Russel Crouse

Russel Crouse (February 20, 1893 – April 3, 1966) was an American playwright, librettist, and book writer born in Findlay, Ohio, to Sarah (née Schumacher) and Hiram Powers Crouse, a newspaperman. He is best known for his decades-long Broadway writing partnership with Howard Lindsay, collectively known as Lindsay and Crouse.

Crouse made his Broadway debut in 1928 as an actor, appearing in the play Gentlemen of the Press in the role of Bellflower. Within a few years he shifted his focus to writing, contributing the book for the 1931 musical The Gang's All Here alongside Frank McCoy, Morrie Ryskind, and Oscar Hammerstein II. His partnership with Howard Lindsay began in 1934, when the two revised the P. G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton book for Cole Porter's Anything Goes. The collaboration proved enduring, and the pair went on to adapt Clarence Day's Life with Father, which became one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history.

Among the productions Crouse contributed to as a book writer were Hold Your Horses, Hooray for What!, Happy Hunting, and Call Me Madam. He and Lindsay also collaborated on The Great Sebastians, which opened in 1955, and Mr. President. Their 1946 play State of the Union earned the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year. The partnership's most celebrated achievement was the book for The Sound of Music, the 1960 musical featuring music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Lindsay and Crouse had also received a Tony Special Award in 1959.

Beyond writing, Lindsay and Crouse became Broadway producers, frequently producing their own work. They also owned and operated the Hudson Theatre on 44th Street in New York City. Crouse became a member of The Lambs social club in 1941 and remained affiliated with the organization until his death. He is the father of writer Timothy Crouse, and named his daughter Lindsay Ann Crouse as a deliberate tribute to his partner Howard Lindsay. Crouse died on April 3, 1966.