George Furth

George Furth (December 14, 1932 – August 11, 2008) was an American librettist, playwright, and actor.

Life and career
Furth was born George Schweinfurth in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Evelyn (née Tuerk) and George Schweinfurth. He received a Bachelor of Science in Speech at Northwestern University in 1954 and received his master's degree from Columbia University.

A life member of the Actors Studio, Furth made his Broadway debut as an actor in the 1961 play A Cook for Mr. General, followed by the musical Hot Spot two years later. He was also known for his collaborations with Stephen Sondheim: the highly successful Company, the ill-fated Merrily We Roll Along and the equally ill-fated drama, Getting Away with Murder. Furth penned the plays Twigs, The Supporting Cast and Precious Sons, and wrote the book for the Kander and Ebb musical, The Act.

One of Furth's last writing projects was a foray into an area where he had not previously endeavored. Furth penned the lyrics for a musical revue, with music by Doug Katsaros. Furth and Katsaros shaped the work with San Francisco director Mike Ward into "The End-a new musical revue". The piece was performed at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center during the summer of 2004 and was billed as a "Pre-U.S. Tour Workshop Production". The piece was reworked twice, with the title changing to Last Call and Happy Hour, respectively.

Frequently cast as a bespectacled, ineffectual milquetoast, Furth appeared in such films as The Boston Strangler, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Myra Breckinridge, Blazing Saddles, Shampoo, The Cannonball Run, The Man with Two Brains, and Bulworth. His many television credits include Tammy, McHale's Navy, Ironside, I Dream of Jeannie, That Girl, Green Acres, The Monkees, Batman, The Odd Couple, Bonanza, Happy Days, All in the Family, Murphy Brown, L.A. Law, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Murder, She Wrote, Little House on the Prairie, Love, American Style, Adam-12, F Troop and the 1980 made-for-TV film The Scarlett O'Hara War, in which he portrayed famed film director George Cukor. He was a regular in the cast of the short-lived 1976 situation comedy The Dumplings.

He adapted his play Twigs as a 1975 television production, starring Carol Burnett. He also worked as a voice actor in several episodes of the animated television series The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda for Hanna-Barbera Productions.

Awards
Furth won both the Tony and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical for Company, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play for Precious Sons.

Death
Furth died on August 11, 2008 at the age of 75. The exact cause of death is unknown, although he had been hospitalized for a lung disease at the time.

Filmography

 * The Best Man (1964) as Tom
 * The New Interns (1964) as Dr. Phil Osterman
 * A Very Special Favor (1965) as Pete
 * A Rage to Live (1965) as Paul Rutherford
 * The Cool Ones (1967) as Howie
 * Tammy and the Millionaire (1967) as Dwayne Whitt
 * Games (1967) as Terry, Party Guest
 * Nobody's Perfect (1968) as Hamner
 * How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (1968) as Roger
 * P.J. (1968) as Sonny Silene
 * What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968) as Murgatroyd
 * The Boston Strangler (1968) as Lyonel Brumley
 * Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) as Woodcock
 * Myra Breckinridge (1970) as Charlie Flager Jr.
 * The Third Girl from the Left (1973) as Zimmy
 * Sleeper  (1973) as Guest at Luna's Party (uncredited)
 * Blazing Saddles (1974) as Van Johnson
 * Shampoo (1975) as Mr. Pettis
 * Norman... Is That You? (1976) as Mr. Sukara
 * American Raspberry (1977) as President
 * Airport '77 (1977) as Gerald Lucas
 * Oh God! (1977) as Briggs
 * Hooper (1978) as Bidwell
 * The Cannonball Run (1981) as A. F. Foyt
 * Megaforce (1982) as Professor Eggstrum
 * Young Doctors in Love (1982) as The Patients - Disgusting Looking Patient
 * Doctor Detroit (1983) as Arthur Skridlow
 * The Man with Two Brains (1983) as Timon
 * Goodbye Lover (1998) as Mr. Merritt
 * Bulworth (1998) as Older Man