Isadore "Dore" Schary (August 31, 1905 – July 7, 1980) was an American playwright, director, and producer for the stage and a prolific screenwriter and producer of motion pictures. He directed just one

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

, '' Act One'', the film biography of his friend, playwright and theater director

Moss Hart Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director. Early years Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...

. He became head of production at

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

and replaced

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...

as president of the studio in 1951.

Early life

Schary was born to a Jewish family in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Central High School for a year but dropped out to sell haberdashery and buy china. When he finally returned to school, he completed his three remaining years of classwork in one year, graduating in 1923. Schary worked as a journalist, did publicity for a lecture tour by Rear Adm.

Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...

, and was an assistant drama coach at the Young Men's Hebrew Association in Newark. The head coach was

.Staff
"Dore Schary, Playwright and Movie Producer, 74, Dies; Human-Rights Leader Powerful in Hollywood Rejoined Hart in Catskills Some M-G-M Movies"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', July 8, 1980. Accessed March 27, 2018.

Career

Theatre

Schary worked in theatre as an actor and writer. In 1927 he got a bit part on Broadway in a play with

Paul Muni Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...

. Then he worked with Hart at a summer resort in the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

, where they wrote, produced, and directed skits and plays. Schary appeared on Broadway in ''

The Last Mile The Last Mile may refer to: * The Last Mile (prison rehabilitation program), a program for inmates in the California corrections system * ''The Last Mile'' (play), a 1930 play by John Wexley * ''The Last Mile'' (1932 film), an American adaptatio ...

'' with

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

. He wrote a play which was read by film producer

Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of '' Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Para ...

, who wired his New York office: "Hire Dore Schary. She writes with a lot of vigor – for a woman." Wanger subsequently hired Schary as a $ 100-a-week film writer. Schary moved to Hollywood, but his option with Wanger was dropped after three months. In his autobiography ''Heyday'' (1979), Schary also credits theatrical agent Frieda Fishbein in getting him to Hollywood, by introducing him to

Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation. Life and career Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His father, Joseph Cohn, wa ...

, "the Maharajah of Columbia".

Early films

Schary's early writing credits include ''

He Couldn't Take It ''He Couldn't Take It'' is a 1933 American comedy film directed by William Nigh and starring Ray Walker, Virginia Cherrill and George E. Stone.Fetrow p.263 The script was written by Dore Schary and George Waggner and was made for Monogram Pict ...

'' (1933) for Monogram, and ''

Fury of the Jungle ''Fury of the Jungle'' is a 1933 American adventure film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Donald Cook, Peggy Shannon and Alan Dinehart. It was co-written by Dore Schary from a story by Horace McCoy. Plot A love triangle story set in ...

'' (1933) and ''

Fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influ ...

'' (1933) at Columbia. Schary worked on ''

Let's Talk It Over ''Let's Talk It Over'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Chester Morris, Mae Clarke and Frank Craven.Dick p.81 Plot summary A sailor rescues a young heiress who is apparently drowning. Little ...

'' (1934) for Universal, ''

The Most Precious Thing in Life ''The Most Precious Thing in Life'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Richard Cromwell, Jean Arthur, Donald Cook, Anita Louise, and Mary Forbes. The film tells a story about secret and selfless maternal d ...

'' (1934) at Columbia, and '' Young and Beautiful'' (1934) at Universal. Other work for Universal included ''

Storm Over the Andes ''Storm Over the Andes'' (aka ''Alas sobre El Chaco'') is a 1935 American adventure film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Jack Holt, Antonio Moreno and Mona Barrie. The low-budget programmer is set against the backdrop of the Chaco War be ...

'' (1935), ''

Chinatown Squad ''Chinatown Squad'' is a 1935 American mystery film directed by Murray Roth, written by Dore Schary and Ben Ryan starring Lyle Talbot, Valerie Hobson, Hugh O'Connell, and Andy Devine, and featuring Leslie Fenton and Bradley Page. The film was re ...

'' (1935), and (uncredited) ''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myste ...

'' (1935). At Warners, Schary wrote ''

Murder in the Clouds Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

'' (1934) and '' Red Hot Tires'' (1935). He did some uncredited work on Paramount's ''

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

'' (1935), and wrote for Republic's '' Racing Luck'' (1935). Schary went to Fox for '' Silk Hat Kid'' (1935), ''

Your Uncle Dudley ''Your Uncle Dudley'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Eugene Forde and written by Allen Birkin, Joseph Hoffman and Dore Schary. The film stars Edward Everett Horton, Lois Wilson, John McGuire, Rosina Lawrence, Alan Dinehart and ...

