James Prideaux (August 29, 1927 – November 18, 2015) was an American playwright known for ''
The Last of Mrs. Lincoln
''The Last of Mrs. Lincoln'' is a play by James Prideaux. It depicts the final 17 years of Mary Todd Lincoln's life that follow Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, her husband's assassination.
It ran on Broadway theatre, Broadway from December 12, 1 ...
''.
Prideaux was born in 1927 as James Priddy in
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...
, the son of Lloyd Priddy, a professional photographer, and Beulah Shirey.
Wanting to become an actor, he adopted a new name and relocated to Chicago and then New York, but found his metier as a writer. He wrote for magazines such as ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'' and the ''
Ladies Home Journal
''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States. In 18 ...
'' and joined the Barr-Wilder-Albee Playwrights Unit, a theater workshop.
[
For ''The Last of Mrs Lincoln,'' he won the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Playwright in 1973. He also wrote ''Postcards'', ''Lemonade'', and ''The Orphans''.
Moving to television, he wrote '']The Secret Storm
''The Secret Storm'' is an American soap opera that the CBS television network transmitted from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas ''Search for Tomorrow'' and ''Love ...
''. He became friends with Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...
, who acted in many of his films, such as ''Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry
''Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry'' is a 1986 American made-for-television romantic comedy film directed by George Schaefer and starring Katharine Hepburn and Harold Gould which premiered on CBS on Easter Sunday, March 30, 1986. It tells the story ...
'' (1986), ''Laura Lansing Slept Here
''Laura Lansing Slept Here'' is a 1988 American made-for-television comedy film starring Katharine Hepburn and directed by George Schaefer which premiered on NBC on March 7, 1988. It was written by James Prideaux and co-stars Joel Higgins, Kar ...
'' (1988), '' The Man Upstairs'' (1992).Primetime Emmy
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 E ...
nomination for Outstanding Television Movie for producing ''Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry''.[
He died of a stroke in ]West Hills, Los Angeles
West Hills is a suburban / residential community in the western San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. The percentage of residents aged 35 and older is among the highest in Los Angeles County.
The neighborhood was for ...
on November 18, 2015.[
]
References
External links
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Writers from South Bend, Indiana
1927 births
2015 deaths
20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
American magazine journalists
American television writers
Ladies' Home Journal
Playboy people
People from South Bend, Indiana
20th-century American non-fiction writers
Screenwriters from Indiana
Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
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