Fielder Cook (March 9, 1923 – June 20, 2003) was an American television and film director, producer, and writer whose 1971 television film ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' spawned the series ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

''.

Biography and career

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Cook graduated with honor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature from Washington and Lee University, then studied

Elizabethan Drama English Renaissance theatre, also known as Renaissance English theatre and Elizabethan theatre, refers to the theatre of England between 1558 and 1642. This is the style of the plays of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson ...

at the University of Birmingham in England. He returned to the United States and began his career in the early days of television, directing many episodes of such

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

as ''

Lux Video Theater ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'', ''

The Kaiser Aluminum Hour ''The Kaiser Aluminum Hour'' is a dramatic anthology television series which was broadcast in prime time in the United States during the 1956-57 season by NBC. ''The Kaiser Aluminum Hour'' was shown on alternate Tuesday nights at 9:30 pm Easter ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Omnibus'', and '' Kraft Television Theatre''. In later years, he directed the television movies ''Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys'', ''A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story'', ''Gauguin the Savage'', ''

Family Reunion A family reunion is an occasion when many members of an extended family congregate. Sometimes reunions are held regularly, for example on the same date of every year. A typical family reunion will assemble for a meal, some recreation and discussi ...

'', ''

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ''I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'' is a 1969 autobiography describing the young and early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of charact ...

'', ''Will There Really Be a Morning?'', and others; adaptations of ''The Philadelphia Story'', ''

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

'', ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, and music by Frederick Loewe. The song " Almost Like Being in Love", from the musical, has become a standard. It features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, ...

'', ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'', '' The Price'', ''

Miracle on 34th Street ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (initially released as ''The Big Heart'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1947 American Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davi ...

'', and ''

The Member of the Wedding ''The Member of the Wedding'' is a 1946 novel by Southern writer Carson McCullers. It took McCullers five years to complete, although she interrupted the work for a few months to write the novella '' The Ballad of the Sad Café''.McDowell, Marga ...

''; and episodes of ''

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 ...

'', '' The Defenders'', and '' Beacon Hill''. Cook's credits for feature films include ''

A Big Hand for the Little Lady ''A Big Hand for the Little Lady'' (released in the UK under the misleading title ''Big Deal at Dodge City'', as the film is set in Laredo, Texas) is a 1966 American Western film made by Eden Productions Inc. and released by Warner Bros. The ...

'', ''

How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life ''How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life'' is a 1968 American comedy romance film directed by Fielder Cook. It stars Dean Martin, Stella Stevens and husband and wife Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. Plot David Sloane is a confirmed bachelor whos ...

'' (1968), ''

Prudence and the Pill ''Prudence and the Pill'' is a 1968 British comedy film made by Twentieth Century-Fox. It was directed by Fielder Cook and Ronald Neame and produced by Kenneth Harper and Ronald J. Kahn from a screenplay by Hugh Mills, based on his 1965 novel. ...

'' (1968, co-director), '' From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler'' (1973), ''

Eagle in a Cage ''Eagle in a Cage'' is an Anglo-American historical drama film, produced in 1972. Plot summary After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and surrender to the British Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte is delivered into exile and imprisonment on St. He ...

'', and ''Seize the Day''. Cook died in Charlotte, North Carolina from complications from a stroke.

Selected filmography

* ''

Patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...

'' (1956) * ''

Home Is the Hero ''Home Is the Hero'' is a 1959 Irish drama film directed by Fielder Cook. It was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Walter Macken – Paddo O'Reilly * Eileen Crowe – Daylia O'Reilly * Arthur Kennedy – Willie O ...

'' (1959) * '' The Philadelphia Story'' (TV movie - 1959) * ''A String of Beads'' (TV movie - 1961) * ''The Farmer's Daughter'' (TV movie - 1962) * ''Focus'' (TV movie - 1962) * ''The Fifty Minute Hour'' (TV movie - 1962) * ''

'' (TV movie - 1966) * ''

'' (1966) * ''

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1968) * '' Hallmark Hall of Fame'': '' Teacher, Teacher'' (1969) * ''Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall'' (TV movie - 1969) * ''Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster'' (TV movie - 1971) * ''

Goodbye, Raggedy Ann ''Goodbye, Raggedy Ann'' is a 1971 American made-for-television drama film starring Mia Farrow, Hal Holbrook, John Colicos, Marlene Warfield, and Martin Sheen. Plot Brooke Collier (Farrow) is an unstable Hollywood starlet who still clings to h ...

'' (TV movie - 1971) * ''Neighbors'' (TV movie - 1971) * ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' (TV movie - 1971) * ''

'' (1972) * '' The Hands of Cormac Joyce'' (TV movie - 1972) * '' From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler'' (1973) * ''

'' (TV movie - 1973) * ''Pomroy's People'' (TV movie - 1973) * ''This Is the West That Was'' (TV movie - 1974) * ''Miles to Go Before I Sleep'' (TV movie - 1975) * ''

Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the ...

'' (TV movie - 1975) * ''The Rivalry'' (TV movie - 1975) * ''Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys'' (TV movie - 1976) * ''Beauty and the Beast'' (TV movie - 1976) * ''A Love Affair: The Eleanor & Lou Gehrig Story'' (TV movie - 1978) * '' Too Far to Go'' (TV movie - 1979) * ''

'' (TV movie - 1979) * ''Gauguin the Savage'' (TV movie - 1980) * ''Family Reunion'' (TV movie - 1981) * ''Will There Really Be a Morning?'' (TV movie - 1983) * '' Why Me?'' (1984) * '' Seize the Day'' (1986) * ''A Special Friendship'' (TV movie - 1987) * ''Circus'' (TV movie - 1988) * ''

'' (1997)

Awards and nominations

*1959

9th Berlin International Film Festival The 9th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 26 June – 7 July 1959. The festival welcomed the cinematic movement known as the New Wave and screened the work of directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda and Françoi ...

Golden Bear Award (''

'', nominee) *1963 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama (''Big Deal in Laredo'' on ''The DuPont Show of the Month'', nominee) *1967 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music (''Brigadoon'', winner) *1967 Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Program (''Brigadoon'', winner) *1969 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama (''Teacher, Teacher'' on Hallmark Hall of Fame, nominee) *1971 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama (''The Price'' on Hallmark Hall of Fame, winner) *1972 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama (''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'', nominee) *1976 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series ('' Beacon Hill'', nominee) *1977 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Special Program (''Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys'', nominee) *1987

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

Grand Jury Prize for Drama ('' Seize the Day'', nominee)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Fielder American television directors Television producers from Georgia (U.S. state) American television writers American male television writers American film directors Emmy Award winners Writers from Atlanta Washington and Lee University alumni 1923 births 2003 deaths Alumni of the University of Birmingham Screenwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers