Horton Foote
| Horton Foote | |
|---|---|
| Born | Albert Horton Foote, Jr. March 14, 1916 Wharton, Texas, United States |
| Died | March 4, 2009 (aged 92) Hartford, Connecticut, United States |
| Occupation | Playwright and screenwriter |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Lillian Vallish Foote (1945–1992) |
| Related to | Peter Masterson (cousin), Shelby Foote (cousin), Mary Stuart Masterson, Albert Clinton Horton (Lt. Governor of Texas)(ancestor) |
| Information | |
| Debut works |
Lily Dale (1986) The Widow Claire |
| Notable work(s) |
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Tender Mercies (1983) Old Man (1997) The Trip to Bountiful 1985 |
| Magnum opus |
The Orphans' Home Cycle (1962–1999) The Young Man From Atlanta (1995) |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1995) Two Academy Awards (1962 and 1983) Emmy (1997) National Medal of Arts (2000) |
Albert Horton Foote, Jr. (March 14, 1916 – March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his 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 and two Academy Awards, one for an original screenplay, Tender Mercies, and one for adapted screenplay, To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1995, Foote was the inaugural recipient of the Austin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award. In describing his three-play work, The Orphans' Home Cycle, the drama critic for the Wall Street Journal said this: "Foote, who died last March, left behind a masterpiece, one that will rank high among the signal achievements of American theater in the 20th century." In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Foote was born in Wharton, Texas, the son of Harriet Gautier "Hallie" Brooks (1894–1974) and Albert Horton Foote (1890–1973). His younger brothers were Thomas Brooks Foote (1921–1944) who died in aerial combat over Germany, and John Speed Foote (1923–1995).
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).
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