| Fervent Broadway-hit producer Cantor dies at 81 Penny pincher nurtured Pulitzer-winning plays 04/10/2001 New York Times News Service NEW YORK – Arthur Cantor, the gentleman impresario with a showman's flair who worked more than 40 years in the theater, on Broadway and beyond, died on Sunday in Manhattan. He was 81.
A champion of the work of comic playwrights such as Paddy Chayefsky and Herb Gardner, Mr. Cantor was a near-constant presence on Broadway during the 1960s and '70s and a character in its anecdotes for many years before and after.
Along the way, he crossed paths – and sometimes swords – with such legendary theatrical figures as David Merrick, whom he called "an evil genius," and Billy Rose, who he said was bright but "a bad judge of material."
His career was also dappled by the light of some of Broadway's biggest stars – actors such as Colleen Dewhurst, Zero Mostel, Rex Harrison, Ingrid Bergman, Julie Harris, Eileen Atkins and Claire Bloom – for whom he secured plum roles.
A tall, distinguished-looking man, Mr. Cantor was known for his rabid devotion to his shows, pulling out whatever tricks he had learned from his early years as a Broadway publicist. Lighthearted signs declaring "Last 365 performances" or "Winner of the Word of Mouth Award" dangled in front of his marquees, as did fictitious quotes from historical characters. ("'I laughed my head off' – Marie Antoinette.") He often wrote open letters to the public, published as advertisements, imploring audiences to see his plays.
He was also proud of his financial acumen, often visiting sets to make sure that the companies stayed on budget.
"I'm a tyrant with the penny," Mr. Cantor said in a 1993 profile in Crain's New York Business. "When I started producing, a Hershey bar was a nickel. I can't imagine paying $7 million for anything."
Mr. Cantor broke into the producing business in 1959 when he worked with the veteran producer Saint Subber on Chayefsky's play The Tenth Man. An unusual comedy about a young Jewish girl possessed by a demon, it was widely considered uncommercial and had been rejected by several producers before landing on Mr. Cantor's desk.
But he was intrigued by the play's setting – an Orthodox synagogue – and decided to risk raising $75,000 to put it on stage.
His instincts proved correct. Directed by Tyrone Guthrie, The Tenth Man emerged as the surprise hit of that season, winning the Pulitzer Prize for drama and making Mr. Cantor's name.
He followed with a quick succession of hits, including two more serious works in 1961: Chayefsky's Gideon and All the Way Home, by Tad Mosel, another Pulitzer Prize winner, which earned Ms. Dewhurst a Tony award for her performance. A year later Mr. Cantor struck gold again with Gardner's comedy A Thousand Clowns, with Jason Robards.
Mr. Cantor's relationship with Chayefsky was especially close. They had become friends in the mid-1950s, bonding over their Jewish heritage and shared sense of humor.
He is survived by a daughter, Jacqueline, and a son, David, both of New York; and two sisters, Gloria Cantor of New York and Mona Briss of Framingham, Mass.
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