Bill Naughton
Encyclopedia
William John Francis Naughton, or Bill Naughton (Ballyhaunis
, 12 June 1910 - Ballasalla
, 9 January 1992) was an Irish
-born British
playwright
and author
, best known for his play Alfie.
, Ireland, he moved to Bolton
, Lancashire
, England
in 1914 as a child. There he attended Saint Peter and Paul's School, worked as a weaver, coal-bagger and lorry-driver before he started writing.
In addition to Alfie, at least two of his other plays have been made into feature films. These are Spring and Port Wine
, which had James Mason
starring in the role of Rafe Crompton, and The Family Way
, which starred John Mills
. His work also includes the novel One Small Boy (1957), and the collection of short stories The Goalkeeper's Revenge: And Other Stories (1961). His 1977 children's novel My Pal Spadger is an account of his childhood in 1920s Bolton.
Many of his plays were performed at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton town centre. A 85-seat adaptable studio theatre within the Octagon is named after him.
on the Isle of Man
. A "Bill Naughton Short Story Competition", administered by The Kenny/Naughton Autumn School, was named in Naughton's honour.
Ballyhaunis
Ballyhaunis is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line connecting Dublin to Westport and Ballina....
, 12 June 1910 - Ballasalla
Ballasalla
Ballasalla is a village in the parish of Malew in the south-east of the Isle of Man, close to the town of Castletown. The village was built mostly from the ruins of the nearby Rushen Abbey, a Cistercian abbey founded in the 12th century and dissolved in the 16th century.-Governance:The local...
, 9 January 1992) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
-born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, best known for his play Alfie.
Early life
Born in Ballyhaunis, County MayoCounty Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland, he moved to Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1914 as a child. There he attended Saint Peter and Paul's School, worked as a weaver, coal-bagger and lorry-driver before he started writing.
Writing career
Although best remembered for his play, Alfie, mostly because of the British film starring Michael Caine in the eponymous role, Naughton was a prolific writer of plays, novels, short stories and children's books. His preferred environment was working class society, which is reflected in much of his written work.In addition to Alfie, at least two of his other plays have been made into feature films. These are Spring and Port Wine
Spring and Port Wine
Spring and Port Wine is a stage play by Bill Naughton which was turned into a film .It began life under the title My Flesh, My Blood as a BBC Radio play, broadcast on 17 August 1957 in the Saturday Night Theatre strand...
, which had James Mason
James Mason
James Neville Mason was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes .- Early life :Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the...
starring in the role of Rafe Crompton, and The Family Way
The Family Way
The Family Way is a 1966 British comedy-drama film based on Bill Naughton's play All in Good Time . It began life in 1961 as a television play entitled Honeymoon Postponed....
, which starred John Mills
John Mills
Sir John Mills CBE , born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who made more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.-Life and career:...
. His work also includes the novel One Small Boy (1957), and the collection of short stories The Goalkeeper's Revenge: And Other Stories (1961). His 1977 children's novel My Pal Spadger is an account of his childhood in 1920s Bolton.
Many of his plays were performed at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton town centre. A 85-seat adaptable studio theatre within the Octagon is named after him.
Awards
During his lifetime, he received the following awards:- Screenwriters Guide Award (1967 and 1968)
- Italia Prize for Radio Play (1974)
- Children's Rights Workshop Other Award (1978)
- Portico Literary Prize (1987)
- The Hon. Fellowship, Bolton Institute of Higher Education (1988).
Death
Naughton died in 1992, in BallasallaBallasalla
Ballasalla is a village in the parish of Malew in the south-east of the Isle of Man, close to the town of Castletown. The village was built mostly from the ruins of the nearby Rushen Abbey, a Cistercian abbey founded in the 12th century and dissolved in the 16th century.-Governance:The local...
on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. A "Bill Naughton Short Story Competition", administered by The Kenny/Naughton Autumn School, was named in Naughton's honour.
Plays
- My Flesh, My Blood (1957)
- Alfie (1963) (adapted for 1966 film Alfie)
- All in Good Time (1963) (adapted for 1966 film The Family WayThe Family WayThe Family Way is a 1966 British comedy-drama film based on Bill Naughton's play All in Good Time . It began life in 1961 as a television play entitled Honeymoon Postponed....
) - He Was Gone When We Got There (1966)
- All In Good Time (1965)
- June Evening (1966)
- Spring and Port WineSpring and Port WineSpring and Port Wine is a stage play by Bill Naughton which was turned into a film .It began life under the title My Flesh, My Blood as a BBC Radio play, broadcast on 17 August 1957 in the Saturday Night Theatre strand...
(1967) - Lighthearted Intercourse (1971)
- Keep It in the Family (1967)
- Annie And Fanny (1967)
- Derby Day (1994)
Novels
- Roof Over Your Head (1945)
- One Small Boy (1957)
- Alfie (1966)
- Alfie Darling (1970)
- My Pal Spadger (1977)
Collections
- The Goalkeeper's Revenge (1967)
- Late Night on Watling Street (1970)
- The Bees Have Stopped Working: And Other Stories (1976)
- Spit Nolan (1988)
- Ricky, Karim and Spit Nolan: Adventure Short Stories (2003) (with Jenny Alexander, Pratima Mitchell)