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Robert Woodruff Anderson (April 28, 1917 – February 9, 2009) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and theatrical producer. He received two
Academy Award 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 ...
nominations for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, for the drama films '' The Nun's Story'' (1959) and '' I Never Sang for My Father'' (1970), the latter based on his play.


Life and career

Anderson was born in New York City, the son of Myra Esther (Grigg) and James Hewston Anderson, a self-made businessman. He was educated at
Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...
, which he later said he found a lonely experience. While there he fell in love with an older woman, an event which later became the basis of the plot of '' Tea and Sympathy''. Anderson also attended
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
, where he took an undergraduate as well as a master's degree. He may be best-remembered as the author of '' Tea and Sympathy''. The play made its
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
debut in 1953 and was made into a
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 through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
film in 1956; both starred
Deborah Kerr Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress. During her international film career, Kerr won a ...
and John Kerr. ''
You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running ''You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running'' is a collection of four unrelated one-act comedy plays by Robert Anderson. In ''The Shock of Recognition'', playwright Jack Barnstable auditions Richard Pawling for a role that requires nudi ...
'', a collection of four one-act comedies, opened in New York in 1967 and ran for more than 700 performances. His other successful
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
plays were ''Silent Night, Lonely Night'' (1959) and '' I Never Sang for My Father'' (1968). He wrote the screenplays for ''
Until They Sail ''Until They Sail'' is a 1957 American black-and-white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by ...
'' (1957), '' The Nun's Story'' (1959), and '' The Sand Pebbles'' (1966). He also authored many television scripts, including the TV play ''The Last Act Is a Solo'' (1991), and the novels ''After'' (1973) and ''Getting Up and Going Home'' (1978). He was inducted into the
American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...
in 1981. Anderson was married to Phyllis Stohl from 1940 until her death in 1956 and to actress
Teresa Wright Muriel Teresa Wright (October 27, 1918 – March 6, 2005) was an American actress. She was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress: in 1941 for her debut work in '' The Little Foxes'', and in 1942 for '' Mrs. Miniver' ...
from 1959 until their divorce in 1978. Anderson died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
on February 9, 2009 at his home in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, aged 91. He had been suffering from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...
for seven years prior to his death.


Advocacy

As a supporter for writers' rights in theatre, Anderson was a member of the
Dramatists Guild of America The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market. Membership as an Associate Member is open to any person having written at least one stage play. Active Mem ...
and was elected president in 1971. He continued to serve the non-profit organization until 1973.


Selected credits


Plays

*''Dance Me a Song'' (1950) - contributing sketch writer * '' Tea and Sympathy'' (1953) - writer - original Broadway production ran 712 performances *'' Sabrina Fair'' (1954) - producer, via the Playwrights' Company * '' All Summer Long'' (1955) - writer and producer via the Playwrights' Company *''
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...
'' (1955) - producer via the Playwrights' Company *''
Time Remembered Time Remembered is a modal jazz standard piece by jazz pianist Bill Evans. Jack Reilly says that the work is both influenced by the sixteenth century modal works of the polyphonist masters (Palestrina, Byrd, Frescobaldi, etc.), and the oeuvre of ...
'' (1957) - producer via the Playwrights' Company *'' The Rope Dancers'' (1957) - producer via the Playwrights' Company * '' Silent Night, Lonely Night'' (1959) - writer * ''
You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running ''You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running'' is a collection of four unrelated one-act comedy plays by Robert Anderson. In ''The Shock of Recognition'', playwright Jack Barnstable auditions Richard Pawling for a role that requires nudi ...
'' (1967) (four unrelated one-acts) - writer **''I'm Herbert''''I'm Herbert''
Dramatists Play Service. Retrieved 2014-06-24. **''The Shock of Recognition'' **''The Footsteps of Doves'' **''I'll Be Home for Christmas'' * '' I Never Sang for My Father'' (1968) - writer * ''Double Solitaire'' (1970) - writer * ''The Last Act Is a Solo'' (1991) - writer


Television

*''
The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...
'' (1948) *'' The Prudential Family Playhouse'' -adaptation of "Biography" (1950) *'' The Prudential Family Playhouse'' - adaptation of " Dodsworth" (1950) *''
Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Septem ...
'' - adaptation of story "Wintertime" (1951) *''
Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhouse ...
'' - adaptation of ''
Still Life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (drinking glasses, bo ...
'' by
Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combina ...
(1951) *'' Suspense (TV series)'' - "The Moving Target" directed by
Robert Mulligan Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his humanist dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), '' Summer of '42'' (1971), '' The Other'' (1972), '' Same ...
(1952) *''Suspense'' - "The Man Who Cried Wolf" directed by Robert Mulligan (1953) *'' Medallion Theatre'' - adaptation of "
The Canterville Ghost "The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts in '' The Court and Society Review'', 23 February and 2 March 1887. The story is about an American fa ...
" (1953) *'' Alcoa Hour'' - "Eden Rose" (1956) *'' Goodyear Playhouse'' - "Rise Up and Walk" (1956) *''Goodyear Playhouse'' - adapted his own "All Summer Long" (1956) *''
Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...
''/''
The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S. ...
'' - adaptation of "
The Old Lady Shows Her Medals ''The Old Lady Shows Her Medals'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first published in his collection ''Echoes of the War'' in 1918, which also included the stories ''The New Word'', ''Barbara's Wedding'' and ''A Well-Remembered Voice''. It is set ...
" by J.M. Barrie (1956) *''
ITV Play of the Week ''Play of the Week'' is a 90-minute British television anthology series produced by a variety of companies including Granada Television, Associated-Rediffusion, ATV and Anglia Television. Synopsis From 1955 to 1967 approximately 500 episodes a ...
'' - adapted his own "All Summer Long" (1960) *'' Play of the Week'' - adapted his own "All Summer Long" (1961) *''Festival'' - adaptation of ''Silent Night Lonely Night'' (1965) *'' Double Solitaire'' (1974) - adapted from his play *'' The Patricia Neal Story'' (1981) *'' The General Motors Playwrights Theater'' - adaptation of "The Last Act is a Solo" (1991) *''
Absolute Strangers ''Absolute Strangers'' is a 1991 made-for-television CBS docudrama featuring ''Happy Days'' star Henry Winkler returning to his first major TV role in eight years. The screenplay, written by Robert Woodruff Anderson, was based on the true story o ...
'' (1991) *'' Getting Up and Going Home'' (1992) - based on his book


Screenplays

*'' Tea and Sympathy'' (1956) - screenplay, based on his play *''
Until They Sail ''Until They Sail'' is a 1957 American black-and-white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by ...
'' (1957) *'' The Nun's Story'' (1959) *'' The Sand Pebbles'' (1966) *'' Silent Night, Lonely Night'' (1969) (TV movie) - based on his play *'' I Never Sang for My Father'' (1970) - screenplay based on his play


Novels

*''After'' (1973) *''Getting Up and Going Home'' (1978)


Awards and nominations


References


External links

*
Biography from the Playwrights Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Robert Woodruff 1917 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male screenwriters Harvard University alumni Deaths from pneumonia in New York City Writers from Manhattan American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American screenwriters