Oscar Millard
Encyclopedia
English writer
Oscar Millard (1908 – 1990) found success in Hollywood when he collaborated on the screenplay
to the 1949 hit Come to the Stable
, a comedy about nuns. He fared better the following year when he picked up an Academy Award nomination for the gritty war movie The Frogmen.
Millard's output after that was less successful though interesting: the James Stewart
thriller No Highway in the Sky
(1951) and Otto Preminger
's full-guns-blazing femme fatale
movie No Angel
(1952).
Millard's reputation was considerably tarnished (as indeed was everyone involved in the project) with the deliriously bad John Wayne
-Susan Hayward
barbarian
epic
The Conqueror
(1956), a film probably more famous now for filming in a nuclear bomb testing site and most of the cast and crew succumbing to early, cancer
-related deaths.
After that, Millard found consistent work on television, writing scripts for such shows as Wagon Train
, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Twelve O'Clock High
.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Oscar Millard (1908 – 1990) found success in Hollywood when he collaborated on the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
to the 1949 hit Come to the Stable
Come to the Stable
Come to the Stable is a 1949 American film which tells the story of two French nuns who come to a small New England town and involve the townsfolk in helping them to build a children's hospital...
, a comedy about nuns. He fared better the following year when he picked up an Academy Award nomination for the gritty war movie The Frogmen.
Millard's output after that was less successful though interesting: the James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
thriller No Highway in the Sky
No Highway in the Sky
No Highway in the Sky is a 1951 British disaster film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich...
(1951) and Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
's full-guns-blazing femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
movie No Angel
No Angel
No Angel is the debut album by pop singer/songwriter Dido. Originally released in June 1999 in the United States, the album found a mass audience when it was released worldwide in February 2001...
(1952).
Millard's reputation was considerably tarnished (as indeed was everyone involved in the project) with the deliriously bad John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
-Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward was an American actress.After working as a fashion model in New York, Hayward travelled to Hollywood in 1937 when open auditions were held for the leading role in Gone with the Wind . Although she was not selected, she secured a film contract, and played several small supporting...
barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
epic
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
The Conqueror
The Conqueror (film)
The Conqueror is a 1956 CinemaScope epic film produced by Howard Hughes and starring John Wayne as the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. Other performers included Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, and Pedro Armendáriz. Directed by actor/director Dick Powell, the film was principally shot near St...
(1956), a film probably more famous now for filming in a nuclear bomb testing site and most of the cast and crew succumbing to early, cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
-related deaths.
After that, Millard found consistent work on television, writing scripts for such shows as Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Twelve O'Clock High
Twelve O'Clock High (TV series)
Twelve O'Clock High or 12 O'Clock High is an American drama series set in World War II. This TV series originally broadcasted on ABC-TV for two-and-one-half TV seasons from September 18, 1964, through January 13, 1967; was based on the motion picture Twelve O'Clock High...
.