November 27 is the birthdate of prolific Broadway producer David Merrick. Born David Margulois in St. Louis, he graduated from Washington University and studied law at Saint Louis University but, understandably, fled the city as soon as he could. In New York, beginning in 1949, he produced more than 85 Broadway shows over a period of 40 years. When he appeared on TIME’s cover in 1966, he employed an estimated 20 percent of Broadway's work force. His hit productions included: Look Back in Anger (1957), The Entertainer (1958), Gypsy (1959), Becket (1960), Oliver! (1963), Hello, Dolly! (1964), Marat/Sade (1966), I Do! I Do! (1966), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1968), Promises, Promises (1968), and 42nd Street (1980). He was furtive, misanthropic, financially ruthless, and married six times.
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