'' (1935) and '' Song and Dance Man'' (1936). He was briefly under contract at MGM for a few months in 1936. At Paramount he did ''

Timothy's Quest ''Timothy's Quest'' is a 1922 American silent drama film produced by Dirigo Films and distributed by American Releasing. It was directed by Sidney Olcott based on a story written by Kate Douglas Wiggin and starred the child actor Joseph Depew. ...

'' (1936), ''

Mind Your Own Business "Mind your own business" is a common English saying which asks for a respect of other people's privacy. It strongly suggests that a person should stop interfering in what does not affect themselves. Contextually, it is often used in an argument or ...

'' (1936), ''

Her Master's Voice ''Her Master's Voice'' is a 1936 film directed by Joseph Santley and based on the 1933 play '' Her Master's Voice'' by Clare Kummer. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alexander Toluboff. Plot A wealthy woman moves her niece to h ...

'' (1936), '' Outcast'' (1937), and ''

The Girl from Scotland Yard ''The Girl from Scotland Yard'' is a 1937 American detective film starring Karen Morley. Actor Jon Hall appears under the name "Lloyd Crane". Plot Detective Beech (Karen Morley) and reporter Holt (Robert Baldwin) pursue a death ray–wielding an ...

'' (1937). He did ''

Ladies in Distress ''Ladies in Distress'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Gus Meins and written by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowan. The film stars Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, Robert Livingston, Virginia Grey, Max Terhune and Berton Churchill. T ...

'' (1937) at Republic. Schary's play ''Too Many Heroes'' ran on Broadway for 16 performances in the fall of 1937.

Work at MGM

At MGM he worked on two

films, '' Big City'' (1937) and '' Boys Town'' (1938). Schary earned Oscar nominations on the latter for Best Screenplay and Best Story, winning for Best Story. Schary went on to write ''

Broadway Melody of 1940 ''Broadway Melody of 1940'' is a 1940 MGM film musical starring Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and George Murphy (Astaire's first male dancing partner on film). It was directed by Norman Taurog and features music by Cole Porter, including "Begin the ...

'' (1940), ''

Young Tom Edison ''Young Tom Edison'' is a 1940 biographical film about the early life of inventor Thomas Edison directed by Norman Taurog and starring Mickey Rooney. The film was the first of a complementary pair of Edison biopics that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer releas ...

'' (1940) with

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

and ''

Edison, the Man ''Edison, the Man'' is a 1940 biographical film depicting the life of inventor Thomas Edison, who was played by Spencer Tracy. Hugo Butler and Dore Schary were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story for their work on th ...

'' (1940) with Tracy. He also worked on ''

Married Bachelor ''Married Bachelor'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell. It stars actors Robert Young and Ruth Hussey. Plot summary Cast * Robert Young as Randolph 'Randy' Haven * Ruth Hussey as Norma Haven, aka Norma Winters * Felix ...

'' (1941). For Republic, Schary wrote ''

Behind the News ''Behind the News'' (frequently abbreviated as ''BtN'') is a long-running news program broadcast on Australia's ABC TV made in Adelaide and aimed at school-aged children (8–13 years of age). ''BtN'' is aimed at upper primary and lower second ...

'' (1940). MGM promoted Schary to producer of their "B" pictures unit. Schary began with ''

Joe Smith, American ''Joe Smith, American'' is a 1942 American spy film directed by Richard Thorpe and stars Robert Young and Marsha Hunt.Nixon, Rob"Articles: 'Joe Smith American'."''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: September 21, 2016. The film, loosely based o ...

'' (1942), based on Schary's own story, which became a solid hit. ''

Kid Glove Killer ''Kid Glove Killer'' is a 1942 American crime film, starring Van Heflin as a forensic scientist investigating the murder of a mayor. The B film, the feature-length directorial debut of Fred Zinnemann, was an expanded version of the 1938 '' Crime ...

'' (1942), the directorial debut for

Fred Zinnemann Alfred ''Fred'' Zinnemann (April 29, 1907 – March 14, 1997) was an Austrian Empire-born American film director. He won four Academy Awards for directing and producing films in various genres, including thrillers, westerns, film noir and play ...

