Gloria Rose "Barbara" Turner (July 14, 1936 – April 5, 2016) was an American screenwriter and actress. One of her daughters is the actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough as Stacy Hamilton in ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She ...

Early life

Turner was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York to Pearl Pauline (née Zises) and Alexander Turner. Her father was an

Austrian Jewish The history of the Jews in Austria probably begins with the exodus of Jews from Judea under Roman occupation. Over the course of many centuries, the political status of the community rose and fell many times: during certain periods, the Jewis ...

immigrant, and her mother was born in New York, to Austrian Jewish parents. Turner attended the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

, where she studied acting. After a year of college, Turner moved back to New York, studying at Erwin Piscator's

Dramatic Workshop Dramatic Workshop was the name of a drama and acting school associated with the New School for Social Research in New York City. It was launched in 1940 by German expatriate stage director Erwin Piscator. Among the faculty were Lee Strasberg and Ste ...

and then with acting coach

Paul Mann Paul Mann (December 2, 1913 – September 24, 1985) was a Canadian film and theater actor, as well as founder of the Paul Mann Actor's Workshop. His brother was the actor Larry D. Mann. Biography Mann was influential in developing the concept o ...

, where she met fellow actor

Vic Morrow Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series ''Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstandin ...

Career

Turner moved to Los Angeles after Morrow was cast in the 1955 film ''

Blackboard Jungle ''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. I ...

.'' During the 1950s and 1960s, Turner acted in many film and television productions, some of which included ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...

'', ''

Mike Hammer Michael Hammer or Mike Hammer may refer to: *Michael Armand Hammer (1955–2022), American philanthropist and businessman *Michael Martin Hammer (1948–2008), engineer and author *Mike Hammer (character), a fictional hard boiled detective ** ''Mick ...

'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols " ♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' and '' The Breaking Point.'' Turner said that she began writing to fund her work as an actor. She and Morrow wrote a TV movie called ''Willie Loved Everybody''; they adapted it into a musical that they tried pitching with

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

, but were not successful in selling the concept. The two separated and divorced in 1964. During the early 1960s, Turner met and became friends with director

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

, first meeting while working on an episode of ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' and then on his 1964 ''

Kraft Suspense Theatre The ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced and broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's ''Kraft Mu ...

'' episode "Once Upon a Savage Night", which was expanded and broadcast as the TV movie ''

Nightmare in Chicago ''Nightmare in Chicago'' is a 1964 suspense thriller crime television film produced and directed by Robert Altman, based on the novel ''Death on the Turnpike'' by William P. McGivern. It was originally filmed as an episode of the NBC series ''Kra ...

''. During filming, Turner met her second husband, producer and director

Reza Badiyi Reza Sayed Badiyi (also known as Reza Badiei; Persian: رضا بدیعی; April 17, 1930 – August 20, 2011) was an Iranian-born American film and television director. His credits also include developing the opening montages for '' Mission ...

, who encouraged her to write an adaptation of a Mira Michal short story from ''The New Yorker'' called "At Lake Laguna", which she brought to Altman to possibly make, but that fell apart right before production was scheduled to begin. Altman thought of Turner when he read John Haase's book ''Me and the Arch Kook Petulia''. Turner wrote the original adaptation, which became the film ''

Petulia ''Petulia'' is a 1968 British-American drama film directed by Richard Lester and starring Julie Christie, George C. Scott and Richard Chamberlain. The film has a screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus from a story by Barbara Turner and is based on t ...

''. Turner, Vic Morrow and Reza Badiyi were close friends and collaborators with the director Robert Altman, who later directed Leigh in ''

Short Cuts ''Short Cuts'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The film has a Los Angeles setting, which is ...

'' (1993) and ''

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

'' (1996). Morrow directed his and Turner's 1965 screen adaptation of the

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

play '' Deathwatch''. In 1973, she wrote the screenplay for the TV movie ''The Affair'', starring

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

and

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and ''Hart to Hart'' (1979– ...

. Her teleplay for the TV movie ''

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

'' (1981) was based on her daughter Carrie's experiences in the 1970s as a teen runaway, played by family friend

Mare Winningham A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

. In 1983, Turner co-wrote an adaption of the

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

novel ''

Cujo ''Cujo'' () is a 1981 psychological horror novel by American writer Stephen King about a rabid Saint Bernard. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982 and was made into a film in 1983. Background Cujo's name was based on the alias of Wi ...

'' under the name Lauren Currier. Turner wrote an unproduced screenplay about two friends of

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

named

Gerald and Sara Murphy Gerald Clery Murphy and Sara Sherman Wiborg were wealthy, expatriate Americans who moved to the French Riviera in the early 20th century and who, with their generous hospitality and flair for parties, created a vibrant social circle, particularl ...

. This work led to her daughter, Leigh, being cast in the 1994 film ''

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle ''Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle'' is a 1994 American biographical film, biographical drama (film and television), drama film directed by Alan Rudolph from a screenplay written by Rudolph and Randy Sue Coburn. The film stars Jennifer Jason Le ...

.'' In 1995, she teamed up with daughter

to write and produce the screenplay for ''

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

'', a film depicting the troubled relationship between two singing sisters played by Leigh and Mare Winningham, who both won praise for their performances. The idea reportedly came from Leigh, who was on location shooting the 1991 film ''

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

'', and pitched the idea of two sisters who have varying degrees of skill as singer-songwriters. Turner created the script from that idea. It was financed by the French film production company

Ciby 2000 Ciby 2000 (also written as CiBy 2000 and CIBY 2000) is a French film production and distribution company founded in 1990 by Francis Bouygues. It was best known for producing art house and independent films in France and in other countries. The ...

, and Turner's daughter, Morrow, served as a technical consultant. Turner spent three years doing research, using the Seattle music scene as a source for the material. In 2000, Turner's screenplay adaption of the book '' Jackson Pollock: An American Saga'' by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith for the

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

biopic ''

Pollock Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. ''Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Kingd ...

'', also written by Susan Emswiller, became a successful film. She then collaborated with actress

Neve Campbell Neve Adrianne Campbell (born October 3, 1973; ) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her work in the drama and horror genres. She has appeared on ''People'' magazine's list of "50 Most Beautiful People" twice. Following a series of minor ...

on a screenplay titled '' The Company'' (2003) about the inner workings of the

Joffrey Ballet The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies and training institutions in the world today. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at Lyric O ...

, which was directed by Robert Altman. In an interview with

Jan Lisa Huttner Jan Lisa Huttner (born December 10, 1951) is an American film critic, journalist, activist, and independent scholar. Huttner has authored columns for prominent publications, including Women's eNews, the Huffington Post, and The Forward, and is the ...

, Turner states that "the company is the star of this movie" rather than just Campbell. It is an ensemble piece. In June 2010, it was announced that Turner and

Jerry Stahl Jerry Stahl (born September 28, 1953) is an American novelist and screenwriter. His works include the 1995 memoir of addiction ''Permanent Midnight''. A 1998 film adaptation followed with Ben Stiller in the lead role. Stahl has worked extensivel ...

had written a screenplay for an HBO film about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Martha Gellhorn. The film ''

Hemingway & Gellhorn ''Hemingway & Gellhorn'' is a 2012 television film directed by Philip Kaufman about the lives of journalist Martha Gellhorn and her husband, writer Ernest Hemingway. The film premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and aired on HBO on May 28, ...

'' aired in 2012. At the time of her death, Turner had written the script to the not-yet-released

Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also know ...

-produced film titled ''Knock Wood: Charlie McCarthy Project,'' a movie based on Bergen's 1983 memoir of the same name. The story, produced by James Francis Trezza and Pam Widener (who Turner worked with on ''Pollack''), unfolds from the perspective of Charlie McCarthy,

Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters Ch ...

's famous and hugely popular wooden puppet. Other long-time adaptations that were not produced but had been active in Hollywood were scripts based on

Jane Smiley Jane Smiley (born September 26, 1949) is an American novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992 for her novel ''A Thousand Acres'' (1991). Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a su ...

’s book ''Barn Blind'',

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce ''Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the Mo ...

's '' Headlong'', and

Jill Paton Walsh Gillian Honorine Mary Herbert, Baroness Hemingford, (née Bliss; 29 April 1937 – 18 October 2020), known professionally as Jill Paton Walsh, was an English novelist and children's writer. She may be known best for her Booker Prize-nominated n ...

's '' Knowledge of Angels''. Additional screenplays based on original work included ''Beautiful View,'' ''Once Again for Zelda'', and ''Under Heaven''.

Personal life

Turner was married twice. From 1957 to 1964, Turner was married to actor and frequent collaborator

, with whom she had two daughters, Carrie Ann Morrow (19582016) and actress

. Turner and Morrow separated when Leigh was two years old. From 1968 to 1985, Turner was married to Iranian-American television director

, with whom she had a daughter, the actress Mina Badie, also known as Mina Badiyi Chassler. Barbara Turner died on April 5, 2016, in Los Angeles, aged 79, from undisclosed causes.

Selected filmography

Screenwriter

* 1966: '' Deathwatch'' (adaptation) * 1968: ''

'' (adaptation) * 1973: '' The Affair'' (TV movie) * 1976: ''The Dark Side of Innocence'' (also known as ''The Hancocks'') (NBC pilot) * 1976: ''Widow'' (TV movie) * 1976: ''The Dark Side of Innocence'' (TV movie) * 1977: ''The War Between the Tates'' (TV movie) (adaptation) * 1981: ''

'' (TV movie) * 1983: ''Sessions'' (TV movie), also producer * 1983: ''

'' (credited as Lauren Currier) * 1987: ''Eye on the Sparrow'' (TV movie), also producer * 1992: '' Somebody's Daughter'' (TV movie) * 1994: ''

Out of Darkness ''Out of Darkness'' is a 1994 American made-for-television drama film starring singer-actress Diana Ross. The movie was distributed and released by ABC on January 16, 1994, in the United States, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Portuga ...

