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'''Charles Davies Lederer''' ([[December 31]], [[1906]] - [[March 5]], [[1976]]) was an American film writer and director. |
'''Charles Davies Lederer''' ([[December 31]], [[1906]] - [[March 5]], [[1976]]) was an American film writer and director. |
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He was the son of actress |
He was the son of actress Reine Davies and prominent Broadway director/producer George W. Lederer. His first wife was Virginia Welles, formerly married to the actor-director Orson Welles; his second wife was the actress Anne Shirley. |
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He penned the screenplay for the classic 1951 science-fiction/horror film ''The Thing From Another World'', directed by Howard Hawks and co-wrote the original 1960's ''Ocean's Eleven". Lederer wrote or co-wrote screenplays (notably with Ben Hecht) for Howard Hawks's production of "His Girl Friday", "Gentlemen prefer Blondes", again for Hawks, and the Lewis Milestone production of "Mutiny on the Bounty", starring Marlon Brando. With Ben Hecht, he co-wrote the original "Kiss of Death" which was to feature the actor Richard Widmark's chilling debut as a psychopathic killer with a trademark giggle. In addition, he directed the 1959 film "Never Steal Anything Small", an adaptation of a play by Maxwell Anderson and Rouben Mamoulian, starring James Cagney. |
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As Marion Davies' nephew, he grew up as an Hollywood habitue, spending much time at San Simeon, the "enchanted castle on the hill", where his aunt reigned as William Randolph Hearst's chatelaine. Having being admitted to UC Berkeley at the age of 13, he dropped out at the age of 16 and worked for a Hearst newspaper before moving to Hollywood as a screenwriter. He was one of the major contributors to the film genre known as "screwball comedy". |
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He penned the screenplay for the classic 1951 science-fiction/horror film ''[[The Thing From Another World]]'', and co-wrote the original [[1960]]'s ''[[Ocean's Eleven (1960 movie)|Ocean's Eleven]]''. |
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==External link== |
==External link== |
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Revision as of 18:14, 12 February 2007
Charles Davies Lederer (December 31, 1906 - March 5, 1976) was an American film writer and director.
He was the son of actress Reine Davies and prominent Broadway director/producer George W. Lederer. His first wife was Virginia Welles, formerly married to the actor-director Orson Welles; his second wife was the actress Anne Shirley.
In 1954, he won three Tony Awards for the Broadway Musical "Kismet": as Best Producer (Musical), as Best Author (Musical) with Luther Davis, and as co-author of the book who, with several collaborators, contributed to the Best Musical win.
He penned the screenplay for the classic 1951 science-fiction/horror film The Thing From Another World, directed by Howard Hawks and co-wrote the original 1960's Ocean's Eleven". Lederer wrote or co-wrote screenplays (notably with Ben Hecht) for Howard Hawks's production of "His Girl Friday", "Gentlemen prefer Blondes", again for Hawks, and the Lewis Milestone production of "Mutiny on the Bounty", starring Marlon Brando. With Ben Hecht, he co-wrote the original "Kiss of Death" which was to feature the actor Richard Widmark's chilling debut as a psychopathic killer with a trademark giggle. In addition, he directed the 1959 film "Never Steal Anything Small", an adaptation of a play by Maxwell Anderson and Rouben Mamoulian, starring James Cagney.
As Marion Davies' nephew, he grew up as an Hollywood habitue, spending much time at San Simeon, the "enchanted castle on the hill", where his aunt reigned as William Randolph Hearst's chatelaine. Having being admitted to UC Berkeley at the age of 13, he dropped out at the age of 16 and worked for a Hearst newspaper before moving to Hollywood as a screenwriter. He was one of the major contributors to the film genre known as "screwball comedy".