Anne Howard Bailey (July 26, 1924 – November 23, 2006) was an American writer known particularly for her work as a screenwriter and opera
librettist
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...
.
Life and career
Born and raised in
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, Bailey attended
Rhodes College
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), it is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges a ...
, where she graduated in 1945 with a bachelor's degree in creative writing. After college she moved to New York City, where she began writing for theatre and television. She was a regular contributor to the ''
Armstrong Circle Theatre
''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, ...
'' and ''
Appointment with Adventure
''Appointment with Adventure'' is an American dramatic anthology program that was broadcast from April 3, 1955, until April 1, 1956, on CBS.
Format and actors
''Appointment with Adventure'' presented stories whose settings varied among locations ...
'' during the 1950s and was one of the major writers for ''
National Velvet
''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921.
Plot summary
''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...
'' during the 1960s. Her most successful work as a screenwriter was working as a
head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy o ...
on several different soap operas during the 1980s, including
ABC Daytime
ABC Daytime (sometimes shortened to ABC-D or ABCD) is a division responsible for the daytime programming block on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC Network and syndicated programming. The block has historically encompassed soap operas, game ...
's ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' (1983–1986) and
NBC Daytime
NBC Daytime was the daytime programming block of NBC. It historically featured many soap operas, game shows, and talk shows.
Its main competitors were CBS Daytime and ABC Daytime.
Game shows were discontinued from NBC Daytime's lineup in 1994 a ...
's ''
Days of Our Lives
''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...
'' (1989–1990). She also created the short-lived 1970s soap opera ''
How to Survive a Marriage
''How to Survive a Marriage'' is an American soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 18, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen. The sh ...
''. After being fired from ''Days of Our Lives'' in 1990,
Al Rabin
Al Rabin (January 26, 1936 – August 14, 2012) was a producer of soap operas, specifically known for his work on ''Days of Our Lives''. Rabin served in multiple capacities in his sixteen years at ''Days'', first as a director and then as a supervi ...
was quoted as saying:
ailey isa wonderful writer before she got here. She was a wonderful writer here and she will be a wonderful writer in her next project. It's just that the emphasis shifted slightly from romance to adventure. Since we preferred the audience that we had, we will be shifting back.
For ''General Hospital'' Bailey notably created such characters as
Frisco Jones
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a District General Hospital, general hospital (hence the ti ...
Felicia Jones
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
. She also was the head writer for NBC's '' Santa Barbara'' between 1987 and 1989, for which she won a
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
in her final year with the program. Bailey also wrote for prime-time television including work for ''
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
87th Precinct
The 87th Precinct is a series of police procedural novels and stories by American author Ed McBain (a writing pseudonym of Evan Hunter). McBain's 87th Precinct works have been adapted, sometimes loosely, into movies and television on several o ...
''. She also worked as a story editor for ''
The Adams Chronicles
''The Adams Chronicles'' is a thirteen-episode miniseries by PBS that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial.
Synopsis
The series chronicles the story of the Adams political family over a 150-year span, including John Adams (dra ...
''.
As an opera librettist, Bailey wrote librettos for four works. Her first libretto was for
Leonard Kastle
Leonard Gregory Kastle (February 11, 1929 – May 18, 2011) from the University at AlbanyDeseret'', which is about the life of
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
. The opera was commissioned for television by the
NBC Opera Theatre The NBC Opera Theatre (sometimes mistakenly spelled NBC Opera Theater and sometimes referred to as the NBC Opera Company) was an American opera company operated by the National Broadcasting Company from 1949 to 1964. The company was established spec ...
and was first broadcast in 1961. This was followed by a second opera for television,
Thomas Pasatieri
Thomas Pasatieri (born October 20, 1945) is an American opera composer.
Life and career
Pasatieri was born in New York City, United States. He began composing at age 10 and, as a teenager, studied with Nadia Boulanger. He entered the Juilliard S ...
's ''
The Trial of Mary Lincoln
''The Trial of Mary Lincoln'' is an opera in one act by composer Thomas Pasatieri. Commissioned for television by the National Educational Television network under the leadership of Peter Herman Adler, the work uses an English language libretto by ...
'', which was first broadcast on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
in 1972. For this work Bailey won an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
.
She collaborated with Pasatieri again for his first full-length opera ''
The Penitentes
''The Penitentes'' is a lost 1915 silent film drama directed by Jack Conway and starring Orrin Johnson and Seena Owen. It was produced by D. W. Griffith's Fine Arts Film Company and distributed through Triangle Film Corporation.
Cast
* Orrin ...
'', which premiered at the
Aspen Music Festival
The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado.
It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, the ...
in 1974. Her final libretto was for Kenton Coe's ''
Rachel
Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...
'', an opera about United States President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
Knoxville Opera The Knoxville Opera is an American opera company based in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1978 as the Knoxville Civic Opera by Edward Zambara, who served as Artistic Director until 1981. The company changed its name and became an entirely p ...
in 1989.
Death
Bailey died of congestive heart failure in
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and located ...
.
Filmography
Films
Television
Awards and nominations
Daytime Emmy Award
Wins
*(1989; Best Writing; ''Santa Barbara'')
Nominations
*(1983 & 1984; Best Writing; ''General Hospital'')
*(1988; Best Writing; ''Santa Barbara'')
Primetime Emmy Awards
Wins
*(1972; Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music; ''The Trial of Mary Lincoln'')