Helen German

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Helen Deutsch (born March 21, 1906 in Manhattan , New York City , † March 15, 1992 ibid) was an American journalist , songwriter and screenwriter .

Life

After completing her bachelor's degree from Barnard College in Manhattan, Helen Deutsch began her professional career as the manager of the theater company The Provincetown Players. She then wrote theater reviews for the New York Tribune and the New York Times . During the 1930s, she worked on the Broadway in the press department of the New York Theater Guild. She also wrote more than 20 short stories for magazines and several stage plays.

In 1944 she went to Hollywood , where she wrote her first screenplays for MGM , including for Fred Zinnemann's film drama The Seventh Cross ( The Seventh Cross , 1944), a literary film adaptation with Spencer Tracy based on Anna Seghers ' novel of the same name. The family film Little Girl, Big Heart ( National Velvet , 1944), for which Deutsch subsequently provided the script, made Elizabeth Taylor a star. As a film writer, German demonstrated a wide range. In addition to war and melodramas, she has written for film musicals and adventure films such as King Solomon's Diamonds ( King Solomon's Mines , 1950), and adapted Prosper Mérimée's novella Carmen for the screen version Liebesnächte in Sevilla ( The Loves of Carmen , 1948) with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford .

For her screenplay for the film musical Lili (1953), for which she also wrote the song Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo , Deutsch received a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. In 1961 she also received a nomination for the Tony Award in the category of best musical libretto for the Musical Carnival! which was based on her script for Lili .

Her work also includes the poem The White Magnolia Tree , which has enjoyed great popularity in the United States since a television recitation by Helen Hayes in 1957 . Her latest screenplay she wrote for Valley of the Dolls ( Valley of the Dolls , 1967) based on Jacqueline Susann's novel of the same name.

Helen Deutsch died in 1992 six days before her 86th birthday at her Manhattan home.

Filmography (selection)

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Bruce Lambert: Helen Deutsch, 85, Screenwriter Of 'Lili' and 'National Velvet' . In: The New York Times , March 17, 1992.
  2. ^ Spoken Word . In: Billboard , March 16, 1959, p. 53.
personal data
SURNAME German, Helen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American journalist, songwriter and screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Manhattan , New York City
DATE OF DEATH March 15, 1992
Place of death Manhattan , New York City