Horton Foote
Encyclopedia
Albert Horton Foote, Jr. (March 14, 1916March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning screenplays for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird
and the 1983 film Tender Mercies
, and his notable live television dramas during the Golden Age of Television
. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
in 1995 for his play The Young Man From Atlanta
. In 1995, Foote was the inaugural recipient of the Austin Film Festival
's Distinguished Screenwriter Award. In describing his 3-play work, "The Orphans' Home Cycle", the drama critic for the Wall Street Journal said this: "Foote, who died last March, left behind a masterpiece, one that will rank high among the signal achievements of American theater in the 20th century." In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
.
Foote was born to Albert Horton Foote (1890-1973) and Harriet Gautier "Hallie" Brooks (1894-1974) in Wharton, Texas
.His younger brothers were Thomas Brooks Foote (1921-1944) who died in aerial combat over Germany, and John Speed Foote (1923-1995).
in 1931-32. After getting better reviews for plays he had written than his acting, he focused on writing in the 1940s and became one of the leading writers for television during the 1950s, beginning with an episode of The Gabby Hayes Show
. The Trip to Bountiful
premiered March 1, 1953 on NBC with the leading cast members (Lillian Gish
, Eva Marie Saint
) reprising their roles on Broadway later that year. Throughout the 1950s, Foote wrote for The Gulf Playhouse, The Philco Television Playhouse
, The United States Steel Hour
, Playwrights '56, Studio One, Armchair Theatre
and Playhouse 90
. He continued into the 1960s with ITV Playhouse
and DuPont Show of the Month
. He adapted William Faulkner
's "Old Man" to television twice, in 1959 and 1997; receiving Emmy nominations both years and winning for the 1997 drama (Outstanding Writing of a Miniseries or Special).
, Off-Broadway
, Off-Off-Broadway
and at many regional theatres
. He wrote the English adaptation of the original Japanese book for the 1970 musical Scarlett
, a musical adaptation of "Gone with the Wind
". He won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
for The Young Man From Atlanta
. The Goodman Theatre
production that was presented on Broadway in New York City
in 1997 was nominated for Best Play, but did not win. The production starred Rip Torn
, Shirley Knight
and Biff McGuire
. Knight and McGuire were also nominated for Tony Awards.
His 3-play trilogy, The Orphans' Home Cycle
ran in repertory off-Broadway in 2009-2010. Parts of this trilogy had been produced as separate plays previously. The trilogy received a Special Drama Desk Award
"To the cast, creative team and producers of Horton Foote’s epic The Orphans' Home Cycle".
and the Writers Guild of America
Screen Award for his adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird
in 1962. Foote did not attend the Oscars ceremony
because he did not expect to win, and so was not present to collect the award in person.
Foote personally recommended actor Robert Duvall
for the part of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird after meeting him during a 1957 production of The Midnight Caller
at Neighborhood Playhouse
in New York City
. The two would work together many more times in the future. Foote has described Duvall as "our number one actor".
Foote's script for the 1983 film Tender Mercies
had been rejected by many American film director
s before Australia
n director Bruce Beresford
finally accepted it; Foote later said, "this film was turned down by every American director on the face of the globe." Foote was rumored to have written the lead role of Tender Mercies specifically for Robert Duvall. Foote denied this, claiming it would be too constraining for him to write a role for a specific actor; however, Duvall said he helped contribute some ideas for the character, and said Foote knew he had wanted to play a country western singer
. The film received six Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture
(which lost) and Best Original Screenplay (which Foote won). Duvall also won an Academy Award for his performance. Well aware of his failure to attend the 1963 ceremony, Foote made sure to attend the 1984 ceremony
. The film also earned Foote the Writers Guild of America
Award for Best Screenplay.
His other film scripts include Baby the Rain Must Fall
starring Steve McQueen
and Lee Remick
, which was based on his play The Travelling Lady. The film was directed by Robert Mulligan
who had worked with Foote on To Kill a Mockingbird a few years earlier.
Foote generally wrote screenplays that were based on his plays, such as the semi-autobiographic trilogy of 1918 (1985), On Valentine's Day (1986) and Courtship (1987). His screenplay for The Trip to Bountiful
(1985) attracted another Academy Award nomination with Geraldine Page
winning an Academy Award for Best Actress..