, was also profitable. ''

Journey for Margaret ''Journey for Margaret'' is a 1942 American drama film set in London in World War II. It stars Robert Young and Laraine Day as a couple who have to deal with the loss of their unborn child due to a bombing raid. It is an adaptation of the book ...

'' (1942) was a big success, making a star of

Margaret O'Brien Angela Maxine O'Brien (born January 15, 1937) is an American film, radio, television, and stage actress, and is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Beginning a prolific career as a child actress in feature f ...

. ''

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...

'' (1943) made a profit of over one million dollars. ''

Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was dire ...

'' (1943) with

Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 4 October 1998) was a British actor, photographer and film director. He began his acting career as a child in England, and then in the United States, in ''How Green Was My Valley'' (1 ...

and

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

had a profit of over two million.

Vanguard Films

Schary accepted an offer to go to work for David O. Selznick's Vanguard Films as head of the production. He produced '' I'll Be Seeing You'' (1944), '' The Spiral Staircase'' (1946), '' Till the End of Time'' (1946), '' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1947) with

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

, and ''

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer ''The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer'' (released as ''Bachelor Knight'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1947 American screwball romantic comedy-drama film directed by Irving Reis and written by Sidney Sheldon. The film stars Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, a ...

'' (1947) with Cary Grant,

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...

and Shirley Temple. All films were considered critical and commercial successes.

Head of production at RKO

Schary's Vanguard films were released through RKO, which offered him the job as head of the production. Although he still had eleven months left on his Vanguard contract they let him go and Schary signed a five-year deal with RKO in January 1947. Schary personally produced ''

Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House ''Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by H. C. Potter and starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas. Written and produced by the team of Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, it was an adaptation of ...

'' (1948), a big hit, and championed ''

Crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. ...

'' (1947), a major success for the studio. Other hits its included ''

Every Girl Should Be Married ''Every Girl Should Be Married'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Don Hartman and starring Cary Grant, Betsy Drake and Franchot Tone. Grant and Drake married a year after the film's release. Plot summary Department store sales ...

'' (1948), '' Station West'' (1949), '' The Set-Up'' (1949) and '' The Window'' (1949). He greenlit the directorial debuts of

Nicholas Ray Nicholas Ray (born Raymond Nicholas Kienzle Jr., August 7, 1911 – June 16, 1979) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor best known for the 1955 film ''Rebel Without a Cause.'' He is appreciated for many narrative features pr ...

('' They Live by Night'' (1948)) and

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blackliste ...

(''

The Boy with Green Hair ''The Boy with Green Hair'' is a 1948 American fantasy-drama film in Technicolor directed by Joseph Losey in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Dean Stockwell as Peter, a young war orphan who is subject to ridicule after his hair myst ...

'' (1948)), both of which lost money. Expensive money losers included ''

Adventure in Baltimore ''Adventure in Baltimore '' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Richard Wallace and starring Robert Young and Shirley Temple. Dinah Sheldon ( Shirley Temple) is a student at an exclusive girls' school who starts campaigning for women's ...

'' (1949) with Shirley Temple. RKO was taken over by

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

, who clashed with Schary, particularly over Schary's desire to make ''Battleground'', a film about the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

. Schary resigned in July 1948. He soon accepted a job offer from

at MGM.

Head of production at MGM

MGM struggled to adapt to the post-war filmmaking environment and, in 1947, recorded its first-ever end-of-year financial loss. The movie industry was faced with the threat of the Paramount Decree, rising labor costs, political turmoil, labor unrest, and the threat of television. MGM's parent company, Loews Incorporated in New York, decided that Schary might be able to turn the tide. Schary signed to be vice president in charge of production in July 1948. Schary and studio chief and founder

would soon be at odds over philosophy, with Mayer favoring splashy, wholesome entertainment and Schary leaning toward what Mayer derided as darker "message pictures". "Films must provoke thought in addition to entertainment", Schary once said. "They must educate and inform as they entertain." Schary's career at MGM got off to a strong start when '' Battleground'' (1949) proved to be MGM's most profitable film of the year. A 1949 profile called him a "boy wonder... very probably the most important man in the movie industry." Schary also received acclaim for his personal productions, including '' The Next Voice You Hear...'' (1950), '' Go for Broke!'' (1951) and ''

Westward the Women ''Westward the Women'' is a 1951 Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire. Plot In 1851, Roy Whitman wants to keep the lonely men who live in Whitman's Valley from leaving, so he ...

