Rose Franken (December 28, 1895 – June 22, 1988), was an American writer and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

best known for her '' Claudia'' stories, plus the books, films, and plays based on them.

Early years

Born Rose Dorothy Lewin in

Gainesville, Texas Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. Its population was 16,002 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Texoma region and is an important Agri-business center. History Founded in 1850, the city of Gai ...

, Franken was the youngest child of Michael and Hannah Younker Lewin. When Franken was 12, the family moved to New York; there, she attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School. After graduation, she planned to attend Barnard College but was wed instead.

Career

Franken began writing after her second child was born. The editor to whom she sent her early work liked it and asked for more, thus beginning her career as a writer. Her books included ''Of Great Riches'' (1937), ''Strange Victory'' (1939), ''Claudia: The Story of A Marriage'' (1939), and ''When Doctors Disagree'' (1940). From her novel ''Claudia'' and a ''

Redbook ''Redbook'' is an American women's magazine that is published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the " Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines. It ceased print publication as of January 2019 and now operates an article-comprise ...

'' magazine serial story, "Claudia and David," Franken developed a play, a radio series ('' Claudia''), and two films. These works led to a television series, '' Claudia'' (1952). In 1963, Doubleday published Franken's autobiography, ''When All Is Said and Done''. Franken's first play was ''Another Language'' (1932), which was the basis for the film ''

Another Language ''Another Language'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring Robert Montgomery and Helen Hayes. Plot A newlywed discovers that she and her husband's snobby family speak different languages: ...

'' (1933). Her next play was ''Claudia'' (1941).

Personal life

On September 1, 1913, she married Sigmund Walter Anthony Franken, an oral surgeon who died on December 17, 1932. They had three children, including physicist

Peter Franken Peter A. Franken (November 10, 1928 – March 11, 1999) was an American physicist who contributed to the field of nonlinear optics. He was president of the Optical Society of America in 1977. In 1961, Professor Peter Franken and his coworkers in t ...

. On April 27, 1937, she married writer William Brown Meloney. He died on May 4, 1971. She was one of the artists and writers to visit

Melrose Plantation Melrose Plantation, also known as Yucca Plantation, is a National Historic Landmark located in the unincorporated community of Melrose in Natchitoches Parish in north central Louisiana. This is one of the largest plantations in the United State ...

on the Cane River in Louisiana.James Lynwood Wilson, ''Clementine Hunter: American Folk Artist'', p. 22. Pelican Publishing Company (1990)

Death

Franken died on June 22, 1988, in Tucson, Arizona, at age 92. She was survived by her sons, Paul, John, and Peter; four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.Sherilyn Brandenstein, "Rose Dorothy Lewin Franken," ''The Handbook of Texas Online''
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Selected filmography

* ''Claudia and David'' (1960) (TV movie) * ''Claudia'' (1960) (TV movie) * ''Another Language'' (1957) (TV movie) * ''Mr. Dooley, Jnr.'' (1953) (TV movie) * ''Another Language'' (1952) (TV movie) * ''

The Secret Heart ''The Secret Heart'' is a 1946 film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Claudette Colbert, Walter Pidgeon and June Allyson. Plot Lee (Claudette Colbert) is engaged to marry Larry Adams (Richard Derr), a spendthrift widower with two childr ...

'' (1946) * '' Claudia and David'' (1943) * '' Claudia'' (1943) * '' Made for Each Other'' (1939) * ''

Beloved Enemy ''Beloved Enemy'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by H.C. Potter and starring Merle Oberon, Brian Aherne, and David Niven. It was loosely based on the life of Michael Collins. Plot During the Irish War of Independence in 1921, Irish ...

'' (1936) * '' Next Time We Live'' (1936) * ''

Dante's Inferno ''Inferno'' (; Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem ''Divine Comedy''. It is followed by ''Purgatorio'' and '' Paradiso''. The ''Inferno'' describes Dante's journey through Hell, gui ...

'' (1935) * ''

Alias Mary Dow ''Alias Mary Dow'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Sally Eilers, Ray Milland and Henry O'Neill.Quinlan p.331 The film's sets were designed by the art director Ralph Berger. Premise In order to comfort his ...

'' (1935) * ''

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 b ...

'' (1935) * ''

Elinor Norton ''Elinor Norton'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Hamilton MacFadden and written by Rose Franken and Philip Klein. It is based on the 1933 novel, ''The State versus Elinor Norton'' by Mary Roberts Rinehart. The film stars Claire Trevor ...

'' (1934) * ''

'' (1933)

References

External links

Novels and plays of Rose Franken at Florida State UniversityFinding aid to the Rose Franken Papers at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franken, Rose 1895 births 1988 deaths 20th-century American novelists American women novelists People from Gainesville, Texas Novelists from Texas American women dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American women screenwriters 20th-century American screenwriters