He also adapted works by other authors, such as John Steinbeck
(Of Mice and Men
directed by and starring Gary Sinise
with John Malkovich
). In addition to Faulkner's "Old Man", he also adapted Faulkner's short story "Tomorrow" into a 1972 film
starring Robert Duvall. Foote had previously adapted the story into a play. Leonard Maltin
, in his movie guide book, calls the movie the best film adaptation of any of Faulkner's work. On the subject of Faulkner, Foote said, "Faulkner I never met but evidently he liked them because he’s allowed me to share the dramatic copyrights to both Old Man
and Tomorrow
...So in other words, you have to get both our permissions to do it."
Playwright
Lillian Hellman
adapted his play for the 1966 film The Chase
with Marlon Brando
, Jane Fonda
and Robert Redford
.
Foote provided the voice of Jefferson Davis
for Ken Burns
' critically acclaimed documentary "The Civil War" (PBS, 1990), and adaptations of his plays "The Habitation of Dragons" (TNT, 1992) and "Lily Dale" (Showtime, 1996) preceded the Showtime production of "Horton Foote's Alone" (1997).
Foote's final work was the screenplay for Main Street, a 2010 drama film starring Colin Firth
, Patricia Clarkson
and Orlando Bloom
.
Foote was awarded an honorary doctorate from Carson-Newman College
. He also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Spalding University
, Louisville, Kentucky, in 1987. One of Foote's primary biographers is Dr. Gerald Wood, chair of the English Department at Carson-Newman College. Books by Wood about Foote include Horton Foote and the Theater of Intimacy and Horton Foote: A Casebook. Baylor University
also holds close ties with Foote. In 2002, Horton Foote accepted the title as "Visiting Distinguished Dramatist" with the Baylor Department of Theatre Arts.
Foote was the cousin of actor/director Peter Masterson
who directed three of his screenplays, including The Trip to Bountiful, Convicts and the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production of Lily Dale, starring Mary Stuart Masterson
, Peter's daughter.
Tess Harper
, an actress who worked with Foote on Tender Mercies, described him as "America's Chekhov
. If he didn't study the Russia
ns, he's a reincarnation of the Russians. He's a quiet man who writes quiet people." Regarding his own writing, Foote said, "I know that people think I have a certain style, but I think style is like the color of the eyes. I don't know that you choose that."
, playwright Daisy Brooks Foote, and director Walter Vallish Foote. All have worked on projects with their father.
Horton Foote was the voice of Jefferson Davis in the 11 hour PBS series "The Civil War". Shelby Foote wrote the comprehensive three volume, 3000-page history, together entitled The Civil War: A Narrative upon which the series was partially based and who appeared in almost ninety segments. The two Footes are third cousins; their great-grandfathers were brothers. "And while we didn't grow up together, we have become friends; I was the voice of Jefferson Davis in that TV series," Horton Foote added proudly.
for cycle of nine one-act plays, in groups of three, concerning Horace Robedaux.
To Kill a Mockingbird (film)
To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 American drama film adaptation of Harper Lee's novel of the same name directed by Robert Mulligan. It stars Mary Badham in the role of Scout and Gregory Peck in the role of Atticus Finch....
and the 1983 film Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas...
, and his notable live television dramas during the Golden Age of Television
Golden Age of Television
The Golden Age of Television in the United States began sometime in the late 1940s and extended to the late 1950s or early 1960s.-Evolutions of drama on television:...
. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
in 1995 for his play The Young Man From Atlanta
The Young Man From Atlanta
The Young Man From Atlanta is a drama written by American dramatist, Horton Foote first produced Off Broadway by the Signature Theatre on 27 January 1995. Foote received the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work...
. In 1995, Foote was the inaugural recipient of the Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
's Distinguished Screenwriter Award. In describing his 3-play work, "The Orphans' Home Cycle", the drama critic for the Wall Street Journal said this: "Foote, who died last March, left behind a masterpiece, one that will rank high among the signal achievements of American theater in the 20th century." In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
.
Foote was born to Albert Horton Foote (1890-1973) and Harriet Gautier "Hallie" Brooks (1894-1974) in Wharton, Texas
Wharton, Texas
Wharton is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,237 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wharton County and is located on the Colorado River of Texas just south of U.S...
