Theodore Strauss

Theodore Strauss (December 27, 1912 – October 30, 2009) was an American writer and filmmaker.

Biography

Strauss was born in Oklahoma on December 27, 1912.[1][2] He worked in circulation at The New York Times in the 1930s.[3]

His novel Night at Hogwallow (Little, Brown & Co.,1937) was received positively by The New York Times.[4] Later he became the paper's "second-string film critic" (after Bosley Crowther).[5] In 1944, he left The New York Times to work as a screenwriter at Paramount.[5][6]

Strauss was known for his novel Moonrise (Viking, 1946).[7][8] It was first published serially in a magazine and then adapted for the 1948 film of the same name.[9][10]

He worked for Life magazine and in 1956 was named editor of Woman's Home Companion.[11][12][5] He was also editorial director of Crowell-Collier.[5][13] In 1957, he returned to the film industry in the eastern story department of 20th Century-Fox.[14][15] Robert Goldstein named him executive story editor at Fox in 1960.[16]

From the 1960s–1980s, he was known for television documentaries.[17][18] Strauss and Terry Sanders won a Writers Guild of America Award for the film The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (1966).[19] He was nominated for an Emmy for I Will Fight No More Forever (1975) and he won an Emmy for America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music (1976).[20][21]

Strauss narrated the first hour of Jacques Cousteau: Cries from the Deep (1982). A Variety review said it was "dismally narrated" and elaborated that his "high-toned verbiage" spoiled the trip for viewers.[22]

A Variety review of his 1986 effort, Clue: Movies, Murder & Mystery, was critical: "Writer Theodore Strauss throws in so many subjects involved in fictional murder that the viewer is left wondering what the mystery is all about".[23]

Personal life

Strauss was married to Catherine Morrison; they had a son, Eric.[24][25]

Later Strauss married Dorothy Comingore from 1947 to 1952; they had a son, Peter.[26][27][28][29][13] In 1956, Strauss married his third wife, Luann "Ludy" Miller, in Connecticut; they had a son, Jonathan, around 1960.[30][31][32]

Theodore Strauss died on October 30, 2009.[1]

Novels

  • Night at Hogwallow (Little, Brown & Co., 1937); also published under the title The Haters[3][33][34][35]
  • Moonrise (Viking, 1946)[36]

Selected filmography

Film

Television

  • The Way Out Men (television) (1965)[42]
  • They've Killed President Lincoln (1971)[43]
  • The Crucifixion of Jesus (1972)[44]
  • The Killer Instinct (1973)[45]
  • Struggle for Survival (1974)[46]
  • I Will Fight No More Forever (1975)[20]
  • America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music (1976)[21]
  • Jacques Cousteau: Cries from the Deep (1982)[22]
  • Honeymooners Reunion (1985)[47]
  • Clue: Movies, Murder & Mystery (1986)[23]

