William Brown Meloney (1905–1971)
Encyclopedia
William Brown Meloney was a journalist
, novelist, short-story writer and theatrical producer.
and Marie Mattingley Meloney (1878-1943)
, Meloney became a journalist, like his parents. In 1929 he had an affair with Priscilla Fansler Hobson, who became pregnant with Meloney's child and who underwent an abortion. Priscilla in the same year married Alger Hiss
, who in 1950 was convicted of perjury for lying to a Congressional committee.
Meloney was married first to Elizabeth Ryder Symons of Saginaw, Michigan, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Shirley Symons, then to playwright and screenwriter Rose Franken
. He had two sons by his first wife, the second of whom was born on April 8, 1933..
In 1933, Meloney and Elizabeth were living in Pawling, New York, where he was editor of the Pawling Chronicle. He was also the local correspondent
for the New York Herald Tribune
and The New York Times
.
In the mid-1930s, Meloney was writing motion picture scripts with Rose Dorothy Lewin Franken
, and the two were married on April 27, 1937. By that time he had become a lawyer and was also an executive on This Week magazine, of which his mother was the editor. Meloney and Franken "relocated to Longmeadow, a working farm in Lyme, Connecticut
, which, under their management, was adopted as a model of diversified farming by the local agricultural college at Storrs." The two continued writing, "both individually and collaboratively, for magazines, including Harper's Bazaar
and Collier's. They sometimes wrote together under the pseudonym Franken Meloney."
He died May 3 or 4, 1971, probably in Litchfield, Connecticut
.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, novelist, short-story writer and theatrical producer.
Biography
The son of William Brown Meloney (1878–1925)William Brown Meloney (1878–1925)
William Brown Meloney was a journalist, writer, executive secretary to Mayor William Jay Gaynor of New York City and a historian of shipping....
and Marie Mattingley Meloney (1878-1943)
Marie Mattingly Meloney
Marie Mattingly Meloney , who used Mrs. William B. Meloney as her professional and social name, was "one of the leading woman journalists of the United States," a magazine editor and a socialite who in the 1920s organized a fund drive to buy radium for Marie Curie and began a movement for better...
, Meloney became a journalist, like his parents. In 1929 he had an affair with Priscilla Fansler Hobson, who became pregnant with Meloney's child and who underwent an abortion. Priscilla in the same year married Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official...
, who in 1950 was convicted of perjury for lying to a Congressional committee.
Meloney was married first to Elizabeth Ryder Symons of Saginaw, Michigan, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Shirley Symons, then to playwright and screenwriter Rose Franken
Rose Franken
Rose Dorothy Lewin Franken , author and playwright, was born on December 28, 1895, in Gainesville, Texas, the youngest child of Michael and Hannah Lewin. In 1914 she married Sigmund W.A. Franken, an oral surgeon who died in 1932. They had three children. In 1937 she married writer William Brown...
. He had two sons by his first wife, the second of whom was born on April 8, 1933..
In 1933, Meloney and Elizabeth were living in Pawling, New York, where he was editor of the Pawling Chronicle. He was also the local correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
for the New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
In the mid-1930s, Meloney was writing motion picture scripts with Rose Dorothy Lewin Franken
Rose Franken
Rose Dorothy Lewin Franken , author and playwright, was born on December 28, 1895, in Gainesville, Texas, the youngest child of Michael and Hannah Lewin. In 1914 she married Sigmund W.A. Franken, an oral surgeon who died in 1932. They had three children. In 1937 she married writer William Brown...
, and the two were married on April 27, 1937. By that time he had become a lawyer and was also an executive on This Week magazine, of which his mother was the editor. Meloney and Franken "relocated to Longmeadow, a working farm in Lyme, Connecticut
Lyme, Connecticut
Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,016 at the 2000 census. Lyme and its neighboring town Old Lyme are the namesake for Lyme disease.-Geography:...
, which, under their management, was adopted as a model of diversified farming by the local agricultural college at Storrs." The two continued writing, "both individually and collaboratively, for magazines, including Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
and Collier's. They sometimes wrote together under the pseudonym Franken Meloney."
He died May 3 or 4, 1971, probably in Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
.
Broadway productions
- Outrageous Fortune, November 3, 1943–January 8, 1944
- Doctor's Disagree, December 28, 1943–January 15, 1944
- Soldier's Wife, October 4, 1944–May 12, 1945
- The Hallams, March 4, 1948–March 13, 1948
Filmography
Shared credit as writer- Beloved EnemyBeloved EnemyBeloved Enemy is a 1936 American drama film directed by H.C. Potter and starring Merle Oberon, Brian Aherne, and David Niven. It was loosely based on the life of Michael Collins.-Plot:...
, 1936 - Claudia and DavidClaudia and DavidClaudia and David is a 1946 film directed by Walter Lang. It stars Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young.-Cast:*Dorothy McGuire as Claudia Naughton*Robert Young as David Naughton*Mary Astor as Elizabeth Van Doren*John Sutton as Phil Dexter...
, 1946 - The Secret HeartThe Secret HeartThe Secret Heart is a 1946 film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and starring Claudette Colbert, Walter Pidgeon and June Allyson.-Plot:Lee is engaged to marry Larry Adams, a spendthrift widower with two children, son Chase and daughter Penny...
, 1946