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Willis Hall Biography (1929-)

Born April 6, 1929, in Leeds, England; son of Walter (a fitter) and Gladys (Gomersal) Hall; married Jill Bennett (divorced); married Dorothy Kingsmill-Lunn (divorced); married Valerie Shute; children: Peter, Macer, Daniel, James. Addresses: AGENT--London Management, 235-241 Regent Street, London W1,England.

Nationality

English

Gender

Male

Birth Details

April 6, 1929

Leeds, England

Famous Works

• Writings;STAGE
• The Long and the Short and the Tall, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1958, then London, 1959, later Maidman Playhouse, New York City, 1962, published by Heinemann, 1959, then Theatre Arts, 1961.
• The Play of the Royal Astrologers, first produced in Birmingham, U.K., 1958, then London, 1968, published by Heinemann, 1960.
• A Glimpse of the Sea, first produced in London, 1959, published inA Glimpse of the Sea: Three Short Plays, Evans, 1960.
• The Last Day in Dreamland, first produced in London, 1959, published in AGlimpse of the Sea: Three Short Plays, Evans, 1960.
• (with Robin Maugham) Azouk, first produced in Newcastle-on-Tyne, U.K., 1962.
• (co-writer) Yer What? (revue), first produced in Nottingham, U.K., 1962.
• The Gentle Knight, first produced in 1964, published by Blackie, 1966.
• (adaptor) The Love Game, first produced in London, 1964.
• Kidnapped at Christmas, first produced in London, 1975, published by Heinemann, 1975.
• Walk On, Walk On, first produced in Liverpool, U.K., 1975, published by Samuel French, Inc., 1976.
• Christmas Crackers, first produced in London, 1976.
• Stag Night, first produced in London, 1976.
• A Right Christmas Caper, first produced in 1977.
• (adaptor) Treasure Island, first produced in 1984.
• (adaptor) The Wind in the Willows, first produced in 1986.
• (adaptor) The Water Babies, first produced in 1987.
• Also The Day's Beginning: An Easter Play, published by Heinemann, 1963.
• Writings;WITH KEITH WATERHOUSE
• Billy Liar, Cambridge Theatre, London, 1960, then Gate Theatre, New YorkCity, 1965, later Westside Theatre, New York City, 1982, published by Joseph,1960, then Norton, 1961.
• (adaptors) Chin-Chin, first produced in London, 1960.
• Celebration: The Wedding and the Funeral, first produced in Nottingham, then in London, both 1961, published by Joseph, 1961.
• England, Our England, first produced in London, 1962, published by Evans,1964.
• The Sponge Room, first produced in Nottingham, 1962, then East End Theatre, New York City, 1964, published by Evans, 1963, and in Modern Short Plays from Broadway and London, edited by Stanley Richards, Random House, 1969.
• Squat Betty, first produced in London, 1962, then East End Theatre, 1964,published by Evans, 1963.
• All Things Bright and Beautiful, first produced in Bristol, U.K., then London, both 1962, published by Joseph, 1963.
• They Called the Bastard Stephen, first produced in Bristol, 1964, revisedas Come Laughing Home, first produced in Wimbledon, U.K., 1965, published byEvans, 1965.
• Say Who You Are, first produced in London, 1965, published by Evans, 1965, then produced as Help Stamp Out Marriage!, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1966, published by Samuel French, Inc., 1966.
• Joey, Joey, first produced in London, 1966.
• Whoops-a-Daisy, first produced in Nottingham, 1968, published by Samuel French, Inc., 1968.
• Children's Day, first produced in Edinburgh, then London, both 1969, published by Samuel French, Inc., 1975.
• Who's Who, first produced in Coventry, U.K., 1971, then London, 1973, published by Samuel French, Inc., 1974.
• (adaptors) The Card, first produced in Bristol, then London, both 1973.
• (adaptors) Saturday, Sunday, Monday, first produced in London, 1973, thenNew York City, 1974, published by Heinemann, 1974.