'' (1951). Schary co-wrote (with Charles Palmer) the 1950 book ''Case History of a Movie'', which extensively covered, from initial conception to screening, the production of the film '' The Next Voice You Hear...''. Mayer and Schary's differences came to a head with the production of ''

The Red Badge of Courage ''The Red Badge of Courage'' is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Ove ...

'' (1951). Mayer presented an ultimatum to Nick Schenck, head of Loews, that Schary be fired. Schenck supported Schary and Mayer resigned. In July 1951 Schary took over complete control of production at MGM.

MGM after Mayer

Schary's personal productions started losing money: ''

Washington Story ''Washington Story'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by Robert Pirosh and starring Van Johnson and Patricia Neal. The screenplay concerns a reporter in search of government corruption who falls for a congressman. Plot On her first trip to ...

'' (1952), ''

Plymouth Adventure ''Plymouth Adventure'' is a 1952 Technicolor drama film with an ensemble cast starring Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, Van Johnson and Leo Genn, made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Clarence Brown, and produced by Dore Schary. The screenplay ...

'' (1952), and ''

Dream Wife ''Dream Wife'' is a 1953 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Sidney Sheldon and produced by Dore Schary, from a screenplay by Herbert Baker, Alfred Lewis Levitt and Sidney S ...

'' (1953). However ''

Take the High Ground! ''Take the High Ground!'' is a 1953 American war film directed by Richard Brooks and starring Richard Widmark and Karl Malden as drill sergeants who must transform a batch of everyday civilians into soldiers during the Korean War. Plot In May 195 ...

'' (1953) and ''

Bad Day at Black Rock ''Bad Day at Black Rock'' is a 1955 American neo-Western film directed by John Sturges with screenplay by Millard Kaufman. It stars Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan with support from Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernes ...

'' (1955) were moderately successful. Schary also wrote and produced the documentary film '' The Battle of Gettysburg'' (1955), getting two Oscar nominations for his work. At MGM, Schary greenlighted such films as ''

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 ...

'' (1955), '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' and '' Don't Go Near the Water'' which all proved to be big successes at the box office.

Fired from MGM

In Schary's last year at MGM he personally produced three films, all of which lost money: ''

The Swan A swan is a bird of the genus ''Cygnus'' (true swans) or ''Coscoroba'' (coscoroba swans). Swan, swans, or The Swan may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film and television * ''The Swan'' (1925 film), a 1925 silent film * ''The Swa ...

'' (1956), ''

The Last Hunt ''The Last Hunt'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Dore Schary. The screenplay was by Richard Brooks from the novel '' The Last Hunt'', by Milton Lott. The music score was by Daniele Amfitheatrof and ...

'' (1956) and ''

Designing Woman ''Designing Woman'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor romantic comedy film, in CinemaScope, about two young, whirlwind-romanced newlywed professionals and their misadventures in adjusting to each other's lifestyles. Vincente Minnelli directed the fi ...

'' (1957). MGM recorded a loss in 1956 leading to Loews firing him from his $200,000 annual contract and replacing him with

Ben Thau Benjamin Thau (15 December 1898 – 5 July 1983) was an American businessman who became vice-president of the Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of the Loew's theater chain. From 1928 he was in ...

. He was to remain as a consultant for MGM until 1968 at $100,000 a year. Contemporary newspaper reports and Schary later claimed he was fired because of his political activities, including his close association with the Democratic Party. In 1956, his final year running MGM, he appeared on the show '' This Is Your Life''. Host

Ralph Edwards Ralph Livingstone Edwards (June 13, 1913DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 86-87. – November 16, 2005) was an American radio ...

stated that there had never been a show where more stars appeared to honor a guest. However, MGM swimming star

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

would later state in her 1999 autobiography ''The Million Dollar Mermaid'' that Schary was just as rude, cruel, and as imperious as Mayer had been. She noted that she thought it appropriate that Schary was fired on Thanksgiving, since he was a "turkey".

Return to Broadway and later films

Following his departure from MGM, Schary obtained the rights to the life of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

in April 1957. He wrote and produced the Broadway play ''

Sunrise at Campobello ''Sunrise at Campobello'' is a 1960 Warner Bros. biographical film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 ...

