Gaige, Crosby (1882–1949), started from humble beginnings as the son of the postmaster of Skunk Hollow, New York, and went on to make millions as one of the premier Broadway producers of the early twentieth century. In 1912, Gaige partnered with the Selwyn brothers for his first hit, Within the Law, launching a twenty-five-year career encompassing 150 plays. Yet Gaige’s true passions—collecting fine vintages and cooking—lay outside the theater. After the crash of 1929, he looked to these interests for livelihood, contributing the monthly Cellar and Pantry column to Country Life, along with other magazine assignments. In 1937, NBC broadcast his daily radio program, Kitchen Cavalcade. He edited several cookbooks and wrote two cocktail manuals. Crosby Gaige’s Cocktail Guide and Ladies’ Companion (1941) displays his noted wit and features celebrity contributions, a forward by Lucius Beebe, illustrations by Rea Irvin, and original recipes, including “Let’s Slide Downstairs,” and “Madame, Can You Walk?” It is also notable for being one of the vectors through which the Bloody Mary spread. The straight-faced, spiral-bound Standard Cocktail Guide followed in 1944. See Beebe, Lucius; and Bloody Mary.
“Crosby Gaige, Noted Play Producer, Tells How to Live a Life.” Peekskill Evening Star, May 20, 1936, 2.
Gaige, Crosby. Crosby Gaige’s Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion. New York: M. Barrows, 1941.
Gaige, Crosby. Footlights and Highlights. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1948.
“New Shows Ahead.” Radio Daily, September 16, 1937, 6.
By: Doug Stailey