Caryl Ledner (née Caryl Betty Goldsmith;"California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8VD-7BN : 18 August 2022), Gerald Andrew Ledner and Caryl Betty Goldsmith, 1939. March 22, 1921 – March 31, 1984) was an American television scriptwriter and story editor, novelist and biographer, best known for her

Emmy 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 ...

-winning script for the 1977 made-for-TV film '' Mary White''.

Early life and career

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Ledner was of German-Jewish descent, the only child of Sidney J. Goldsmith and Jessie Rothschild. By 1925 at the latest, it appears that the family had moved to New York City. However, by no later than October 26, 1939, the date of her first and only wedding, the then 18-year-old Ledner and her family had relocated to the west coast, as she and her husband initially lived with her parents in Los Angeles. It appears that by no later than 1948, more than two decades prior to the first work published under her name, Ledner was employed as a story editor at MGM.Bird, Roy (June 18, 1978)
"A Second Look at Mary"
''The Manhattan Mercury''. pp. D1, D2. Ledner's first publicized screenwriting project, as reported in September 1970 by both '' Broadcasting'' and '' Variety'', and by the '' Los Angeles Times'' shortly thereafter, was ''Wanda's World'', a projected NBC soap opera, created by Ledner and former ''

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'' editor Annette Welles, to be produced by

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. Concerning relations between residents of an integrated community, the series was to be developed under the supervision of

Watts Writers Workshop The Watts Writers Workshop was a creative writing group initiated by screenwriter Budd Schulberg in the wake of the devastating August 1965 Watts Riots in South Central Los Angeles (now South Los Angeles). Schulberg later said: "In a small way, I w ...

founder and frequent '' Julia'' scripter Harry Dolan. However, despite passing mentions of this upcoming series as late as August of the following year (most notably in the ''LA Times'' followup story on Ledner's 1971 authorial debut, which notes that both the book and the prospective TV series were drawn from the same person's life experiences), it appears that the project never progressed beyond the development phase. Ledner's first published work was the well-received 1971 as-told-to autobiography, ''Ossie : The Autobiography of a Black Woman''. The book was named one the 33 best of 1971 by the American Library Association, which strongly recommended its use in high schools and in college Black studies programs. Reviewing ''

A Great American Tragedy ''A Great American Tragedy'' is a 1972 American TV movie directed by J. Lee Thompson. Plot A middle-aged aerospace engineer is fired. He is unable to find a new job, his wife forced to go back to work and his marriage starts to break up. Cast *G ...

'', Ledner's first produced screenplay, the story of a middle-aged aerospace engineer, portrayed by

George Kennedy George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academ ...

, who suddenly finds himself unemployed and seemingly unemployable, the '' New York Times Howard Thompson notes that " th J. Lee Thompson's direction and Caryl Ledner's writing are best in the rather coolly dispassionate vignettes peeling down the prideful hero," while ''L.A. Times'' critic Kevin Thomas singles out Ledner's contribution.

In all aspects Miss Ledner is an excellent writer. She has ideas, perception and a sense of commitment. She can create an array of people whom we can recognize and care about. To top it off she has wit and style. Surely Caryl Ledner will be heard from again.

Ledner's ''Tragedy'' script—especially in regards to the strong supporting role it afforded Vera Miles—got the attention of actress/aspiring producer Nancy Malone, with the result that Ledner provided the screenplay for Malone's producing debut, the 1975 NBC TV movie ''Winner Take All'' (originally titled ''Time Lock''). The film itself, which concerns a seemingly happily married housewife—portrayed by Shirley Jones—who is quickly revealed to be in the throes of

gambling addiction Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to ''DSM-5'' if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is ...