'' (1958–59), about Roosevelt, starring

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and ...

. The play won five

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

and ran for 556 performances. Schary returned to Hollywood when he wrote and produced the film ''

Lonelyhearts ''Lonelyhearts'', also known as ''Miss Lonelyhearts'', is a 1958 American drama film directed by Vincent J. Donehue. It is based on the 1957 Broadway play by Howard Teichmann, which in turn is based on the 1933 novel ''Miss Lonelyhearts'' by N ...

'' (1958), starring

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

and directed by Vincent J. Donehue. He had another Broadway hit when he produced and directed (but did not write) the comedy ''

A Majority of One ''A Majority of One'' is a play by Leonard Spigelgass. The 1959–1960 Broadway production was directed by Dore Schary and ran for three previews and 556 performances, with Gertrude Berg, Cedric Hardwicke, and Ina Balin. Plot The play is a d ...

'' (1959–60) by

Leonard Spigelgass Leonard Spigelgass (November 26, 1908 – February 15, 1985) was an American film producer and screenwriter. During his career, Spigelgass wrote the scripts for 11 Academy Award-winning films. He himself was nominated in 1950 for the story for '' ...

, starring

Gertrude Berg Gertrude Berg (Born Tillie Edelstein; October 3, 1899 – September 14, 1966) was an American actress, screenwriter, and producer. A pioneer of classic radio, she was one of the first women to create, write, produce, and star in a long-running h ...

and

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and ...

. Schary earned a Tony nomination for his direction and the show ran for 556 performances. (It was later filmed, without Schary's involvement.) Less successful was ''The Highest Tree'' (1959), which Schary wrote, produced and directed (and featured

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...

in the cast) and ''Triple Play'' (1959), a collection of short plays, which he produced. Schary wrote and produced the film version of ''Sunrise at Campobello'', which was released by

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

, directed by Donehue, in 1960. He also had a brief uncredited role in the film as Chairman of the Connecticut Delegation. On Broadway, Schary had another huge hit as producer and director with the Meredith Wilson musical, '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1960) starring

Tammy Grimes Tammy Lee Grimes (January 30, 1934 – October 30, 2016) was an American film and stage actress. Grimes won two Tony Awards in her career, the first for originating the role of Molly Tobin in the musical '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' and the ...

, which ran for 532 performances. MGM released a film version starring

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

in 1964. Schary wrote, produced and directed ''The Devil's Advocate'' (1961), based on the novel by

Morris West Morris Langlo West (26 April 19169 October 1999) was an Australian novelist and playwright, best known for his novels '' The Devil's Advocate'' (1959), ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (1963) and ''The Clowns of God'' (1981). His books were publ ...

, which ran for 116 performances. He produced and directed ''Something About a Soldier'' (1962) by Ernest Kinoy and ''Love and Kisses'' (1963) by Anita Block both which had short runs. He also wrote a memoir, ''For Special Occasions'' (1962). Schary made his directorial debut in movies with '' Act One'' (1963) based on the memoirs of

; Schary also wrote and produced. It was a flop and marked both the beginning and the end of Schary's film directing career.

Later career

On Broadway he wrote, produced and directed ''One by One'' (1964), which ran for seven performances, and produced and directed the musical, '' The Zulu and the Zayda'' (1965) which went for 179. Schary also wrote two more produced Broadway plays, ''Brightower'' (1970) (one performance) and ''Herzl'' (1976) (8 performances), neither of which had long runs. Schary wrote his memoirs, ''Heyday'', which came out shortly before his death. In an interview, he said "I've always had an edge and the edge is that I'm a writer. No matter what happens I can write. And I'm tough. You had to be tough to outwit them, to wear them down. I've always been pretty lucky that way."

Politics

Although one of the studio executives who formulated the 1947

Waldorf Statement The Waldorf Statement was a two-page press release issued on 24 November 1947, by Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, following a closed-door meeting by forty-eight motion picture company executives at New York C ...

, he became an outspoken opponent of the anticommunist investigations of the

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloy ...

. In 1948, he was honored by the

Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...

for “distinguished contributions toward the enrichment of America’s democratic legacy," together with Charles E. Wilson,

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

Barney Balaban Barney Balaban (June 8, 1887 – March 7, 1971) was an American film executive who was the president of Paramount Pictures from 1936 to 1964 and an innovator in the cinema industry. Life and career Barney Balaban (formerly Birnbaum) was the el ...