'' (TV movie) * 1995: ''

'', also producer * 2000: ''

'' (adaptation) * 2003: '' The Company'' * 2012: ''

'' (HBO) (TV movie), also executive producer * Unknown: ''Knock Wood: Charlie McCarthy Project''

Actor

* 1955: ''Two-Gun Lady'' as Jenny Ivers * 1956: ''

Medic A medic is a person involved in medicine such as a medical doctor, medical student, paramedic or an emergency medical responder. Among physicians in the UK, the term "medic" indicates someone who has followed a "medical" career path in postgradu ...

'' (TV series) as Joyce in "The Glorious Red Gallagher" * 1957: ''

Monster from Green Hell ''Monster from Green Hell'' is a 1957 science fiction B movie released on December 12, 1957 as a double feature with the English-dubbed, re-edited version of the Japanese tokusatsu film '' Half Human''. It was directed by Kenneth G. Crane, and s ...

'' as Lorna Lorentz * 1957: ''

M Squad ''M Squad'' is an American crime drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. It was produced by Lee Marvin's Latimer Productions and Revue Studios. Its main sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's ...

'' (TV series) as Alice Snyder in "Street of Fear" * 1957: ''

Suspicion Suspicion is a feeling of mistrust. Suspicion(s), The Suspicion, or Suspicious may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Suspicion'' (1918 film), an American silent film directed by John M. Stahl * ''Suspicion'' (1941 film), an American ...

'' (TV series) as Emily in "Heartbeat" * 1957: ''

'' (TV series) as Madeline Pope in "Now Die in It" * 1958: ''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhouse' ...

'' (TV series) as Rose Genilli in "Heroes Never Group Up" * 1958: ''

'' (TV series) as Sandra in "Portrait of a Murderer" * 1958: '' The Frank Sinatra Show'' (TV series) as Shirley in "The Brownstone Incident" * 1958: ''

Wink of an Eye "Wink of an Eye" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Arthur Heinemann, based on a story by Gene L. Coon (under the pen name Lee Cronin), and directed by Jud T ...

'' as Judy Carlton * 1958: ''

'' (TV series) as Doris in "My Son and Heir" * 1960: '' The Lineup'' (TV series) as Eleanor Larsen in "Seven Sinners" * 1961: ''

Operation Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ,"Eichmann"
''

'' (TV series) as Rose Hill in "I Hear America Singing" * 1963: ''

Alcoa Premiere '' Alcoa Premiere'' (also known as ''Premiere, Presented by Fred Astaire'') is an American anthology drama series that aired from October 1961 to July 1963 on ABC. The series was hosted by Fred Astaire, who also starred in several of the episode ...

'' (TV series) as Emma in "Lollipop Louie" * 1963: '' Channing'' (TV series) as Renate Thielman in "A Hall Full of Strangers" * 1963: '' Breaking Point'' (TV series) as Dorothy Oringer in "A Pelican in the Wilderness" * 1964: ''

'' (TV series) as Bernadette in "Once Upon a Savage Night" aka ''

'' * 1965: ''

'' (TV series) as Fanny Birnbaum in "A Nightingale Named Nathan" * 1966: '' The Virginian'' as Louise Devers in "Harvest of Strangers" * 1967: ''La vuelta del Mexicano'' * 1969: ''The Desperate Mission'' (TV movie) as The Farmer's Wife * 1970: ''

Soldier Blue ''Soldier Blue'' is a 1970 American Revisionist Western film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Candice Bergen, Peter Strauss, and Donald Pleasence. Adapted by John Gay from the novel ''Arrow in the Sun'' by T.V. Olsen, it is inspired by eve ...

'' as Mrs. Long (uncredited) * 1974: ''En busca de un muro'' * 2007: ''

Margot at the Wedding ''Margot at the Wedding'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It stars Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, John Turturro, Ciarán Hinds and Halley Feiffer. The film is about the familial storm th ...

Awards

* 1968:

WGA Awards The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility The ...

, Best Written American Drama, ''

'' to Lawrence Marcus (nominee) * 1976:

Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing, and is given to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful way. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of Paulist P ...

, ''Widow'' (TV movie) (finalist) * 1978:

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

, Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special, ''

The War Between the Tates ''The War Between the Tates'' is a campus novel by Alison Lurie that takes place at an elite university during the upheavals of the late 1960s and gently and deftly skewers all sides in the turmoils and conflicts of that era — opposition t ...

'' (nominee) * 1987:

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...

, ''Eye on the Sparrow'' * 1994:

, 90 Minute Category, ''

'' (nominee) * 2012:

, Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, ''

'' (nominee) * 2013:

, Long Form – Original, ''

'' (nominee)