.His younger brothers were Thomas Brooks Foote (1921-1944) who died in aerial combat over Germany, and John Speed Foote (1923-1995).
Television
Foote began as an actor after studying at the Pasadena PlayhousePasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
in 1931-32. After getting better reviews for plays he had written than his acting, he focused on writing in the 1940s and became one of the leading writers for television during the 1950s, beginning with an episode of The Gabby Hayes Show
The Gabby Hayes Show
The Gabby Hayes Show is a general purpose western television series in which the film star and Roy Rogers confidant, George "Gabby" Hayes , narrated each episode, showed clips from old westerns, or told tall tales for a primarily children's audience. The first Hayes program ran on NBC at 5:15 p.m...
. The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful is a 1985 film starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. Geraldine Page won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Carrie Watts. The movie was adapted by Horton Foote from his television play. The Trip to...
premiered March 1, 1953 on NBC with the leading cast members (Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
, Eva Marie Saint
Eva Marie Saint
Eva Marie Saint is an American actress who has starred in films, on Broadway, and on television in a career spanning seven decades. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama film On the Waterfront , and later starred in the thriller film North by...
) reprising their roles on Broadway later that year. Throughout the 1950s, Foote wrote for The Gulf Playhouse, The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse, a live television anthology series sponsored by Philco, was telecast from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the NBC series was seen on Sundays from 9:00pm to 10:00pm...
, The United States Steel Hour
The United States Steel Hour
The United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation....
, Playwrights '56, Studio One, Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
and Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
. He continued into the 1960s with ITV Playhouse
ITV Playhouse
ITV Playhouse was a UK comedy-drama TV series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour and was produced by various companies for the ITV network, a...
and DuPont Show of the Month
DuPont Show of the Month
DuPont Show of the Month, an acclaimed 90-minute television anthology series, aired monthly on CBS from 1957 to 1961. The DuPont Company also sponsored a weekly half-hour anthology drama series hosted by June Allyson, The DuPont Show with June Allyson .During the Golden Age of Television, DuPont...
. He adapted William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
's "Old Man" to television twice, in 1959 and 1997; receiving Emmy nominations both years and winning for the 1997 drama (Outstanding Writing of a Miniseries or Special).
Theater
Foote's plays were produced on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
, Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway theatrical productions in New York City are those in theatres that are smaller than Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres. Off-Off-Broadway theaters are often defined as theaters that have fewer than 100 seats, though the term can be used for any show in the New York City area that...
and at many regional theatres
Regional theatre in the United States
Regional theaters, or resident theaters, in the United States are professional or semi-professional, theater companies that produce their own seasons. The term regional theatre most often refers to professional theatres outside of New York City...
. He wrote the English adaptation of the original Japanese book for the 1970 musical Scarlett
Scarlett (musical)
Scarlett is a musical with a score by Harold Rome. The original Japanese book is by Kazuo Kikuta. The Tokyo production was directed by American director/choreographer Joe Layton, with musical direction by Lehman Engel....
, a musical adaptation of "Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
". He won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
for The Young Man From Atlanta
The Young Man From Atlanta
The Young Man From Atlanta is a drama written by American dramatist, Horton Foote first produced Off Broadway by the Signature Theatre on 27 January 1995. Foote received the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work...
. The Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
production that was presented on Broadway in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1997 was nominated for Best Play, but did not win. The production starred Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
, Shirley Knight
Shirley Knight
Shirley Enola Knight is an American stage, film and television actress. She has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, in 1960 for The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and in 1962 for Sweet Bird of Youth....
and Biff McGuire
Biff McGuire
William "Biff" McGuire is an American actor. In recent years he has used the name William Biff McGuire professionally....
. Knight and McGuire were also nominated for Tony Awards.
His 3-play trilogy, The Orphans' Home Cycle
The Orphans' Home Cycle
The Orphans' Home Cycle is a 3-play drama written by Horton Foote. Each of the three plays in the trilogy comprises three one-act plays. They are The Story of a Childhood , The Story of a Marriage , and The Story of a Family .The plays focus on Horace Robedaux, whose character was inspired by...
ran in repertory off-Broadway in 2009-2010. Parts of this trilogy had been produced as separate plays previously. The trilogy received a Special Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
"To the cast, creative team and producers of Horton Foote’s epic The Orphans' Home Cycle".
