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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Klaus Badelt to Christophe Beck
Howard Bay Biography (1912-1986)
Born May 3, 1912, in Centralia, WA; died of a heart attack in New York, NY, November 21, 1986; son of William D. (a teacher) and Bertha A. (a teacher; maiden name, Jenkins) Bay; married Ruth Jonas, November 23, 1932; children: Ellen, Timothy.
Howard Bay was blacklisted from the film and television industries during thelate 1940s and early 1950s.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Birth Details
- May 3, 1912
- Centralia, Washington, United States
- Death Details
- November 21, 1986
- New York, New York, United States
Famous Works
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Credits
- FIRST STAGE WORK--Designer, There's a Moon Tonight, New York City, 1933.
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Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE WORK
- For the Federal Theatre Project in New York City, designed sets for: Chalk Dust and Battle Hymn, both Experimental Theatre, 1936, Power (The Living Newspaper), Ritz Theatre, 1937, Native Ground, Venice Theatre, 1937, One Thirdof a Nation, Adelphi Theatre, 1938, Trojan Incident, St. James Theatre, 1938,and The Life and Death of an American, Maxine Elliott's Theatre, 1939. Whilestill with the Federal Theatre project, he designed the sets for Marching Song, Bayes Theatre, New York City, 1937, Sunup to Sundown, Hudson Theatre, 1938, The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1938, The Little Foxes, National Theatre, NewYork City, 1939, and The Dog Beneath the Skin, 1939.
- Designed sets and lighting for four operas for the National Orchestral Association: Pagliacci, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, and The Abduction fromthe Seraglio, all at Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1939-40.
- SET AND LIGHTING DESIGNER,UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED The Fifth Column, AlvinTheatre, New York City, 1940.
- Morning Star, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1940.
- The Corn Is Green, National Theatre, New York City, 1940.
- The Man with Blond Hair, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1941.
- Brooklyn, USA, Forrest Theatre, New York City, 1941.
- Johnny 2x4, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1942.
- The Moon Is Down, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1942.
- The Strings, My Lord, Are False, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1942.
- Uncle Harry, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1942.
- The Eve of St. Mark, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1942.
- Count Me In, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1942.
- The Great Big Doorstep, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1942.
- Something for the Boys, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1943.
- The Patriots, National Theatre, New York City, 1943.
- The Merry Widow, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1943.
- A New Life, Royale Theatre, New York Theatre, 1943.
- One Touch of Venus, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1943.
- Carmen Jones, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1943.
- Listen, Professor!, Forrest Theatre, New York City, 1943.
- (Sets only) Storm Operation, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- (sets only) The Peep Show, Fulton Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- Chicken Every Sunday, Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- Follow the Girls, Century Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- The Searching Wind, Fulton Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- Ten Little Indians, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- Catherine Was Great, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- pre-Broadway tryout of Franklyn Street, 1944.
- pre-Broadway tryout of Spring in Brazil, 1944.
- Men to the Sea, National Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- The Visitor, Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- Violet, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1944.
- pre-Broadway tryout of Glad to See You, 1944.
- Up in Central Park, Century Theatre, New York City, 1945.
- Marinka, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1945.
- Devils Galore, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1945.
- Deep Are the Roots, Fulton Theatre, New York City, 1945.
- Polonaise, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1945.
- Show Boat, Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City, 1946.
- The Would-Be Gentleman, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1946.
- Woman Bites Dog, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1946.
- The Big Knife, National Theatre, New York City, 1949.
- Montserrat, Fulton Theatre, New York City, 1949.
- Magdelena, Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, 1949.
- Come Back Little Sheba, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1950.
- Michael Todd's Peepshow, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1950.
- Parisienne, Fulton Theatre, New York City, 1950.
- Hilda Crane, Coronet Theatre, New York City, 1950.
- Flahooley, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1951.
- The Autumn Garden, Coronet Theatre, New York City, 1951.
- Two on the Aisle, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1951.
- The Grand Tour, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1951.
- The Shrike, Cort Theatre, 1952.
- (sets, lighting, and costumes) Les Noces, Brandeis University, Boston, 1952.
- The Children's Hour, Coronet Theatre, New York City, 1952.
- Mid-Summer, Vanderbilt Theatre, New York City, 1953.
