Joseph Anthony was a renowned American playwright, actor, and director, born as Joseph Deuster on May 24, 1912, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Leonard Deuster and Sophie Deuster (née Hertz). He attended the University of Wisconsin and later prepared for the stage at the Pasadena Playhouse from 1931 to 1935 and at the Daykarhanova School from 1935 to 1937.
Anthony served in the United States Army during World War II from 1942 to 1946. After the war, he made his New York City directorial debut in April 1948, directing a production of Celebration at the Maxine Elliott Theatre. He went on to direct numerous stage productions, including the original Broadway productions of The Rainmaker in 1954, The Best Man, Under the Yum Yum Tree, Rhinoceros, and Mary, Mary, which ran simultaneously from March 1960 to March 1961.
Mary, Mary was Anthony's longest-running production, lasting nearly four years and over 1500 performances. He also directed other original Broadway productions, such as Romulus in 1962, Slow Dance on the Killing Ground in 1964, Jimmy in 1969, and the infamous Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1966.
In addition to his stage work, Anthony made his film acting debut in Hat, Coat, and Glove in 1934 and went on to appear in She in 1935, Shadow of the Thin Man in 1941, and Joe Smith, American in 1942. He directed his first film, the 1956 adaptation of The Rainmaker, and later directed films such as The Matchmaker in 1958, Career in 1959, All in a Night's Work in 1961, and Tomorrow in 1972.
Throughout his career, Anthony was nominated for five Tony Awards for Best Direction. He passed away on January 20, 1993.
