Henry Farrell
Encyclopedia
Henry Farrell was an American
novelist and screenwriter
, best known as the author of the renowned gothic horror story What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
, which was made into a film
starring Bette Davis
and Joan Crawford
.
, and grew up in Coalinga
. Under the name "Charles H Myer", he wrote the "Toffee" short stories. Later taking the pseudonym
Henry Farrell, his first novel was The Hostage, which was published
in 1959
.
With Lukas Heller
, Farrell co-wrote the screenplay
for Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964
), starring Davis and Olivia de Havilland
. It was based on a story he wrote entitled Whatever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?, and the script earned Heller and Farrell a 1965 Edgar Award
, from the Mystery Writers of America
, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. He wrote the original screenplay for What's the Matter with Helen?
(1971
), which starred Debbie Reynolds
and Shelley Winters
.
His wife was actress Molly Dodd
, who died in 1981. Dodd appeared in small roles in two movies written by Farrell, the TV
production How Awful About Allan
starring Anthony Perkins
and Julie Harris
and What's the Matter with Helen?
French
director
François Truffaut
's 1972
movie Une belle fille comme moi was based on Farrell's 1967
novel Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me.
In 2002, Farrell tried his hand at writing the book for a stage
play
, the musical version of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The world premiere of the show was on October 9 in Houston, Texas
, with Millicent Martin
in the title role and Leslie Denniston as Blanche.
Henry Farrell died in his Pacific Palisades, California, home at age 85. According to his obituary, he completed another novel, titled A Piece of Clarisse, shortly before his deathhttp://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/books/04farrell.html. There is currently no word on publication.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist and 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:...
, best known as the author of the renowned gothic horror story What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a suspense novel by author Henry Farrell published in 1960 by Rinehart & Company. The novel has earned a cult following and has been made into several movies.-Plot summary:...
, which was made into a film
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (film)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1962 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Lukas Heller is based on the novel of the same name by Henry Farrell...
starring Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
and Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
.
Life and work
He was born Charles Farrell Myers in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and grew up in Coalinga
Coalinga, California
Coalinga is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 13,380 at the 2010 census, up from 11,668 at the 2000 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital. Coalinga is located southwest of Fresno, at an elevation of 673 feet .-Early...
. Under the name "Charles H Myer", he wrote the "Toffee" short stories. Later taking the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Henry Farrell, his first novel was The Hostage, which was published
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
in 1959
1959 in literature
The year 1959 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April 30 - Theatrical première of Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards, originally performed on radio in 1932....
.
With Lukas Heller
Lukas Heller
Lukas Heller was a German screenwriter born in Kiel. He won an Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture for Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte .He was father to British writers Bruno and Zoë Heller.-Filmography:*The Dirty Dozen...
, Farrell co-wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
for Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964
1964 in film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
), starring Davis and Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland
Olivia Mary de Havilland is a British American film and stage actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 and 1949. She is the elder sister of actress Joan Fontaine. The sisters are among the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s.-Early life:Olivia de Havilland...
. It was based on a story he wrote entitled Whatever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?, and the script earned Heller and Farrell a 1965 Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
, from the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. He wrote the original screenplay for What's the Matter with Helen?
What's the Matter with Helen?
What's the Matter With Helen? is a 1971 thriller film starring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters.-Plot:The movie starts with a Hearst Metrotone newsreel from the 1930s that tells of the Iowa murder of Ellie Banner by Leonard Hill and Wesley Bruckner...
(1971
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
), which starred Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
and Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
.
His wife was actress Molly Dodd
Molly Dodd
Molly Dodd was an American actress.Born as Mary Elise Dodd in Los Angeles, California to Neal Dodd and Lila Elsie Weaver , her father was a priest of the Anglo-Catholic Episcopal Church.Dodd began her career on the Los Angeles stage in 1939, debuting in a revival of the...
, who died in 1981. Dodd appeared in small roles in two movies written by Farrell, the TV
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
production How Awful About Allan
How Awful About Allan
How Awful About Allan is a 1970 television film thriller, directed by Curtis Harrington, his second collaboration with writer Henry Farrell, and starring Anthony Perkins and Julie Harris...
starring Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
and Julie Harris
Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame...
and What's the Matter with Helen?
French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
's 1972
1972 in film
The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...
movie Une belle fille comme moi was based on Farrell's 1967
1967 in literature
The year 1967 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Influential science fiction anthology Dangerous Visions published.*Cecil Day-Lewis is selected as the new Poet Laureate of the UK.-New books:...
novel Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me.
In 2002, Farrell tried his hand at writing the book for a stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, the musical version of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The world premiere of the show was on October 9 in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, with Millicent Martin
Millicent Martin
Millicent Mary Lillian Martin is an English actress, singer and comedienne.Martin was born in Romford, England. She made her Broadway debut opposite Julie Andrews in The Boy Friend in 1954...
in the title role and Leslie Denniston as Blanche.
Henry Farrell died in his Pacific Palisades, California, home at age 85. According to his obituary, he completed another novel, titled A Piece of Clarisse, shortly before his deathhttp://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/books/04farrell.html. There is currently no word on publication.
Novels
- The Hostage (19591959 in literatureThe year 1959 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April 30 - Theatrical première of Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards, originally performed on radio in 1932....
) - What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a suspense novel by author Henry Farrell published in 1960 by Rinehart & Company. The novel has earned a cult following and has been made into several movies.-Plot summary:...
(19601960 in literatureThe year 1960 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 2 – Penguin Books is found not guilty of obscenity in the Lady Chatterley's Lover case in the United Kingdom....
) - Death on the Sixth Day (19611961 in literatureThe year 1961 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*First English production of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui*Michael Halliday publishes his seminal paper on the systemic functional grammar model....
) - How Awful About Allan (19631963 in literatureThe year 1963 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*First United States printing of John Cleland's 1749 novel, Fanny Hill . The book is banned for obscenity, triggering a court case by its publisher.*Leslie Charteris publishes his final collection of stories...
) - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me (19671967 in literatureThe year 1967 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Influential science fiction anthology Dangerous Visions published.*Cecil Day-Lewis is selected as the new Poet Laureate of the UK.-New books:...
)
Stories
- Whatever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?
- The Eyes of Charles Sand
- Where Beauty Lies
- The Do-Gooder
Screenplays
- Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (19641964 in filmThe year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
) - What's the Matter with Helen?What's the Matter with Helen?What's the Matter With Helen? is a 1971 thriller film starring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters.-Plot:The movie starts with a Hearst Metrotone newsreel from the 1930s that tells of the Iowa murder of Ellie Banner by Leonard Hill and Wesley Bruckner...
(19711971 in filmThe year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
)
Teleplays
- Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(1955) (TV programTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
) (one episode) - Bus Stop (1961) (TV programTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
) (one episode) - The House that Would Not Die (1970) (made-for-TV movieTelevision movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
) - How Awful About AllanHow Awful About AllanHow Awful About Allan is a 1970 television film thriller, directed by Curtis Harrington, his second collaboration with writer Henry Farrell, and starring Anthony Perkins and Julie Harris...
(1970) (made-for-TV movie) - The Eyes of Charles Sand (1972) (made-for-TV movie)