- Eleanor Perry
Eleanor Perry (1914-1981) was an American
writer known primarily for herscreenplays .Born Eleanor Irene Rosenfeld in
Cleveland ,Ohio , she attendedWestern Reserve University , where she wrote for the college's literary magazine. Together with her first husband, attorneyLeo G. Bayer , she wrote a series of suspense novels, including "Paper Chase" (1942), which she adapted for the screen under the title "Dangerous Partners " in 1945. After earning aMasters degree in psychiatric social work, she began to write plays, enjoying Broadway success in 1958 with "Third Best Sport ", a collaboration with her husband. The two were divorced shortly after.In 1960, she married aspiring
film director Frank Perry , with whom she formed a long-lasting professional partnership. Their first film, the low-budget "David and Lisa ", for which she drew upon her psychiatric background, earned the coupleAcademy Award nominations for writing and direction. In 1966, she andTruman Capote adapted his novella, "A Christmas Memory ", for the anthology series "ABC Stage 67 ", which earned her the first of twoEmmy Awards . (The second was for "The House Without a Christmas Tree " in 1972).Following her divorce from Frank in 1971, Eleanor struggled to find work in the film industry. She incorporated many of the problems she faced as a female screenwriter in
Hollywood into her 1979 novel, "Blue Pages ".On
March 14 , 1981, she succumbed tocancer inNew York City . Seventeen years after her death, she received screen credit yet again when her original screenplay of "David and Lisa" was refilmed for television.
=Screenplays=
*"The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing " (1973)
*"The Deadly Trap " (1971)
*"Diary of a Mad Housewife " (1970)
*"The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun " (1970)
*"Last Summer " (1969)
*"The Swimmer" (1968)
*"Ladybug Ladybug" (1963)
*"David and Lisa " (1961)
*"Dangerous Partners " (1945)Teleplays
*"" (1998)
*"The Thanksgiving Treasure " (1973)
*"The House Without a Christmas Tree " (1972)
*"The Thanksgiving Visitor " (1967)
*"A Christmas Memory " for "ABC Stage 67 " (1966)
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