Victor Wolfson
Encyclopedia
Victor Wolfson was a dramatist, director, writer, producer and actor. Wolfson began his professional career organizing acting clubs for striking coal miners in West Virginia. He soon found his passion for writing and he wrote numerous plays for Broadway, dramas for television and many novels. He wrote professionally until his death.
His life's work was playwriting and he adapted most of his plays from novels. His Broadway productions included the 1937 comedy Excursion, as well as Bitter Stream, adapted from Fontamara
by Ignazio Silone
, Pastoral, The Family, Pride's Crossing, and Seventh Heaven by Victor Young
. His novels included The Lonely Steeple and The Eagle on the Plain and he also wrote for Harper's Magazine
between 1948 and 1960.
In 1961, he wrote several episodes for ABC
's 26-part television series Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years
which earned him an Emmy Award
1960-1961 for Outstanding Writing Achievement in the Documentary Field.
He died, aged 81, in a fire at his home in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, United States
Wolfson's parents, Adolph Wolfson and Rebecca Hochstein Wolfson, were ethnic Jewish radicals who emigrated from Russia
in 1894 to escape the pervasive anti-semitism
and political persecution of the Tsarist
regime. His sister Theresa Wolfson
was an economist and prolific writer.
His life's work was playwriting and he adapted most of his plays from novels. His Broadway productions included the 1937 comedy Excursion, as well as Bitter Stream, adapted from Fontamara
Fontamara
Fontamara is a 1930 novel by the Italian author Ignazio Silone written whilst he was a refugee from the Fascist Police in Davos, Switzerland. It is Silone's first novel and is regarded as his most famous work. It has received public acclaim throughout the world and has sold more than a million and...
by Ignazio Silone
Ignazio Silone
Ignazio Silone was the pseudonym of Secondino Tranquilli, an Italian author and politician.-Early life and career:...
, Pastoral, The Family, Pride's Crossing, and Seventh Heaven by Victor Young
Victor Young
Victor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:...
. His novels included The Lonely Steeple and The Eagle on the Plain and he also wrote for Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
between 1948 and 1960.
In 1961, he wrote several episodes for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's 26-part television series Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years
The Valiant Years
The Valiant Years was a documentary produced by ABC based on the memoirs of Winston Churchill, directed by Anthony Bushell and John Schlesinger, narrated by Gary Merrill and with extracts from the memoirs voiced by Richard Burton. It ran in the United States from 1960 to 1961, in sixteen 30-minute...
which earned him an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
1960-1961 for Outstanding Writing Achievement in the Documentary Field.
He died, aged 81, in a fire at his home in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, United States
Wolfson's parents, Adolph Wolfson and Rebecca Hochstein Wolfson, were ethnic Jewish radicals who emigrated from Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1894 to escape the pervasive anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
and political persecution of the Tsarist
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
regime. His sister Theresa Wolfson
Theresa Wolfson
Theresa Wolfson was a Jewish-American labor economist and educator. Wolfson is best remembered as the education director of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union during the second half of the 1920s and as a leader of the workers education movement during the 1930s.-Early years:Theresa...
was an economist and prolific writer.
Filmography
- 1966 Rings Around the World (documentary) (screenplay / story)
- 1964 The Finest HoursThe Finest HoursThe Finest Hours is a 1964 documentary film about Winston Churchill, directed by Peter Baylis. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.-Cast:* George Baker - Lord Randolph * Faith Brook - Lady Randolph...
(documentary) - 1960 Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years (TV series documentary) (writer)
- 1956-1960 Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(TV series) teleplay - 1956 Climax! (TV series)
- 1956 Front Row CenterFront Row CenterFront Row Center is an American variety show that aired on the DuMont Television Network from March 25, 1949 to April 2, 1950. The show was originally 30 minutes then expanded to 60 minutes. It was one of several DuMont network programs to originally start as a local show on one of its affiliates...
(TV series) based on his own novel Midsummer Madness - 1956 Kraft Theatre (TV series)
- 1954 Janet Dean, Registered Nurse (TV series)
- 1951-1952 SuspenseSuspense (US TV series)Suspense is an American television anthology series that ran on CBS Television from 1949 to 1954. It was adapted from the radio program of the same name which ran from 1942 to 1962. Like many early television programs, the show was broadcast live from New York City...
(TV series) teleplay and writer – 8 episodes - 1959 Invisible ManThe Invisible Man (1958 TV series)The Invisible Man was a 1958 ITP Production/Official Films Inc. presentation for Associated TeleVision. The series was networked on CBS in the United States. It ran for 26 half-hour monochrome episodes across two seasons and was nominally based on the novel by H.G...
(TV series) scenario editor - 3 episodes
Plays
- 1955 Seventh Heaven. Musical by Victor YoungVictor YoungVictor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:...
- Co-writer with Stella Unger. - 1950 Pride's CrossingPride's CrossingPride's Crossing is a play by Tina Howe. It received the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best American Play and was a finalist for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Drama....
Drama - Writer - 1943 The Family. Based on the novel by Nina Federova. - Writer.
- 1939 Pastoral Comedy - . Writer
- 1937 Excursion Comedy - Writer (see a poster for it here)
- 1936 Bitter Stream - Based on the novel FontamaraFontamaraFontamara is a 1930 novel by the Italian author Ignazio Silone written whilst he was a refugee from the Fascist Police in Davos, Switzerland. It is Silone's first novel and is regarded as his most famous work. It has received public acclaim throughout the world and has sold more than a million and...
by Ignazio SiloneIgnazio SiloneIgnazio Silone was the pseudonym of Secondino Tranquilli, an Italian author and politician.-Early life and career:...
- Writer - 1935 Mother - Stage Director
- 1935 Crime and Punishment - Drama. Writer, Producer and Stage Director.
- 1932 Counsellor-At-Law. Revival -Performed as 'A Tall Man'. Counsellor at Law was made into a filmCounsellor at LawCounsellor at Law is a 1933 American drama film directed by William Wyler. The screenplay by Elmer Rice is based on his 1931 play of the same title.-Plot:...
in 1933. - 1931 Counsellor-at-Law. Drama. Directed by William WylerWilliam WylerWilliam Wyler was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.Notable works included Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives , and Mrs. Miniver , all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture...
. - Performed as 'A Tall Man' - 1926 Mixed Bill -Writer
Books
- 1969 The Mayerling Murder, a book about the Mayerling IncidentMayerling IncidentThe Mayerling Incident refers to the series of events leading to the apparent murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera. Rudolf was the only son of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth, and heir to the throne of the combined...
. - 1967 Midsummer Madness
- 1966 The Man who Cared: A Life of Harry S. TrumanHarry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
- 1962 My Prince! My King!
- 1947 The Eagle on the Plain
- 1945 The Lonely Steeple
- 1937 Excursion: A play in three acts