References

  1. ^ a b "In memoriam". Writers Guild of America West Journal. Vol. 14, Iss. 1. p. 56. Via Proquest.
  2. ^ "Wandering author". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1937-10-17. p. 83. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  3. ^ a b "Books and Authors". The New York Times. Sep 26, 1937. p. 16. Via Proquest.
  4. ^ "'The Enemy Gods' and Other Recent Fiction". The New York Times. Oct 17, 1937. p. 10. Via Proquest.
  5. ^ a b c d "Pictures: N.Y. Times' Ted Strauss To Par As Pic Writer". Variety. Jan 19, 1944. 153, 6. p. 40. Via Proquest.
  6. ^ Weiler, A.H. "Random notes about people and pictures: an independent unit--Hollywood comes to New York". The New York Times. Feb 9, 1947. p. X5. Via Proquest.
  7. ^ "Theodore Strauss' Grim Novel". The Pittsburgh Courier. 1947-07-19. p. 18. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  8. ^ "'Moonrise' Authored by Theodore Strauss". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1945-12-05. p. 21. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  9. ^ Schallert, Edwin. "Producers Buy 'Wild' Both in Plays, Books". Los Angeles Times. Dec 3, 1945. p. 9. Via Proquest.
  10. ^ "Of Local Origin". The New York Times. Dec 4, 1945. p. 38. Via Proquest.
  11. ^ Stein, Herb. "Rambling reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Feb 16, 1951. 112, 48. p. 2. Via Proquest.
  12. ^ "Ted Strauss Upped". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 140, Iss. 16. Jun 22, 1956. p. 3. Via Proquest.
  13. ^ a b "Rambling reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Mar 20, 1951. 113, 20. p. 2. Via Proquest.
  14. ^ "Pictures: Strauss joins 20th-Fox". Variety. May 8, 1957. 206, 10. p. 7. Via Proquest.
  15. ^ "Ted Strauss Joins 20th in Eastern Story Dept". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 144, Iss. 36. May 3, 1957. p. 1. Via Proquest.
  16. ^ "Ted Strauss Checks in". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 161, Iss. 36. Aug 31, 1960. p. 2. Via Proquest.
  17. ^ "Strauss may be TV documentary king". The Columbia Record. 1975-05-17. p. 32. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  18. ^ "Strauss docu evening". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 280, Iss. 38, Feb 17, 1984. p. 13. Via Proquest.
  19. ^ "22 writers win top guild awards". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1968-03-23. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  20. ^ a b Marill, Alvin H. (2005). Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004: 1964-1979. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5174-0.
  21. ^ a b Franks, Don (2014-12-03). Entertainment Awards: A Music, Cinema, Theatre and Broadcasting Guide, 1928 through 2003, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0806-8.
  22. ^ a b Adil. "Radio-Television: Canadian TV Reviews - Jacques Cousteau: Cries from the Deep". Variety. Oct 27, 1982. 308, 13. p. 62. Via Proquest.
  23. ^ a b Tone. "Radio-Television: Clue: Movies, Murder & Mystery". Variety. Sep 24, 1986. 324, 9. p. 110. Via Proquest.
  24. ^ "Oregon native passes here". The Capital Journal. 1954-10-05. p. 29. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  25. ^ "Mary C. Strauss". Arizona Daily Star. 1949-06-13. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  26. ^ "Dorothy Comingore, Actress, in Female Lead of 'Citizen Kane". The Washington Post, Times Herald. Jan 1, 1972. p. B3. Via Proquest.
  27. ^ "Red issue raised in fight over actress' children". The Los Angeles Times. 1952-10-22. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  28. ^ "Dorothy Comingore held as alcoholic". The Times. 1953-05-27. p. 22. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  29. ^ "Chatter: Hollywood". Variety. Aug 13, 1952. 187, 10. p. 54. Via Proquest.
  30. ^ "Luann Miller of Herrin marries in Connecticut". Southern Illinoisan. 1956-09-30. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  31. ^ "Boy For Ted Strauss". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 159, Iss. 14. Mar 10, 1960. p. 4. Via Proquest.
  32. ^ "Strauss, Luann "Ludy"". The Los Angeles Times. 2006-05-21. p. 339. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  33. ^ Strauss, Theodore (1937). Night at Hogwallow. Little, Brown.
  34. ^ "Books Published Today". The New York Times. Oct 8, 1937. p. 2. Via Proquest.
  35. ^ Strauss, Theodore (1951). The Haters. Bantam Books.
  36. ^ Strauss, Theodore (1946). Moonrise. Viking Press.
  37. ^ Brog. "Film review: Moonrise". Variety. Sep 15, 1948. 172, 2. p. 20. Via Proquest.
  38. ^ T.A.W. "The Theatre: No It Isn't, Suh". Wall Street Journal. Oct 7, 1948. p. 1. Via Proquest.
  39. ^ Hoffman, Irving. "'Russian Story' only new pic to get B'way praise". The Hollywood Reporter. Jun 14, 1943. p. 4. Via Proquest.
  40. ^ Hogg. "Film review: Four Days in November". Variety. Oct 7, 1964. 236, 7. p. 6. Via Proquest.
  41. ^ Stuart, Mel. "Remembering the Wolper School". Writers Guild of America West Journal. Dec 1989. p. 62-63. Via Proquest.
  42. ^ Horo. "Television reviews: The Way out Men". Variety. Feb 17, 1965. 237, 13. p. 38. Via Proquest.
  43. ^ "Robert Guenette, celebrated filmmaker". The News and Observer. 2003-11-06. p. 31. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  44. ^ Smith, Cecil. "For Good Friday: the Crucifixion as a docu-drama".  Los Angeles Times. 26 Mar 1972: n2. Via Proquest.
  45. ^ Fob. "Radio-Television: The Killer Instinct". Variety. Dec 5, 1973. 273, 4. p. 44. Via Proquest.
  46. ^ Mick. "Television Reviews: Struggle for Survival". Variety. Jun 26, 1974. 275, 7. p. 42. Via Proquest.
  47. ^ Gansberg, Alan L. "Solt Prods, specials get wide May airing". The Hollywood Reporter. May 10, 1985. p. 1, 34. Via Proquest.