Abel Green

Abel Green (June 3, 1900 – May 10, 1973) was an American journalist best known as the editor of Variety for forty years. Sime Silverman first hired Green as a reporter in 1918, and Green's byline first appeared on May 30, 1919.

Biography

Born in New York, Green attended Stuyvesant High School, but was a college drop-out. The first time his signature appeared in "Variety" was in the May 30, 1919 issue, when he reviewed a film called "Playthings of Passion", signing it "Abel".[1] By 1925 he penned a column in the music section headed "Abel's Comment". Later, in 1928 he wrote a weekly column in "Variety" called "Around New York" and one called "Radio Rambles".[2]

Green was responsible for the creation of much of Variety's characteristic jargon, including the 1935 headline "Sticks Nix Hick Pix";[3] in his obituary, TIME said that if Variety was the Bible of show business, then Green "was its King James".[4] In 1951, Green collaborated with Joe Laurie, Jr. on Show Biz: From Vaude to Video, a history of show business.[5]

Green appeared in the 1947 film Copacabana.[5]

He married Grace Fenn in 1921 and was married for 52 years.[5] Like Sime, Green always wore a bowtie.[5]

Bibliography
  • "Inside Variety" by Peter Besas. Madrid: Ars Millenii,2000.
  • "God Wears a Bowtie" by Lyle Stuart. New York: Greenberg, 1949.

References
  1. "Playthings of Passion". Variety. May 30, 1919. p. 75.
  2. "Radio Rambles". Variety. December 5, 1928. p. 49.
  3. Besas, Peter. "Abel Green". Simesite. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  4. "King James to the End". TIME. 1973-05-21. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  5. "Abel Green, 72, Editor of Variety, Dies; 52 Years on Show Beat". Variety. May 16, 1973. p. 1.
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