• (adaptors) Filumena, first produced in London, 1977, then New York City,1978, later Cleveland Playhouse, Cleveland, OH, 1981, published by Heinemann,1978.
• Writings;FILM
• (With Wolf Mankowitz) The Long and the Short and the Tall (also known asThe Jungle Fighters), Warner Brothers, 1961.
• (with Keith Waterhouse) Whistle Down the Wind, Pathe-American, 1961.
• (with Waterhouse) A Kind of Loving, Governor, 1962.
• The Valiant, United Artists, 1962.
• (with Waterhouse) Billy Liar, Warner Brothers, 1963.
• West Eleven, Warner Brothers, 1963.
• (with Waterhouse) Man in the Middle (also known as The Winston Affair), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1964.
• (with Waterhouse) Pretty Polly (also known as A Matter of Innocence), Universal, 1968.
• Lock Up Your Daughters, Columbia, 1969.
• Writings;TELEVISION; SERIES
• Inside George Webley, 1968.
• Queenie's Castle, 1970.
• (with Keith Waterhouse) Budgie, 1971-72.
• The Upper Crusts, 1973.
• Three's Company, 1973.
• Billy Liar, 1973-74.
• Also The Bright Side, The Return of the Antelope, and (with Waterhouse) Worzel Gummidge.
• Writings;EPISODIC
• That Was the Week That Was.
• Writings;MOVIES
• The Reluctant Dragon (animated), 1986.
• Writings;PLAYS
• Air Mail from Cyprus, 1958.
• Return to the Sea, 1959, published in A Glimpse of the Sea: Three Short Plays, Evans, 1960.
• On the Night of the Murder, 1962.
• By Endeavour Alone, 1963.
• (with Waterhouse) Happy Moorings, 1963.
• How Many Angels, 1964.
• The Ticket, 1969.
• The Railwayman's New Clothes, 1971, published by Samuel French, Inc., 1974.
• They Don't All Open Men's Boutiques, 1972.
• The Villa Maroc, 1972.
• Song at Twilight, 1973.
• Friendly Encounter, 1974.
• The Piano Smashers of the Golden Sun, 1974.
• Illegal Approach, 1974.
• Midgley, 1975.
• Match-Fit, 1976.
• Also Stan's Last Game and The Road to 1984.
• Writings;RADIO PLAYS
• The Nightingale, 1954.
• Final at Furnell, 1954, published by Evans, 1956.
• Furore at Furnell, 1955.
• Frenzy at Furnell, 1955.
• Fluster at Furnell, 1955.
• One Man Absent, 1955.
• (with Lewis Jones) Poet and Pheasant, 1955, published by Deane, 1959.
• A Run for the Money, 1956.
• Afternoon for Antigone, 1956.
• The Long Years, 1956.
• Any Dark Morning, 1956.
• Feodor's Bride, 1956.
• One Man Returns, 1956.
• A Ride on the Donkeys, 1957.
• The Calverdon Road Job, 1957.
• Harvest the Sea, 1957.
• Monday at Seven, 1957.
• Annual Outing, 1958.
• The Larford Lad, 1958.
• (with Leslie Halward) The Case of Walter Grimshaw, 1958.
• The Gentle Knight, 1964, published by Blackie, 1966.
• Writings;OTHER
• (With I.O. Evans) They Found the World (juvenile), Warne, 1959.
• The Royal Astrologers: Adventures of Father Mole-Cricket; or, the MalayanLegends (juvenile), Heinemann, 1960, then Coward, 1962.
• (editor, with Keith Waterhouse) Writers' Theatre (non-fiction), Heinemann, 1967.
• (with Michael Parkinson) The A to Z of Soccer (non-fiction), Pelham, 1970.
• (with Bob Monkhouse) The A to Z of Television (non-fiction), Pelham, 1971.
• (editor, with Parkinson) Football Report: An Anthology of Soccer (non-fiction), Pelham, 1973.
• (editor) Football Classified: An Anthology of Soccer (non-fiction), Luscombe, 1975.
• My Sporting Life (non-fiction), Luscombe, 1975.
• The Incredible Kidnapping (juvenile), Heinemann, 1975.
• (editor) Football Final (non-fiction), Pelham, 1975.
• (with Waterhouse) Worzel Gummidge Goes to the Seaside, Penguin, 1980.
• (with Waterhouse) Worzel Gummidge's Television Adventures, Kestrel, 1981.
• (with Waterhouse) The Irish Adventures of Worzel Gummidge, Severn House,1984.
• Also The Summer of the Dinosaur, 1977; The Last Vampire, 1981; The Inflatable Shop, 1984; Dragon Days, 1985; The Return of the Antelope, 1985; The Antelope Company Ashore, 1986; The Antelope Company at Large, 1987; Spooky Rhymes, 1987; and Dr; Jekyll and Mr. Hollins, 1988.