Horton Foote

Albert Horton Foote, Jr. (March 14, 1916 – March 4, 2009^[1]) was an American playwright and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning screenplays for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird and the 1983 film Tender Mercies, and his notable live television dramas during the Golden Age of Television. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1995 for his play The Young Man From Atlanta.

Foote was born to Albert Horton Foote and Hallie Brooks in Wharton, Texas.^[2]

Television

Foote began as an actor after studying at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1931-32. After getting better reviews for plays he had written than his acting, he focused on writing in the 1940s and became one of the leading writers for television during the 1950s, beginning with an episode of The Gabby Hayes Show. The Trip to Bountiful premiered March 1, 1953 on NBC with the leading cast members (Lillian Gish, Eva Marie Saint) reprising their roles on Broadway later that year. Throughout the 1950s, Foote wrote for The Gulf Playhouse, The Philco Television Playhouse, The United States Steel Hour, Playwrights '56, Studio One, Armchair Theatre and Playhouse 90. He continued into the 1960s with ITV Playhouse and DuPont Show of the Month. He adapted William Faulkner's "Old Man" to television twice, in 1959 and 1997; receiving Emmy nominations both years and winning for the 1997 drama (Outstanding Writing of a Miniseries or Special).

Theater

Foote's plays were produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway and at many regional theatres. He wrote the English adaptation of the original Japanese book for the 1970 musical Scarlett, a musical adaptation of "Gone with the Wind". He won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for The Young Man From Atlanta. The Goodman Theatre production that was presented on Broadway in New York City in 1997 was nominated for Best Play, but did not win. The production starred Rip Torn, Shirley Knight and Biff McGuire. Knight and McGuire were also nominated for Tony Awards.

Films

Foote received an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Screen Award for his adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962. Foote did not attend the Oscars ceremony because he did not expect to win, and so was not present to collect the award in person.^[3]

Foote personally recommended actor Robert Duvall for the part of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird after meeting him during a 1957 production of The Midnight Caller at Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. The two would work together many more times in the future. Foote has described Duvall as "our number one actor".^[3]

Foote's script for the 1983 film Tender Mercies had been rejected by many American film directors before Australian director Bruce Beresford finally accepted it; Foote later said, "this film was turned down by every American director on the face of the globe." Foote was rumored to have written the lead role of Tender Mercies specifically for Robert Duvall. Foote denied this, claiming it would be too constraining for him to write a role for a specific actor; however, Duvall said he helped contribute some ideas for the character, and said Foote knew he had wanted to play a country western singer. The film received six Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture (which lost) and Best Original Screenplay (which Foote won). Duvall also won an Academy Award for his performance. Well aware of his failure to attend the 1963 ceremony, Foote made sure to attend the 1984 ceremony. The film also earned Foote the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay.^[3]

His other film scripts include Baby the Rain Must Fall starring Steve McQueen and Lee Remick, which was based on his play The Travelling Lady. The film was directed by Robert Mulligan who had worked with Foote on To Kill a Mockingbird a few years earlier.

Foote generally wrote screenplays that were based on his plays, such as the semi-autobiographic trilogy of 1918 (1985), On Valentine's Day (1986) and Courtship (1987). His screenplay for The Trip to Bountiful (1985) attracted another Academy Award nomination with Geraldine Page winning an Academy Award for Best Actress..

He also adapted works by other authors, such as John Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men directed by and starring Gary Sinise with John Malkovich). In addition to Faulkner's "Old Man", he also adapted Faulkner's short story "Tomorrow" into a 1972 film starring Robert Duvall. Foote had previously adapted the story into a play. Leonard Maltin, in his movie guide book, calls the movie the best film adaptation of any of Faulkner's work.

Playwright Lillian Hellman adapted his play for the 1966 film The Chase with Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford.

Foote provided the voice of Jefferson Davis for Ken Burns' critically acclaimed documentary "The Civil War" (PBS, 1990), and adaptations of his plays "The Habitation of Dragons" (TNT, 1992) and "Lily Dale" (Showtime, 1996) preceded the Showtime production of "Horton Foote's Alone" (1997).

Foote was awarded an honorary doctorate from Carson-Newman College. He also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky, in 1987. One of Foote's primary biographers is Dr. Gerald Wood, chair of the English Department at Carson-Newman College. Books by Wood about Foote include Horton Foote and the Theater of Intimacy and Horton Foote: A Casebook. Baylor University also holds close ties with Foote. In 2002, Horton Foote accepted the title as "Visiting Distinguished Dramatist" with the Baylor Department of Theatre Arts.

Foote was the cousin of actor/director Peter Masterson who directed three of his screenplays, including The Trip to Bountiful, Convicts and the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production of Lily Dale, starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Peter's daughter.

Tess Harper, an actress who worked with Foote on Tender Mercies, described him as "America's Chekhov. If he didn't study the Russians, he's a reincarnation of the Russians. He's a quiet man who writes quiet people." Regarding his own writing, Foote said, "I know that people think I have a certain style, but I think style is like the color of the eyes. I don't know that you choose that."^[3]

Personal life

Foote was married to Lillian Vallish Foote (July 1923 - August 1992)^[4] from 1945 until her death. Their four children are actors Horton, Jr. and Hallie, playwright Daisy, and director Walter. All have worked on projects with their father.

Plays

Original screenplays

• Tender Mercies (1983)
• Alone (1997)

Memoirs

• Farewell: A Memoir of a Texas Childhood (1999)
• Beginnings (2001)

Notes and references

1. ^ The New York Times March 4, 2009
2. ^ "Horton Foote Biography". filmreference. 2008. http://www.filmreference.com/film/93/Horton-Foote.html. Retrieved 2008-11-25. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Bruce Beresford (actor), Robert Duvall (actor), Horton Foote (actor), Tess Harper (actor), Gary Hertz (director). (2002-04-16). Miracles & Mercies. [Documentary]. West Hollywood, California: Blue Underground. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383509/. Retrieved 2008-01-28. 
4. ^ Social Security Death Index

• Hampton, Wilborn (2009). Horton Foote: America's Storyteller. New York: Free Press. 

External links

• Horton Foote at the Internet Broadway Database
• Horton Foote at the Internet Movie Database
• Horton Foote at the Internet off-Broadway Database
• Horton Foote Society
• Articles on Horton Foote and Getting Frankie Married—and Afterwards at South Coast Repertory
• Articles on Horton Foote and The Carpetbagger's Children at South Coast Repertory
• Horton Foote at the Open Directory Project
• Obituary in the Star-Gazette