Melvin Frank (13 August 1913 – 13 October 1988) was an American screenwriter, film producer and film director. He is known for his partnership with
Norman Panama and their work on films such as ''
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 ...
'' (1948), ''
White Christmas'' (1954), and ''
The Court Jester
''The Court Jester'' is a 1955 musical-comedy, medieval romance, costume drama film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker.
The movie was written, produced, and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman ...
'' (1956). He also directed films such as ''
Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell
''Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell'' is a 1968 Technicolor American comedy film starring Gina Lollobrigida, and directed by Melvin Frank, who co-wrote the original screenplay with Denis Norden and Sheldon Keller.
The United Artists release was filmed ...
'' and ''
A Touch of Class'' (1973).
Life and career
Born to a Jewish family, Frank met his future collaborator
Norman Panama in 1933 when they were both at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
.
After graduating, they formed a partnership in 1935 which endured for four decades; first writing for
Milton Berle
Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
before becoming writers for
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
's radio show. In 1941, they sold their first script to
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, ''
My Favorite Blonde
''My Favorite Blonde'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll. Based on a story by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about a vaudeville performer who gets mixed up with Bri ...
'' (1942), which starred Hope.
[
They worked for Paramount for five years where, among others, they wrote '']Road to Utopia
''Road to Utopia'' is a 1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, ''Road to Utopia'' is the fourth film of the "'' Road to †...
'' (1946), starring Hope and Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
, for which they received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.[ They moved to ]Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
making '' It Had to Be You'' (1947) and ''The Return of October
''The Return of October'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Glenn Ford
Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men ...
'' (1948) and also wrote ''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 ...
'' (1948) for 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 ...
.[
In 1950, they signed a writing, producing and directing deal with ]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 made films together as co-writers, co-directors and co-producers. They started with ''The Reformer and the Redhead
''The Reformer and the Redhead'' is a 1950 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, and starring June Allyson and Dick Powell.
Overview
Kathleen Maguire (Allyson) is the daughter of a lon ...
'' (1950) and also made '' Knock on Wood'' (1954) and ''The Court Jester
''The Court Jester'' is a 1955 musical-comedy, medieval romance, costume drama film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker.
The movie was written, produced, and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman ...
'' (1956), both with Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, ×“×•×“Ö¾×“× ×™×ל ק×Ö·×ž×™× ×¡×§×™; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...
, with the former earning them another Academy Award nomination. They also co-wrote '' White Christmas'' (1954) with Norman Krasna
Norman Krasna (November 7, 1909 – November 1, 1984) was an American screenwriter, playwright, producer, and film director who penned screwball comedies centered on a case of mistaken identity. Krasna directed three films during a forty-year ca ...
. They wrote a Broadway play together in 1956, later adapted into ''Li'l Abner
''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbilly, hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written a ...
'' (1959), directed by Frank. They received another Academy Award nomination for '' The Facts of Life'' (1960) and also worked on ''The Road to Hong Kong
''The Road to Hong Kong'' is a 1962 British semi-musical comedy film directed by Norman Panama and starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, as well as Joan Collins, with an extended cameo featuring Dorothy Lamour in the setting of Hong Kong under Br ...
'' (1962).[
Frank went on to a successful solo career as a film director, most notably directing the acclaimed romantic comedy '' A Touch of Class'' (1973), starring George Segal and ]Glenda Jackson
Glenda May Jackson (born 9 May 1936) is an English actress and former Member of Parliament (MP). She has won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice: for her role as Gudrun Brangwen in the romantic drama ''Women in Love'' (1970); and again for ...
. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced (with Jack Rose) and Jackson won the Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. ...
for her role. Subsequent films directed by Frank include ''The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox
''The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox'' is a 1976 American Western romantic comedy film starring Goldie Hawn and George Segal, produced, directed and co-written by Melvin Frank. It is about an 1880s dance hall girl (Hawn) from San Francisco who ...
'' (1976) and ''Lost and Found
A lost and found (American English) or lost property (British English), or lost articles (also Canadian English) is an office in a public building or area where people can go to retrieve lost articles that may have been found by others. Frequen ...
'' (1979).
Over the course of his career, Frank was nominated for five Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
. In 1984, he received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
The Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement (also known as the Screen Laurel Award) is a lifetime achievement award given by the Writers Guild of America. It is given "to that member of the Guild who, in the opinion of the current Board of Dir ...
from the Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers:
* The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO
* The Writers Guil ...
.
Death
Frank had open heart surgery on October 12, 1988 and died the following day.[
]
Personal life
Frank's first wife was Anne Ray, younger sister of actress Jigee Viertel. At the time of his death he was still married to his second wife, Juliet. He had three children, Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winning writer Elizabeth Frank
Elizabeth Frank (born September 14, 1945) is an American novelist, biographer, art critic and translator. She has been a member of the literature faculty of Bard College since 1982 and is the Joseph E. Harry Professor of Modern Languages and Li ...
and sons Andrew and James.[TCM Database entry]
/ref>
Selected filmography
*''My Favorite Blonde
''My Favorite Blonde'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll. Based on a story by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about a vaudeville performer who gets mixed up with Bri ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1942) (story only)
*''Road to Utopia
''Road to Utopia'' is a 1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, ''Road to Utopia'' is the fourth film of the "'' Road to †...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1946)
*'' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (with Norman Panama) (1946)
*'' It Had to Be You'' (with Norman Panama) (1947)
*''The Return of October
''The Return of October'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Glenn Ford
Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1948)
*''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 ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1948)
*''The Reformer and the Redhead
''The Reformer and the Redhead'' is a 1950 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, and starring June Allyson and Dick Powell.
