Dwight Taylor (writer)
Encyclopedia
Dwight Taylor was an American
author
, playwright
, and film
and television
screenwriter
.
, and attended Lawrenceville School
in Lawrence Township
, New Jersey
where he began drawing and painting and wrote a book of poetry.
After refusing an opportunity to work as a cub
reporter for The New York World, he began his career as a journalist for The New Yorker
magazine, serving as one of the first editors for their "Talk of the Town". He began screenwriting for Hollywood films in in 1930 and for television in 1953. His first produced play was Don't Tell George (1928). Other plays included such as Lipstick and Gay Divorce
.
Taylor's first screenplay was Jailbreak. First National Pictures bought the project in 1929 while it was still in manuscsript form and had Alfred A. Cohn
and Henry McCarty adapt it to become the 1930 film Numbered Men starring Conrad Nagel
and Bernice Claire
.
In 1934, Taylor adapted his play Gay Divorce for RKO Studios, which renamed it The Gay Divorcee
and used it as the vehicle to debut the dance team of Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers
.
He was a founding member, and had served one term as president, of the Writers Guild of America, West
.
On December 31, 1986, one day short of his 84th birthday, Taylor died of a heart attack at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital
in Woodland Hills, California where he had resided since 1981.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
Background
Taylor was the son of playwright Charles A. Taylor and actress Laurette TaylorLaurette Taylor
Laurette Taylor was an American stage and silent film actress.-Personal life:Laurette Taylor was born in New York City of Irish extraction as Loretta Helen Cooney.-Personal life:...
, and attended Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S., five miles southwest of Princeton....
in Lawrence Township
Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Area residents often refer to all of Lawrence Township as Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
where he began drawing and painting and wrote a book of poetry.
After refusing an opportunity to work as a cub
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
reporter for The New York World, he began his career as a journalist for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine, serving as one of the first editors for their "Talk of the Town". He began screenwriting for Hollywood films in in 1930 and for television in 1953. His first produced play was Don't Tell George (1928). Other plays included such as Lipstick and Gay Divorce
Gay Divorce
Gay Divorce is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Dwight Taylor, adapted by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. It was Fred Astaire's last Broadway show and featured the hit song "Night and Day" in which Astaire danced with co-star Claire Luce.It was made into a musical...
.
Taylor's first screenplay was Jailbreak. First National Pictures bought the project in 1929 while it was still in manuscsript form and had Alfred A. Cohn
Alfred A. Cohn
Alfred A. Cohn was an author, journalist and newspaper editor, Police Commissioner, and screenwriter of the 1920s and 1930s...
and Henry McCarty adapt it to become the 1930 film Numbered Men starring Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel was an American screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond. He was also a well-known television actor and radio performer.-Biography:...
and Bernice Claire
Bernice Claire
Bernice Claire was an American singer and actress. She appeared in 13 films between 1930 and 1938.-Career:...
.
In 1934, Taylor adapted his play Gay Divorce for RKO Studios, which renamed it The Gay Divorcee
The Gay Divorcee
The Gay Divorcee is a 1934 American film based on the musical play Gay Divorce written by Dwight Taylor, Kenneth S. Webb, Samuel Hoffenstein, with screenplay by George Marion Jr., Dorothy Yost and Edward Kaufman, from an unproduced play by J. Hartley Manners...
and used it as the vehicle to debut the dance team of Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
.
He was a founding member, and had served one term as president, of the Writers Guild of America, West
Writers Guild of America, west
Writers Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
.
On December 31, 1986, one day short of his 84th birthday, Taylor died of a heart attack at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital
Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital
The Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital is a retirement community, with individual cottages, and a fully licensed, acute-care hospital, located at 23388 Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills, California...
in Woodland Hills, California where he had resided since 1981.
Film
- Numbered Men (1930) (play "Jailbreak")
- Secrets of a SecretarySecrets of a SecretarySecrets of a Secretary is a 1931 film directed by George Abbott, and starring Claudette Colbert and Herbert Marshall.-Plot:Society girl becomes a social secretary when her father dies penniless...
(1931) - Are You Listening? (1932)
- If I Were Free (1933)
- Today We LiveToday We LiveToday We Live is a 1933 film starring Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Robert Young, and Franchot Tone. The film is based on "Turnabout" by William Faulkner. Faulkner also provided the dialogue for the film, making it the only film version of his work that Faulkner co-wrote. Joan Crawford's character...
(1933) - Lady by ChoiceLady by ChoiceLady by Choice is a 1934 romantic drama film starring Carole Lombard as a fan dancer and May Robson as a homeless drunk who is asked to pose as the dancer's mother for a publicity stunt, with unexpected consequences.-Plot:...
(1934) - The Gay DivorceeThe Gay DivorceeThe Gay Divorcee is a 1934 American film based on the musical play Gay Divorce written by Dwight Taylor, Kenneth S. Webb, Samuel Hoffenstein, with screenplay by George Marion Jr., Dorothy Yost and Edward Kaufman, from an unproduced play by J. Hartley Manners...
(1934) - StingareeStingareeThe Stingaree was a neighborhood of San Diego between the boom of the 1880s and the cleanup of 1916. The reason for the neighborhood's fame was its role as the home to the city's "undesirables", including prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers and gamblers. For similar reasons of societal exclusion, it...
