Frederick Knott
Encyclopedia
Frederick Major Paull Knott (28 August 1916 — 17 December 2002) was an English
playwright
, best known for writing the London-based stage thriller Dial M for Murder
, which was later filmed in Hollywood by Alfred Hitchcock
.
Knott was born in Hankow, China
, to English missionaries
. He was educated at Oundle School
from 1929 to 1934 and later gained a law degree from Cambridge University. He served in the British Army from 1939 to 1946, rising to the rank of Major, and eventually moved to the United States.
Although his most successful play, Dial M for Murder, was a hit on the stage, it was originally a BBC
television production. As a theatre piece, it premiered at the Westminster Theatre in Victoria, London
, in June 1952, directed by John Fernald and starring Alan MacNaughtan
and Jane Baxter
. This production was followed in October by a successful run in New York City
at the Plymouth Theater
, where Reginald Denham directed Richard Derr and Gusti Huber
. Knott also wrote the screenplay for the 1954 Hollywood movie which Hitchcock filmed for Warner Brothers in 3D
, starring Ray Milland
and Grace Kelly
, with Anthony Dawson
and John Williams
reprising their characters from the New York stage production, which had brought Williams a Tony Award
for his role as Inspector Hubbard.
In 1960, Knott wrote the stage thriller Write Me a Murder
, which was produced at the Belasco Theatre
in New York in October 1961. It was directed by George Schaefer
and included Denholm Elliott
and Kim Hunter
in the cast.
In 1966, Knott's stage play Wait Until Dark
was produced on Broadway
at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
. The Director was Arthur Penn
and the play starred Lee Remick
who won a Tony Award nomination for her performance. Later the same year, Honor Blackman
played the lead in London's West End
at the Strand Theatre
. However, the movie version
released in 1967 had Audrey Hepburn
in the lead role.
Knott died in New York City in 2002.
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...
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...
, best known for writing the London-based stage thriller Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder is a 1954 American thriller film adapted from a successful stage play by Frederick Knott, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The movie was released by the Warner Bros...
, which was later filmed in Hollywood by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
.
Knott was born in Hankow, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, to English missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
. He was educated at Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School is a co-educational British public school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556. Oundle has eight boys' houses, five girls' houses, a day...
from 1929 to 1934 and later gained a law degree from Cambridge University. He served in the British Army from 1939 to 1946, rising to the rank of Major, and eventually moved to the United States.
Although his most successful play, Dial M for Murder, was a hit on the stage, it was originally a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television production. As a theatre piece, it premiered at the Westminster Theatre in Victoria, London
Victoria, London
Victoria is a commercial and residential area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Queen Victoria....
, in June 1952, directed by John Fernald and starring Alan MacNaughtan
Alan MacNaughtan
Alan MacNaughtan was a Scottish actor, born in Bearsden, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. An experienced Old Vic, West End and Broadway actor, he became active in television and certain films between 1954 and 1999....
and Jane Baxter
Jane Baxter
Jane Baxter was a British actress. Her stage career spanned half a century, and she appeared in a number of films and in television.-Early life:...
. This production was followed in October by a successful run in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the Plymouth Theater
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 236 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan named for Gerald Schoenfeld....
, where Reginald Denham directed Richard Derr and Gusti Huber
Gusti Huber
Auguste Huber was an Austrian theater and film actress.She received her acting training from Dr. Beer who also arranged her debut in Zurich...
. Knott also wrote the screenplay for the 1954 Hollywood movie which Hitchcock filmed for Warner Brothers in 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, starring Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
and Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
, with Anthony Dawson
Anthony Dawson
Anthony Dawson was a Scottish-born actor, best known for his supporting roles in British films.Born in Edinburgh, he made his film debut in 1943's They Met in the Dark, going on to appear in such classic British films as The Way to the Stars , The Queen of Spades , and The Wooden Horse , before...
and John Williams
John Williams (actor)
John Williams was an English stage, film and television actor. He is remembered for his role as chief inspector Hubbard in Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder, and as portraying the second "Mr...
reprising their characters from the New York stage production, which had brought Williams a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for his role as Inspector Hubbard.
In 1960, Knott wrote the stage thriller Write Me a Murder
Write Me a Murder
Write Me A Murder is a 1961 mystery play in 3 acts by Frederick Knott.The play tells the story of the brothers Clive and David Rodingham, who inherit the family fortune upon the death of their father....
, which was produced at the Belasco Theatre
Belasco Theatre
The Belasco Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 111 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco, the interior featured Tiffany lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork and expansive murals by American artist...
in New York in October 1961. It was directed by George Schaefer
George Schaefer (director)
George Louis Schaefer was a director of television and Broadway theatre from the 1950s to the 1990s.-Life and career:...
and included Denholm Elliott
Denholm Elliott
Denholm Mitchell Elliott, CBE was an English film, television and theatre actor with over 120 film and television credits...
and Kim Hunter
Kim Hunter
Kim Hunter was an American film, theatre, and television actress. She won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, each as Best Supporting Actress, for her performance as Stella Kowalski in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire...
in the cast.
In 1966, Knott's stage play Wait Until Dark
Wait Until Dark
Wait Until Dark is a play by Frederick Knott.-Synopsis:Susy Hendrix is a blind Greenwich Village housewife who becomes the target of three con-men searching for the heroin hidden in a doll, which her husband Sam innocently transported from Canada as a favor to a woman who has since been murdered...
was produced on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 243 West 47th Street in midtown-Manhattan, named for actress Ethel Barrymore....
. The Director was Arthur Penn
Arthur Penn
Arthur Hiller Penn was an American film director and producer with a career as a theater director as well. Penn amassed a critically acclaimed body of work throughout the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:...
and the play starred Lee Remick
Lee Remick
Lee Ann Remick was an American film and television actress. Among her best-known films are Anatomy of a Murder , Days of Wine and Roses , and The Omen .-Early life:...
who won a Tony Award nomination for her performance. Later the same year, Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
played the lead in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
at the Strand Theatre
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...
. However, the movie version
Wait Until Dark (film)
Wait Until Dark is a suspense-thriller film directed by Terence Young and produced by Mel Ferrer. It stars Audrey Hepburn as a young blind woman, Alan Arkin as a violent criminal searching for some drugs, and Richard Crenna as another criminal, supported by Jack Weston, Julie Herrod, and Efrem...
released in 1967 had Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
in the lead role.
Knott died in New York City in 2002.