Trivia

Daughter Catherine (born June 1950)

Son Christopher Hart (born January 14, 1948).

In his 20s Hart served as entertainment director for the famous Flagler resort hotel in New York's Catskill Mountains, where he was assisted by Dore Schary, who would go on to head MGM. The hotel's main competitor was the legendary Grossinger's resort, where entertainment was headed by Don Hartman, who would continue the competition when he went on to head Paramount Pictures.

Famous Broadway playwright

He was nominated for a 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for "Lady in the Dark" performed at the Royal National Theatre: Lyttelton, as Best New Musical of the 1997 season.

His musical "Lady in the Dark" was awarded the 1997 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical.

Died a year after the opening of the original Broadway production of "Camelot" by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, the last show that he directed.

Throughout much of his adult life, he suffered from severe depression, mood swings, and other emotional problems that were intensified, and possibly caused, by intense anxiety stemming from his sexual orientation. Nevertheless, the long-time bachelor married singer/actress Kitty Carlisle at age 40+ and had two children. After his death, Ms. Carlisle spent much of her widowhood (she never remarried) actively squelching such rumors.

He suffered his fatal heart attack outside his house as his wife was backing the car out of the garage to take him to the dentist.

Won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "You Can't Take it with You" collaborating with George S. Kaufman.

Had suffered at least one heart attack prior to his fatal one. This was on October 14, 1960, while in his hotel room in Toronto, where he was holding an out-of-town audition and generally working on revisions for the soon-to-open Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe Broadway musical "Camelot," which he was to direct.

His play, "Merrily We Roll Along", co-written with George S. Kaufman, was adapted into a 1982 Broadway play by Stephen Sondheim. A subsequent London production was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best Musical.

Pictured on a 37¢ USA commemorative postage stamp issued 25 October 2004, one day following the centenary of his birth.

Won Broadway's 1957 Tony Award as Best Director for "My Fair Lady."

Is portrayed by George Hamilton in Act One (1963)

Inducted into the United States Croquet Hall of Fame in 1979.

He was friends with Harpo Marx. Harpo's nickname for him was "Mouse".