(a crisis which, like that undergone by Kennedy's character in ''Tragedy'', stresses the protagonist's marriage to the breaking point), was well received, Swain, Dwight V. (1976).
Film Scriptwriting : A Practical Manual
'. New York: Hastings House. pp. 251–272. . See also: * Murphy, Mary (March 3, 1975)
"TV Movie Review: 'Winner' Takes a Look at a Loser"
''Los Angeles Times''. pt. IV, pg. 12.
"Shirley Jones Featured in 'Winner Take All'"
''Herald and Review''. March 3, 1975. p. 6. although director

Paul Bogart Paul Bogart (né Bogoff; November 13, 1919 – April 15, 2012) was an American television director and producer. Bogart directed episodes of the television series Way Out'' in 1961, ''Coronet Blue'' in 1967, ''Get Smart'', '' The Dumplings'' ...

later described the effect of rewrites made at the network's insistence to Ledner's original script—which had attracted him to the project in the first place—as "disastrous". Ledner's first novel, ''The Bondswoman'', was published by

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

in the summer of 1977. In the March of that year, the ''WGA West Newsletter'' reported that the book's publisher,

St Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

, had already initiated discussions with Ledner regarding a possible sequel. However, despite both that report and the novel's own dust jacket bio stating that Ledner "is presently at work on a sequel to ''The Bondswoman,''" no sequel appears to have been published. Meanwhile, plans to make a TV movie entitled ''Mary White''—based on newspaper editor William Allen White's famous recounting of his late daughter's tragically abbreviated life—were afoot as early as May 1974, when producer Robert Radnitz's intention to make the film—facilitated by the favorable impression his prior work had made on one particularly influential White family friend, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas—was first reported by Hollywood columnist James Bacon. Ledner's name, as credited screenwriter, was attached to the project in March 1976, but it was not until May of the following year that production got underway. The film finally aired on November 18, 1977. Aside from a raft of glowing press clippings, ''Mary White'' eventually earned Ledner both a Christopher Award for "Distinguished Achievement in TV" and an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - Adaptation. Ledner also novelized her ''Mary White'' script for

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, published in December 1977. Termed "a rather fine little novel" by '' El Paso Times'' critic

Dale L. Walker Dale L. Walker (August 3, 1935 - December 7, 2015) was an American writer. He was born in Decatur, Illinois, but spent most of his life in El Paso, Texas. The author of twenty-three books, he also served as a television reporter, editor, news ...

, Ledner's novelization was deemed even better than the film by the ''

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's'' Roy Bird.

Personal life and death

Ledner was married to Gerald Andrew 'Jerry' Ledner from 1939 until her death. They had two daughters."Death Notices; Funeral Announcements"
''The Los Angeles Times''. April 2, 1984. p. III-19 After having suffered from

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

for several years (and having publicly advocated for the right to die the previous January), Ledner died in Los Angeles on March 31, 1984, after what was described by the ''Los Angeles Times'' as "a long illness." A tribute penned by Ledner's colleague Oliver Crawford, published on April 2 in the ''WGA West Newsletter'', indicates that in addition to that unnamed longstanding illness, Ledner had recently contracted yet another disease (likewise unnamed), which she elected not to treat, on the grounds "even if it .e. "the second serious illness"can be arrested, it will not alleviate the first." Moreover, the funeral announcement published in the same day's ''Los Angeles Times'', while maintaining the stance of official non-disclosure, does inform readers that, "In lieu of flowers, family prefers donations to Multiple Sclerosis or the American Cancer Society." Ledner's remains are interred at Hillside Memorial Park.

Works

Books

* Guffe, Ossie; Ledner, Caryl (1971). ''Ossie : The Autobiography of a Black Woman''. W. W. Norton & Company. * Ledner, Caryl (1977). ''The Bondswoman''. New York: St. Martin's Press. * Ledner, Caryl (1977). ''Mary White''. New York: Bantam Books. * Chang, Diana (1978). ''The gift of love ; Based on a teleplay by Caryl Ledner''. New York: Ballantine Books.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1972) * '' The Waltons'' (1974), ep. "The Spoilers" ( Season 3, ep. 9)"Programmes November 8–14"
''NZ Listener''. November 8, 1975. p. 80. * ''Winner Take All'' (1975) * '' Gibbsville'' (1977), "A Case History" (Season 1, ep. 10 ) * '' Mary White'' (1977) * ''The Gift of Love'' (1978) * ''Eleanor, First Lady of the World'' (1982) * ''O. Henry's 'The Last Leaf (1983)

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ledner, Caryl 1921 births 1984 deaths American women television writers American women novelists Writers from Chicago American people of German-Jewish descent American women dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American women writers Novelists from Chicago Screenwriters from Chicago People with multiple sclerosis Primetime Emmy Award winners Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery