Evening star., 1948-12-13
Gene Ford, Managing Director
OF Capitol Theuter, Dies at So
Going Native Revue
Producer Succumbs
After Heart Attack


Eugene F. Ford, 50, managing di-
rector of the Capitol Theater and
one Of the last great producers of
the vaudeville era, died yesterday at
Doctors Hospital.
Mr.. Ford, known as Gene" to his
hundreds of friends in and out of
show business, had been i'll since
suffering heart attack two months
ago. He was taken to the hospital
two weeks ago, and was placed in
an oxygen tent Saturday when his
condition became suddenly worse.
One Of his outstanding achieve
ments in long career as producer
was the annual Going Native"
revue on the stage of the Capitol.
Brought to Washington In 1882 to
create the first local talent produc-
ton, he subsequently produced nine
Of them.
Such personalities as Arthur
Godfrey, Evalyn Tyner and Helen
Forrest went on to achieve fame in
show business after appearing in
Mr.. Ford's Washington revue.
Mr.. Ford, a rotund, jovial man
who directed most of Washington's
public pageants and shows, learned
the producing enc of show business
under such experts as Charles B.
Dillingham; and Ned Wayburn.
Both men were known for their
lavish musical productions of the
ziegfeld era.
A musician as well as a pro-
ducer, he composed the 1928 song
hit. Rain: wrote production num-
bers for the pageants he produced
during public ceremonies here and
added incidental music when needed
in his Capitol Theater revues.
Born in Portland, Me-, he attended
public school there, in Boston and
Brooklyn, N Y. He studied piano
and organ in Boston and at the
Louis Mollenhauer College of Music
in Brooklyn.
While student in Boston, he was
pianist with the Copley Plaza con-
cert orchestra, and later got his
first taste of show business while
serving in a similar capacity at the
Hanover Theater in Brooklyn.
He joined Mr.. Dillingham; in 1917
as dancer: within six years he was
stage manager for Mr.. Wayburn in
his productions of Chin Chin, 4"
Jack O. Lantern" Tip Top" and
"Hitchy-Koo."
When Elsie Janis, World War I
singer and entertainer, presented
her Puzzles of 1926" Mr.. Ford was
stage manager. The following year,
he rejoined the Weyburn produc-
tiQn department and wrote, COM
posed and directed vaudville acts
for that organization.
In 1929 he directed such head
liners as Leon Enrol, Charles Rug
giles and Gloria Foy in the produc-
tions of the st. Louis Garden
Theater. He earlier had spent a
summer in the Missouri city as stage
director of the famed Municipal
Opera company there.
He joined the staff of Loew's, Inc,
a theater chain, in 1880, and was
named stage director at their top
theater, the New York Capitol. At
that time, the theater had q name
policy" for its stage shows and Mr..
Ford arranged personal appear
ances for such fllm stars as. CLARK
Gable, Robert Montgomery and
many others.
After the first Going Native" re-
vue, MIR. Ford was named managing
director of the Capitol here. He
moved to washington, but returned
to New York In 1888 to produce and
direct radio shows for Station WIN.
After establishing q number Of the
stations musical programs, he came
back to Washington and the posi-
ton he held at the time of his
death. He lived at 5000 Connecticut
avenue NV.
A familiar figure on opening day
of every Capitol stage show, Mr.
Ford would take a seat in the last
row of the loges there. Equipped
with a telephone connected back
stage and to the lighting booth, he
would direct the initial days pro-
ductionS.
Washington civic leaders always
on Mr.. Ford's help on every
here, and they were
never refused. Under his guidance
the yearly Fourth of July produc-