Philip Dunne Biography (1908-1992)
Born February 11, 1908, in New York, NY; died of cancer June 2, 1992, in Malibu CA; son of Finley Peter (a political humorist) and Margaret Ives Abbot (anOlympic golfer); married Amanda Duff, 1939; children: Philippa, Miranda, Jessica. Career: Screenwriter and director. Worked for Guaranty Trust Company, NY, 1929; story reader, Fox Company, 1930-31; writer Twentieth CenturyFox, 1937-62; founded the Screen Writers Guild (pre-cursor of the Writers Guild of America); formed the Committee for the First Amendment (with John Huston and William Wyler) to protest the procedures of the House Committee on Un-American Activities; speech writer for Adlai Stevenson's presidential campaigns, 1952 and 1956; speech writer for John F. Kennedy's campaign, 1960; syndicated columnist and essayist for various publications, including Los AngelesTimes and Time magazine. Military service: Head of production and documentary filmmaker for the Motion Picture Bureau of the Office ofWar Information, 1942-46. Awards, Honors: Academy Award nomination, best writing, screenplay, 1942, for How Green Was My Valley; Academy Award nomination, best writing, story and screenplay, 1952, for David and Bathsheba; Golden Leopard, best film, Locarno International Film Festival, 1958, for Ten North Frederick; Writers Guild Laurel Award, 1961; Valentine Davies Award, Writers Guild of America, 1974.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Screenwriter, director
- Birth Details
- February 11, 1908
- New York, New York, United States
- Death Details
- June 2, 1992
- Malibu, California, United States
Famous Works
- CREDITS
- Film Director
- Prince of Players, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955
- The View from Pompey's Head (also known as Secret Interlude), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955
- Hilda Crane, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1956
- Three Brave Men, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957
- In Love and War, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958
- Ten North Frederick, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958
- BlueDenim (also known as Blue Jeans), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958
- Wild in the Country, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1961
- Lisa (also known as The Inspector), Twentieth Century-Fox,1962
- Blindfold, Universal, 1966
- WRITINGS
- Screenplays
- Student Tour, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1933
- The Count of Monte Cristo, United Artists, 1934
- The Melody Lingers On, Reliance, 1935
- The Last of the Mohicans, United Artists, 1936
- Lancer Spy, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937
- Breezing Home, Universal, 1937
- Suez, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1938
- The Rains Came, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1939
- Swanee River, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1939
- Stanley and Livingston, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1939
- Johnny Apollo, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1940
- How Green Was My Valley, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1941
- Son of Fury, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1942
- The Late George Apley, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1947
- Forever Amber, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1947
- The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1947
- The Luck of the Irish, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1948
- Escape, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1948
- Pinky, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1949
- Anne of the Indies, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951
- David and Bathsheba, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951
- Lydia Bailey, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1952
- Way of a Gaucho, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1952
- The Robe, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1953
- Demetrius and the Gladiators, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1954
- The Egyptian, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1954
- The View from Pompey's Head, (also known as Secret Interlude), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955
- Hilda Crane, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1956
- Three Brave Men, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957
- Ten North Frederick, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958
- BlueDenim (also known as Blue Jeans), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958
- The Agony and the Ecstasy, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1965
- Blindfold, Universal, 1966
- Autobiography
- Take Two: A Life in Movies and Politics, McGraw-Hill (New York City), 1980
- Other
- How Green Was My Valley (screenplay), in Twenty Best Film Plays, edited by John Gassner and Dudley Nichols, Crown (New York City), 1943
- Editor, Mr. Dooley Remembers, by Finley Peter Dunne, Little, Brown(Boston, MA), 1963
- Articles by Dunne
- "The Documentary and Hollywood," Hollywood Quarterly, January, 1946
- "The Animal Called a Writer" Films and Filming (London), September, 1961
- Film Comment, Winter, 1970-71
- Blueprint on Babylon, by J.D. Marshall, Los Angeles, CA, 1978
- Backstory: Interviews with Screenwriters of Hollywood's Golden Age, edited by Pat McGilligan, Berkeley, CA, 1986
- Adaptations: An adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans wasreleased by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1992
- A collection of Dunne's writings are stored at the University of SouthernCalifornia.
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Books:- Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 26: American Screenwriters, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1984.
- International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 4: Writers and Production Artists, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1993.
Periodicals:- New York Times, June 4, 1992, p. 705.*