(1934) - Long Lost FatherLong Lost FatherLong Lost Father is a 1934 drama film starring John Barrymore, Helen Chandler, Donald Cook, Alan Mowbray, and Doris Lloyd. It was directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack.-Cast:*John Barrymore - Carl Bellairs*Helen Chandler - Lindsey Lane...
(1934) - Top HatTop HatTop Hat is a 1935 screwball comedy musical film in which Fred Astaire plays an American dancer named Jerry Travers, who comes to London to star in a show produced by Horace Hardwick . He meets and attempts to impress Dale Tremont to win her affection...
(1935) - Paris in SpringParis in SpringParis in Spring is a 1935 black and white musical comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone for Paramount Pictures.It is based on a play by Dwight Taylor, with a screen play by Samuel Hoffenstein and Franz Schulz.-Plot:...
(1935) - Follow the FleetFollow the FleetFollow the Fleet is a 1936 Hollywood musical comedy film with a nautical theme and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard, and Astrid Allwyn, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Lucille Ball and Betty Grable also appear, in small supporting roles...
(1936) - GangwayGangway (film)Gangway is a 1937 British musical film directed by Sonnie Hale and starring Jessie Matthews, Barry MacKay, Nat Pendleton and Alistair Sim. A young reporter goes undercover to unmask a gang of criminals who are planning a jewel heist.-Main cast:...
(1937) - Head Over Heels in Love (1937)
- The Amazing Mr. Williams (1939)
- When Tomorrow ComesWhen Tomorrow Comes"When Tomorrow Comes" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox, David A. Stewart and guest keyboardist Pat Seymour...
(1939) - Rhythm on the RiverRhythm on the RiverRhythm on the River is a 1940 musical comedy film starring Bing Crosby and Mary Martin as ghostwriters whose songs are credited to a composer played by Basil Rathbone. James V...
(1940) - I Wake Up ScreamingI Wake Up ScreamingI Wake Up Screaming is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, who co-wrote the screenplay with Dwight Taylor...
(1941) - Kiss the Boys Goodbye (1941)
- NightmareNightmare (1942 film)Nightmare is a 1942 film starring Diana Barrymore and Brian Donlevy. Diana Barrymore plays Leslie Stafford, a secretary who seeks the help of a home invader to dispose of the body of her murdered husband....
(1942) - Conflict (1945)
- The Thin Man Goes HomeThe Thin Man Goes HomeThe Thin Man Goes Home is a 1945 motion picture directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six Thin Man films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper private detective Nick Charles and his wife Nora.-Plot:...
(1945) - We're Not Married!We're Not Married!We're Not Married! is a romantic comedy film released by 20th Century Fox. The featured was directed by Edmund Goulding, and released on July 11, 1952....
(1952) - Something to Live ForSomething to Live For (film)Something to Live For is a 1952 American drama film starring Joan Fontaine, Ray Milland, and Teresa Wright, directed by George Stevens, and released by Paramount Pictures...
(1952) - Pickup on South StreetPickup on South StreetPickup on South Street is writer-director Samuel Fuller's film noir released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter....
(1953) - VickiVicki (film)Vicki is a film noir directed by Harry Horner and based on the novel I Wake Up Screaming, written by Steve Fisher. The picture is a remake of the 1941 film I Wake Up Screaming also released by 20th Century Fox.-Plot:...
(1953) - Special DeliverySpecial Delivery (1955 film)Special Delivery is a 1955 film directed by John Brahm. It stars Joseph Cotten and Eva Bartok.-Cast:*Joseph Cotten as John Adams*Eva Bartok as Sonja*Bob Cunningham as Captain Heinikan*René Deltgen as Kovak*Gert Fröbe as Olaf...
(1955) - Boy on a DolphinBoy on a DolphinBoy on a Dolphin is a 1957 20th Century Fox romantic film set in Greece and made in CinemaScope. It was directed by Jean Negulesco and produced by Samuel G. Engel from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and Dwight Taylor, based on the novel by David Divine....
(1957) - Interlude (1957)
- The Cape Town AffairThe Cape Town AffairThe Cape Town Affair is director Robert D. Webb's 1967 glamorized spy film produced by 20th Century Fox at Killarney Film Studios in South Africa. The film is a remake of the 1953 picture Pickup on South Street...
(1967)
Television
- The Loretta Young Show (1 episode, 1953), "Trial Run"
- Schlitz Playhouse (1 episode, 1957), "The Girl in the Grass" (1957)
- The Thin ManThe Thin Man (TV series)The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and shown on NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.-Overview:...
(2 episodes, 1957), "Fatal Cliche", "Angels in Paradise" - 77 Sunset Strip77 Sunset Strip77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
(1 episode, 1959), "A Check Will Do Nicely" - BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
(1 episode, 1967), "Louie, the Lilac"
Theatre
- Don't Tell George (1928)
- Phyllis Feels Frlghtened (1928)
- Trevelyn's Ghost (1929)
- LipstickLipstickLipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
(1929) - Gay DivorceGay DivorceGay Divorce is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Dwight Taylor, adapted by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. It was Fred Astaire's last Broadway show and featured the hit song "Night and Day" in which Astaire danced with co-star Claire Luce.It was made into a musical...
(1932) - Paris in Spring (1935)
- Where Do We Go From Here? (1938)
- Out of this World (1950) (co-written with Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
) - Billie: a play in three acts (1960)
External links
- Dwight Taylor at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Dwight Taylor at Allmovie
- Dwight Taylor at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....
- Dwight Taylor at the Internet Off-Broadway Database