Films
Foote received an Academy Award for Writing Adapted ScreenplayAcademy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source...
and the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
Screen Award for his adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird (film)
To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 American drama film adaptation of Harper Lee's novel of the same name directed by Robert Mulligan. It stars Mary Badham in the role of Scout and Gregory Peck in the role of Atticus Finch....
in 1962. Foote did not attend the Oscars ceremony
35th Academy Awards
The 35th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1962, were held on April 8, 1963 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California...
because he did not expect to win, and so was not present to collect the award in person.
Foote personally recommended actor Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
for the part of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird after meeting him during a 1957 production of The Midnight Caller
The Midnight Caller (play)
The Midnight Caller is a play by American playwright Horton Foote. The work was first performed in 1957 as part of a student production at the Neighborhood Playhouse with a cast including Robert Duvall. It had its professional premiere Off-Broadway at the Sheridan Square Playhouse where it opened...
at Neighborhood Playhouse
Neighborhood Playhouse
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The two would work together many more times in the future. Foote has described Duvall as "our number one actor".
Foote's script for the 1983 film Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas...
had been rejected by many American film 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:...
s before Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n director Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
finally accepted it; Foote later said, "this film was turned down by every American director on the face of the globe." Foote was rumored to have written the lead role of Tender Mercies specifically for Robert Duvall. Foote denied this, claiming it would be too constraining for him to write a role for a specific actor; however, Duvall said he helped contribute some ideas for the character, and said Foote knew he had wanted to play a country western singer
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. The film received six Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
(which lost) and Best Original Screenplay (which Foote won). Duvall also won an Academy Award for his performance. Well aware of his failure to attend the 1963 ceremony, Foote made sure to attend the 1984 ceremony
56th Academy Awards
The 56th Academy Awards were presented April 9, 1984 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Johnny Carson.The Best Supporting Actress winner this year was unique...
. The film also earned Foote the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
Award for Best Screenplay.
His other film scripts include Baby the Rain Must Fall
Baby the Rain Must Fall
Baby the Rain Must Fall is a 1965 American drama film starring Steve McQueen, directed by Robert Mulligan. Dramatist Horton Foote, who wrote the screenplay, based it on his play The Travelling Lady.-Plot:...
starring Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
and Lee Remick
Lee Remick
Lee Ann Remick was an American film and television actress. Among her best-known films are Anatomy of a Murder , Days of Wine and Roses , and The Omen .-Early life:...
, which was based on his play The Travelling Lady. The film was directed by Robert Mulligan
Robert Mulligan
Robert Mulligan was an American film and television director best known as the director of humanistic American dramas, including To Kill A Mockingbird , Summer of '42 , The Other , Same Time, Next Year and The Man in the Moon...
who had worked with Foote on To Kill a Mockingbird a few years earlier.
Foote generally wrote screenplays that were based on his plays, such as the semi-autobiographic trilogy of 1918 (1985), On Valentine's Day (1986) and Courtship (1987). His screenplay for The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful is a 1985 film starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. Geraldine Page won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Carrie Watts. The movie was adapted by Horton Foote from his television play. The Trip to...
(1985) attracted another Academy Award nomination with Geraldine Page
Geraldine Page
Geraldine Sue Page was an American actress. Although she starred in at least two dozen feature films, she is primarily known for her celebrated work in the American theater...
winning an Academy Award for Best Actress..
He also adapted works by other authors, such as John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
(Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men (1992 film)
Of Mice and Men is a 1992 American film starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, directed and produced by Gary Sinise. It is the third movie adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1937 novel of the same name, and was preceded by the 1939 film version and the 1981 television movie.- Plot :George Milton is...
directed by and starring Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
with John Malkovich
John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
). In addition to Faulkner's "Old Man", he also adapted Faulkner's short story "Tomorrow" into a 1972 film
Tomorrow (1972 film)
Tomorrow is 1972 film directed by Joseph Anthony. The screenplay was written by Horton Foote, adapted from a play he wrote which was based on a story by William Faulkner...
starring Robert Duvall. Foote had previously adapted the story into a play. Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
, in his movie guide book, calls the movie the best film adaptation of any of Faulkner's work. On the subject of Faulkner, Foote said, "Faulkner I never met but evidently he liked them because he’s allowed me to share the dramatic copyrights to both Old Man
Old man
-Roles:*Father*Husband*Captain of a merchant ship or a warship*Any male amateur radio operator-People:*"Old Man" of La Chapelle-au-Saints, a skeleton*Joseph "Old Man" Paruta member of the Gambino crime family...
and Tomorrow
Tomorrow (1972 film)
Tomorrow is 1972 film directed by Joseph Anthony. The screenplay was written by Horton Foote, adapted from a play he wrote which was based on a story by William Faulkner...