Overview
Kathleen Maguire (Allyson) is the daughter of a lon ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1950) (also co-director)
*'' Strictly Dishonorable'' (with Norman Panama) (1951) (also co-director)
*''Callaway Went Thataway
''Callaway Went Thataway'' is a 1951 American comedy western film starring Fred MacMurray, Dorothy McGuire, and Howard Keel. It was written, directed, and produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. Also known as ''The Star Said No'', it is a s ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1951) (also co-director)
*'' Above and Beyond'' (with Norman Panama) (1952) (also co-director)
*'' White Christmas'' (with Norman Panama and Norman Krasna
Norman Krasna (November 7, 1909 – November 1, 1984) was an American screenwriter, playwright, producer, and film director who penned screwball comedies centered on a case of mistaken identity. Krasna directed three films during a forty-year ca ...
) (1954)
*'' Knock on Wood'' (with Norman Panama) (1954) (also co-director)
*''The Court Jester
''The Court Jester'' is a 1955 musical-comedy, medieval romance, costume drama film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker.
The movie was written, produced, and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1956) (also co-director)
*'' That Certain Feeling'' (with Norman Panama) (1956) (also co-director)
*''Li'l Abner
''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbilly, hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written a ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1959) (also director)
*'' The Trap'' (with Norman Panama) (1959)
*''The Jayhawkers!
''The Jayhawkers!'' is a 1959 American Technicolor VistaVision film directed by Melvin Frank, starring Jeff Chandler as Luke Darcy and Fess Parker as Cam Bleeker. The film is set in pre-Civil War Kansas. Darcy leads a gang which seeks to take ad ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1959) (also director)
*'' The Facts of Life'' (with Norman Panama) (1960) (also director)
*''The Road to Hong Kong
''The Road to Hong Kong'' is a 1962 British semi-musical comedy film directed by Norman Panama and starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, as well as Joan Collins, with an extended cameo featuring Dorothy Lamour in the setting of Hong Kong under Br ...
'' (with Norman Panama) (1962)
*'' Strange Bedfellows'' (with Norman Panama and Michael Pertwee
Michael Henry Pertwee (24 April 1916, Kensington, London – 17 April 1991, Camden, London) was an English playwright and screenwriter. Among his credits were episodes of '' The Saint'', ''Danger Man'', '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', '' B-A ...
) (1965) (also director)
*'' Not with My Wife, You Don't!'' (with Norman Panama, Peter Barnes and Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series ''M*A*S*H'', and as co-writer of the B ...
) (1966)
*'' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (with Michael Pertwee
Michael Henry Pertwee (24 April 1916, Kensington, London – 17 April 1991, Camden, London) was an English playwright and screenwriter. Among his credits were episodes of '' The Saint'', ''Danger Man'', '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', '' B-A ...
) (1966)
*''Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell
''Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell'' is a 1968 Technicolor American comedy film starring Gina Lollobrigida, and directed by Melvin Frank, who co-wrote the original screenplay with Denis Norden and Sheldon Keller.
The United Artists release was filmed ...
'' (with Denis Norden
Denis Mostyn Norden (6 February 1922 – 19 September 2018) was an English comedy writer and television presenter. After an early career working in cinemas, he began scriptwriting during the Second World War. From 1948 to 1959, he co-wrote the ...
and Sheldon Keller Sheldon Bernard "Shelly" Keller (August 20, 1923 – September 1, 2008) was an American screenwriter and composer.
Life and career
Keller was born in Chicago and attended University of Illinois, where he began writing comedy with his fraternity br ...
) (1968) (also director)
*'' A Touch of Class'' (with Jack Rose) (1973) (also director and producer)
*''The Prisoner of Second Avenue
''The Prisoner of Second Avenue'' is a 1975 American black comedy film directed and produced by Melvin Frank and starring Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft. The film was adapted from the 1971 play by Neil Simon.
Plot
The story revolves around the es ...
'' (1975) (director)
*''The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox
''The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox'' is a 1976 American Western romantic comedy film starring Goldie Hawn and George Segal, produced, directed and co-written by Melvin Frank. It is about an 1880s dance hall girl (Hawn) from San Francisco who ...
'' (with Barry Sandler and Jack Rose) (1976) (also director)
*''Lost and Found
A lost and found (American English) or lost property (British English), or lost articles (also Canadian English) is an office in a public building or area where people can go to retrieve lost articles that may have been found by others. Frequen ...
'' (with Jack Rose) (1979) (also director)
*'' Walk Like a Man'' (1987) (director only)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frank, Melvin
1913 births
1988 deaths
University of Chicago alumni
American male screenwriters
Jewish American screenwriters
20th-century American male writers
Filmmaking duos
American film directors
20th-century American screenwriters
20th-century American Jews