Ketti Frings
Encyclopedia
Ketti Frings was an American author
, playwright
, and screenwriter
.
, Frings attended Principia College
, began her career as a copywriter, and went on to work as a feature writer for United Press International
.
was directed by Mitchell Leisen
and starred Olivia de Havilland
and Charles Boyer
. She wrote her first Broadway play, Mr. Sycamore
, in 1942. The play featured Lillian Gish
and Stuart Erwin
in the lead roles.
Her Hollywood movie screenplays include Guest in the House (1944), The File on Thelma Jordon
(1950), Come Back, Little Sheba
(1952), About Mrs. Leslie
(1954), The Shrike
(1955), and Foxfire
(1955).
In 1958 Frings adapted the Thomas Wolfe
novel Look Homeward, Angel
into a play of the same name
. It ran on Broadway for 564 performances at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
, received six Tony Award
nominations, and won the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
. Frings was named "Woman of the Year" by The Los Angeles Times in the same year.
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:...
, 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 screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
Early years
Born Katherine Hartley in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Frings attended Principia College
Principia College
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
, began her career as a copywriter, and went on to work as a feature writer for United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
.
Career
In 1941 her novel Hold Back the Dawn was adapted for the screen. The resulting movieHold Back the Dawn
Hold Back the Dawn is a 1941 romantic film in which a Romanian gigolo marries an American woman in Mexico in order to gain entry to the United States, but winds up falling in love with her...
was directed by Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen was an American director, art director, and costume designer.-Film career:He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments...
and starred Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland
Olivia Mary de Havilland is a British American film and stage actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 and 1949. She is the elder sister of actress Joan Fontaine. The sisters are among the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s.-Early life:Olivia de Havilland...
and Charles Boyer
Charles Boyer
Charles Boyer was a French actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found success in movies during the 1930s. His memorable performances were among the era's most highly praised romantic dramas,...
. She wrote her first Broadway play, Mr. Sycamore
Mr. Sycamore
Mr. Sycamore is a play written by Ketti Frings that was published in 1942. It is about a meek mailman who becomes so obsessed with a particular sycamore tree on his delivery route that he leads himself to believe that the only way to end his troubles is to plant himself and become a tree. On...
, in 1942. The play featured Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
and Stuart Erwin
Stuart Erwin
Stuart Erwin was an American actor. Erwin began acting in college in the 1920s, first appearing on the stage, then breaking into films in 1928 in Mother Knows Best...
in the lead roles.
Her Hollywood movie screenplays include Guest in the House (1944), The File on Thelma Jordon
The File on Thelma Jordon
The File on Thelma Jordon is a 1950 film noir directed by Robert Siodmak from a screenplay by Ketti Frings. It stars Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey.-Plot:...
(1950), Come Back, Little Sheba
Come Back, Little Sheba (1952 film)
Come Back, Little Sheba is a drama film produced by Paramount Pictures which tells the story of a loveless marriage that is rocked when a young woman rents a room in the couple's house. The film stars Burt Lancaster and Shirley Booth with Terry Moore and Richard Jaeckel...
(1952), About Mrs. Leslie
About Mrs. Leslie
About Mrs. Leslie is a drama film directed by Daniel Mann and starring Shirley Booth and Robert Ryan. It was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 1955.-Storyline:Mrs...
(1954), The Shrike
The Shrike (film)
The Shrike is a 1955 film based on the Joseph Kramm's play, The Shrike. José Ferrer directed and starred in Ketti Frings' screenplay adaptation.-Characters and story:...
(1955), and Foxfire
Foxfire (1955 film)
Foxfire is a 1955 Hollywood motion picture, that starred Jane Russell and Jeff Chandler.-Main cast:*Jane Russell as Amanda Dartland*Jeff Chandler as Jonathan Dartland*Dan Duryea as Hugh Slater*Mara Corday as Maria...
(1955).
In 1958 Frings adapted the Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Clayton Wolfe was a major American novelist of the early 20th century.Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels, plus many short stories, dramatic works and novellas. He is known for mixing highly original, poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing...
novel Look Homeward, Angel
Look Homeward, Angel
Look Homeward, Angel: A Story of the Buried Life is a 1929 novel by Thomas Wolfe. It is Wolfe's first novel, and is considered a highly autobiographical American Bildungsroman. The character of Eugene Gant is generally believed to be a depiction of Wolfe himself. The novel covers the span of time...
into a play of the same name
Look Homeward, Angel (play)
Look Homeward, Angel is an acclaimed 1957 stage play by the playwright Ketti Frings. It opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre November 28, 1957, and ran for a total of 564 performances, closing on April 4, 1959....
. It ran on Broadway for 564 performances 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....
, received six 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...
nominations, and won the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
. Frings was named "Woman of the Year" by The Los Angeles Times in the same year.