...So in other words, you have to get both our permissions to do it."
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...
Lillian Hellman
Lillian Hellman
Lillian Florence "Lily" Hellman was an American playwright, linked throughout her life with many left-wing causes...
adapted his play for the 1966 film The Chase
The Chase (1966 film)
The Chase is a 1966 American drama film directed by Arthur Penn, about a series of events set into motion by a prison break. Since one of the two escapees is Charlie "Bubber" Reeves , the escape causes a stir in a nearby town where Bubber is a well-known figure.The film deals with themes of racism...
with Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
and Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
.
Foote provided the voice of Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
for Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
' critically acclaimed documentary "The Civil War" (PBS, 1990), and adaptations of his plays "The Habitation of Dragons" (TNT, 1992) and "Lily Dale" (Showtime, 1996) preceded the Showtime production of "Horton Foote's Alone" (1997).
Foote's final work was the screenplay for Main Street, a 2010 drama film starring Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. After studying drama on the East Coast, Clarkson launched her acting career in 1985, and has worked steadily in both film and television. She twice won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in Six Feet Under...
and Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom is an English actor. He had his break-through roles in 2001 as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and starring in 2003 as blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and subsequently established himself as a lead in Hollywood...
.
Foote was awarded an honorary doctorate from Carson-Newman College
Carson-Newman College
Carson–Newman College is a historically Baptist liberal arts college located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, United States. Enrollment as of 2006-2007 was about 2,050. The college's students come from 44 U.S. states and 30 other countries. Studies are offered in approximately 90 different academic...
. He also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Spalding University
Spalding University
Spalding University is a private, co-educational university affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and located in Louisville, Kentucky.-History:...
, Louisville, Kentucky, in 1987. One of Foote's primary biographers is Dr. Gerald Wood, chair of the English Department at Carson-Newman College. Books by Wood about Foote include Horton Foote and the Theater of Intimacy and Horton Foote: A Casebook. Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
also holds close ties with Foote. In 2002, Horton Foote accepted the title as "Visiting Distinguished Dramatist" with the Baylor Department of Theatre Arts.
Foote was the cousin of actor/director Peter Masterson
Peter Masterson
Peter Masterson is an American actor, director, producer and writer.Masterson often worked with his cousin, writer Horton Foote. Acting from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s,including 1975's The Stepford Wives as Walter Eberhart, since then he has concentrated mostly on directing and producing...
who directed three of his screenplays, including The Trip to Bountiful, Convicts and the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production of Lily Dale, starring Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson is an American film, stage and television actress and director.-Early life:Masterson was born in New York City to writer/director Peter Masterson and actress Carlin Glynn. She has two siblings: Peter Masterson Jr., and Alexandra Masterson, who are both involved in the...
, Peter's daughter.
Tess Harper
Tess Harper
Tess Harper is an American actress.-Early life:Born Tessie Jean Washam on August 15, 1950 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. Her parents' names are Ed and Rosemary Washam. She grew up around lots of quilts and quilt makers. On her own time, she liked to sit on the porch-swing and read...
, an actress who worked with Foote on Tender Mercies, described him as "America's Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
. If he didn't study the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns, he's a reincarnation of the Russians. He's a quiet man who writes quiet people." Regarding his own writing, Foote said, "I know that people think I have a certain style, but I think style is like the color of the eyes. I don't know that you choose that."
Personal life
Foote was married to Lillian Vallish Foote (July 1923 - August 1992) from 1945 until her death. Their four children are actors Horton Foote, Jr. and Hallie FooteHallie Foote
Hallie Foote is an American actress.Born Barbarie Hallie Foote in New York City, the daughter of Lillian Vallish Foote and writer and director Horton Foote, she was raised in Nyack, New York and New Hampshire...