- (Sets only) Show Boat, New York City Center, 1954.
- (sets only) Sandhog, Phoenix Theatre, 1954.
- pre-Broadway tryout, Top Man, 1955.
- The Desparate Hours, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1955.
- Red Roses for Me, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1955.
- Carmen Jones, New York City Center, 1956.
- A Very Special Baby, Playhouse, New York City, 1956.
- pre-Broadway tryouts, Build with One Hand and A Certain Joy, both 1956.
- Night of the Auk, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1956.
- Tevya and His Daughters, 1957.
- Look Back in Anger, 1957.
- The Music Man, 1957.
- Interlock, American National Theatre Academy (ANTA), New York City, 1958.
- Regina, revival, 1958.
- Jolly Anna, Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles, 1959.
- A Desert Incident, John Golden Theatre, New York City, 1959.
- (lighting design only) The Fighting Cock, 1959.
- Carmen, San Francisco Opera Company, 1959.
- The Cut of the Axe, Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1960.
- The Cool World, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 1960.
- Toys in the Attic, Hudson Theatre, New York Theatre, 1960.
- Show Boat, Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Company, 1960.
- The Wall, Billy Rose Theatre, New York City, 1960.
- The Music Man, London, 1961.
- Pal Joey, New York City Center, 1961.
- Milk and Honey, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1961.
- Carmen, San Francisco Opera Company, 1961.
- Isle of Children, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1962.
- My Mother, My Father, and Me, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1963.
- Bicycle Ride to Nevada, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1963.
- Never Live Over a Pretzel Factory, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City,1964.
- The Music Man, New York City Center, 1965.
- (sets, lighting, and costumes) Man of La Mancha, ANTA Theatre, New York City, 1965, also produced in London, 1968.
- Capriccio and Natalya Petrovna, New York City Opera, 1965.
- Chu Chem, Locust Theatre, Philadelphia, 1966.
- The Little Foxes, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 1967.
- Man of La Mancha, London, 1968.
- Fire!, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1969.
- Cry for Us All, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1970.
- Knickerbocker Holiday, Curran Theatre, San Francisco, 1971.
- Halloween, Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, PA, 1972.
- (supervisor of American scenery and lighting) Equus, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1974.
- Home Sweet Homer, 1976.
- Poor Murderer, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1976.
- revival of Man of La Mancha, Palace Theatre, New York City, 1977.
- The Utter Glory of Morrissey Hall, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City,1979.
- Bay was working on a Peking Opera production of The Music Man at the timeof his death.
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Credits; DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER
- As the Girls Go, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1948.
- Crimes and Crimes, Brattle Theatre, Cambridge, MA, 1955, then Carnegie Institute of Technology, 1963.
- The Cage, University of Ohio, 1964.
- Ping Pong, Brandeis University, 1966.
- The Workhouse Donkey, Brandeis University, 1967.
- Colombe, Brandeis University, 1968.
- The Cradle Will Rock, Brandeis University, 1976.
- Pal Joey, 1976.
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Credits; MAJOR TOURS; SET AND LIGHTING DESIGNER UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
- It's Up to You, 1944.
- Up in Central Park, 1945.
- Hallowe'en, national, 1972.
- (costumes with Ray Diffen, in addition to decor and lights) Odyssey (re-titled Home Sweet Homer) national, 1976.
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Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM WORK
- Designer of puppets and sets, Pete Roleum and His Cousins, 1939.
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Credits; ART DIRECTOR
- The Exile, Universal, 1947.
- Up in Central Park, Universal, 1948.
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Columbia, 1962.
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Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION WORK; SERIES
- Art director, Fred Waring Show, CBS, 1953-55.
- Somerset Maugham Theatre, CBS and NBC, 1954-56.
- Mr. Broadway, CBS, 1964.
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Credits; EPISODIC
- Art director, "Peer Gynt," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1956.
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Credits; MOVIES
- Art director, The Pueblo Incident, 1973.
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Writings
- BOOKS,PUBLISHED (Contributor) "Navy on Stage," U.S. Navy Handbook, 1945.
- wrote "Scene Design for Stage and Screen" for the "Staging and Stage Design" section of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1961.
- Stage Design, 1974.
- wrote Broadway section of Contemporary Stage Design, U.S.A., 1974.
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