct the film adaptation. From March 1960 through March 1961, Anthony successfully opened the original Broadway productions of four shows which ran simultaneously: The Best Man at the Morosco Theatre, Under the Yum Yum Tree at Henry Miller's Theatre, Rhinoceros at the Longacre Theatre, and Mary, Mary at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Mary, Mary was Anthony's longest-running production, lasting nearly four years and more than 1500 performances. Anthony also directed several other original Broadway productions, including Romulus in 1962, Slow Dance on the Killing Ground in 1964, Jimmy in 1969, and the notoriously unsuccessful Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1966.
Film work
Joseph Anthony first major film appearance was in Hat, Coat, and Glove in 1934. He went on to appear in She in 1935, Shadow of the Thin Man in 1941, and Joe Smith, American in 1942. Anthony's first film direction was the 1956 film adaptation of The Rainmaker, a play he also directed. Anthony also directed such films as The Matchmaker in 1958, Career in 1959, All in a Night's Work in 1961, and Tomorrow in 1972.