, and

Darryl Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...

. He served as National Chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peopl ...

from 1963 until April 22, 1969, when Samuel Dalsimer was elected the new National Chairman. After Dalsimer died unexpectedly later that year on August 22, Schary was named acting National Chairman and served until May 1970, when Seymour Graubard was elected to replace him. Schary was appointed by Mayor

John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...

to the office of New York City Commissioner for Cultural Affairs.

Personal life

He worked as a printer in his youth at Art Craft Press in Newark, New Jersey. He married Miriam Svet, a pianist and painter, on March 5, 1932. The couple had three children: the novelist and memoirist

Jill Schary Robinson Jill Schary Robinson (born May 30, 1936) is a Los Angeles-based novelist, essayist, and teacher, whose memoirs contend with the themes of addiction, recovery and growing up during the golden age of Hollywood. Early life Schary Robinson was bor ...

, psychoanalyst Dr. Joy Schary, and CLIO award-winning producer Jeb Schary. Miriam and Dore Schary had seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Dore Schary died in 1980, aged 74, and was interred in the Hebrew Cemetery (also known as the Monmouth Fields Jewish Cemetery),

West Long Branch, New Jersey West Long Branch is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 8,097,

In popular culture

* His name is used for a rhyme at the very end of '' Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years'', a satirical album from 1961: "That highly military / (script by Dore Schary) / Revolutionary War!" * In the 1947

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

film, ''

'' (which he produced), Schary appears driving

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

to the airport at the end of the film. Grant calls him "Jebby". * In the ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

'' episode " Don Juan is Shelved" (1955),

Ricky Ricardo Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, also known simply as Lucy and Ricky or the Ricardos, are fictional characters from the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', portrayed respectively by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The Ricardos also appear in '' The ...

calls Schary's office from his Hollywood hotel room and later

Lucy Ricardo Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Luci ...

unknowingly recruits Schary to play a "big Hollywood producer" to prevent Ricky from being fired from his movie contract at MGM. Schary had agreed to play himself but cancelled on short notice and was played instead by

Philip Ober Philip Nott Ober (March 23, 1902 – September 13, 1982) was an American screen and stage actor. He later retired from acting to work as a diplomat. Ober is best remembered for his roles in the films ''From Here to Eternity'' (1953) and ''North ...

, who at the time was the husband of cast member

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom ''I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...

. * In the

Patty Duke Show ''The Patty Duke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Sidney Sheldon and William Asher. The series ran on ABC from September 18, 1963, to April 27, 1966. The series was developed as a vehicle for teenage star Patty Duke, who had ...

episode "The Actress", Patty tries to get discovered by sending Schary a fake newspaper review of her high school play. The actor playing Schary says "That's the oldest trick in the book, a fake review. But I like her initiative. Send someone over." * In the one-act comedy "Adaptation", written by

Elaine May Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She has received numerous awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and a Tony. She made her initial impact in the 1950s with her ...

, the lead character Phil Bensen names his son "Dore Schary Junior". *Actor

Josh Pais Joshua Atwill Pais (born June 21, 1958) is an American actor and acting coach. He has appeared in the films ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (1990), ''Music of the Heart'' (1999), ''Assassination of a High School President'' (2008), '' I Saw the ...

portrayed Schary in the 2015 film '' I Saw the Light'' *Dore Schary appears as a character in the Broadway biography of Moss Hart, '' Act One'', written by James Lapine and produced by Lincoln Center Theatre in 2014.

Select filmography

As screenwriter

As head of MGM B unit

For David O. Selznick

Films overseen while head of RKO

Personally produced while head of MGM

Films overseen while head of MGM

Post MGM films

Theatre credits

References

External links

Brief bio of Schary
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schary, Dore Film producers from New York (state) American film studio executives American male dramatists and playwrights American male screenwriters Film producers from California 1905 births 1980 deaths Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives RKO General Anti-Defamation League members 20th-century American Jews Best Story Academy Award winners Businesspeople from Newark, New Jersey Central High School (Newark, New Jersey) alumni Writers from New York City Writers from Newark, New Jersey 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Screenwriters from New Jersey 20th-century American male writers Burials in New Jersey Screenwriters from New York (state) Film producers from New Jersey 20th-century American screenwriters