, playwright Daisy Brooks Foote, and director Walter Vallish Foote. All have worked on projects with their father.
Horton Foote was the voice of Jefferson Davis in the 11 hour PBS series "The Civil War". Shelby Foote wrote the comprehensive three volume, 3000-page history, together entitled The Civil War: A Narrative upon which the series was partially based and who appeared in almost ninety segments. The two Footes are third cousins; their great-grandfathers were brothers. "And while we didn't grow up together, we have become friends; I was the voice of Jefferson Davis in that TV series," Horton Foote added proudly.
Plays
See article The Orphans' Home CycleThe Orphans' Home Cycle
The Orphans' Home Cycle is a 3-play drama written by Horton Foote. Each of the three plays in the trilogy comprises three one-act plays. They are The Story of a Childhood , The Story of a Marriage , and The Story of a Family .The plays focus on Horace Robedaux, whose character was inspired by...
for cycle of nine one-act plays, in groups of three, concerning Horace Robedaux.
- Wharton Dance (1940)
- Texas Town (1941)
- Only the Heart (1942)
- Out of My House (1942)
- Two Southern Idylls: Miss Lou / The Girls (1943)
- The Lonely (1944)
- Goodbye to Richmond (1944)
- Daisy Lee (one-act) (1944)
- Homecoming (1944)
- In My Beginning (1944)
- People in the Show (1944)
- Return (1944)
- Celebration (1950)
- The Chase (1952)
- The Traveling Lady (1954)
- The Dancers (1954)
- John Turner Davis (1956)
- The Midnight Caller (1956)
- The Trip to Bountiful (1962)
- Roots in a Parched Ground (Orphans' Home cycle) (1962)
- Tomorrow (1968)
- Gone with the Wind (Author of book) (1972)
- A Young Lady of Property (1976)
- Night Seasons (1977)
- Courtship (Orphans' Home cycle) (1987)
- 1918 (Orphans' Home cycle) (1979)
- In a Coffin in Egypt (1980)
- Valentine's Day (1980)
- The Man Who Climbed the Pecan Trees (1981)
- The Old Friends (1982)
- The Roads to Home: Nightingale / The Dearest of Friends / Spring Dance (1982)
- The Land of the Astronauts (1983)
- Cousins (Orphans' Home cycle) (1983)
- The Road to the Graveyard (one-act) (1985)
- Courtship/Valentine's Day (Orphans' Home cycle) (1985)
- One Armed Man (1985)
- The Prisoner's Song (1985)
- Blind Date (one-act) (1985)
- Convicts (Orphans' Home cycle) (1986)
- The Widow Claire (Orphans' Home cycle) (1986)
- Lily Dale (Orphans' Home cycle) (1986)
- The Habitation of Dragons (1988)
- The Death of Papa (Orphans' Home cycle) (1999)
- Dividing the Estate (1989)
- Talking Pictures (1990)
- Laura Dennis (1995)
- The Young Man From AtlantaThe Young Man From AtlantaThe Young Man From Atlanta is a drama written by American dramatist, Horton Foote first produced Off Broadway by the Signature Theatre on 27 January 1995. Foote received the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work...
(1995) - The Day Emily MarriedThe Day Emily Married-Setting:The setting is in the early summer of 1956 and takes place in Harrison, Texas. -Synopsis:...
(1996) - Vernon Early (1998)
- The Last of the Thorntons (2000)
- The Carpetbagger's Children (2001)
- Dividing the EstateDividing the EstateDividing the Estate is a play by Horton Foote. Set in the fictional town of Harrison, Texas in 1987, it focuses on the Gordons, a clan of malcontents ruled by octogenarian matriarch Stella that must prepare for an uncertain future when plunging real estate values and an unexpected tax bill have a...
(2008)
External links
- Horton Foote Society
- Program for Horton Foote's Getting Frankie Married—and Afterwards at South Coast RepertorySouth Coast RepertorySouth Coast Repertory is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, is widely...
- Program from Horton Foote's The Carpetbagger's Children at South Coast RepertorySouth Coast RepertorySouth Coast Repertory is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, is widely...
- Obituary in the Star-GazetteStar-GazetteThe Star-Gazette is the major newspaper for Elmira, New York. Based in Elmira, the publication is owned by the Gannett Corporation.-History:...