About

Known credits:
67
Birthday:
1917-04-01
Place of birth:
New York City, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

Melville Shavelson

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Melville Shavelson (April 1, 1917 – August 8, 2007) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. He was President of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAw) from 1969 to 1971, 1979 to 1981, and 1985 to 1987. He came to Hollywood in 1938 as one of comedian Bob Hope's joke writers, a job he held for the next five years. He is responsible for the screenplays of such Hope films as The Princess and the Pirate (1944), Where There's Life (1947), The Great Lover (1949), and Sorrowful Jones (1949), which also starred Lucille Ball.

Shavelson was nominated twice for Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay -- first for 1955's The Seven Little Foys, starring Hope in a rare dramatic role, and then for 1958's Houseboat. He shared both nominations with Jack Rose. He also directed both films.

Other films he wrote and directed include Beau James (1957), The Five Pennies (1959) for which he won a Screen Writers Guild Award, It Started in Naples (1960), On the Double (1961), The Pigeon That Took Rome (1962), A New Kind of Love (1963), Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), and Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), which starred Henry Fonda and again with Lucille Ball. The film, a comedy about a widow (Lucille Ball) and a widower (Henry Fonda) raising 18 children together. When Ms. Ball later asked Mr. Shavelson how he enjoyed directing her, The Associated Press reported, he replied, “Lucy, this is the first time I ever made a film with 19 children.” Ms. Ball was not amused. In addition to his film work, Shavelson created two Emmy award-winning television series and wrote for a dozen Academy Award shows.

He also wrote,produced and co-directed the six-hour ABC screenplay to the 1979 television miniseries Ike about Dwight D. Eisenhower, based on the World War II exploits of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. He also wrote, miniseries Ike, The War Years.

Shavelson's autobiography, published by BearManor Media in April 2007, is entitled How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Trying, P.S. - You Can't! Shavelson wrote several other books, including, with Mr. Hope, “Don’t Shoot, It’s Only Me: Bob Hope’s Comedy History of the United States” (Putnam, 1990), and How to Make a Jewish Movie (1971), a memoir of his experiences while producing and directing Cast a Giant Shadow, and the Hollywood-themed novel Lualda (1973).

Shavelson was a noted instructor at USC's Master of Professional Writing Program from 1998-2006. He taught screenwriting, who often cracked to his students, "I'm a writer by choice, a producer by necessity and a director in self-defense."

Shavelson's first wife, Lucille, died in 2000. He was married to his second wife, Ruth Florea, from 2001 until his death in 2007. He had two children, Lynne Joiner and Richard Shavelson.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Melville Shavelson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting
2009 Tales from the Script Actor Self 59
Average
2003 Bob Hope: The Road to Laughter Actor Himself N/A
N/A
1996 Clark Gable: Tall, Dark, and Handsome Actor Self N/A
N/A

Directing
1985 Deceptions Directing Director 58
Average
1985 Deceptions Directing Director 68
Fair
1983 The Other Woman Directing Director 58
Average
1979 Ike Directing Director 58
Average
1979 Ike Directing Director 69
Fair
1978 Rainbow Directing Director N/A
N/A
1976 The Great Houdinis Directing Director 58
Average
1975 The Legend of Valentino Directing Director 58
Average
1974 Mixed Company Directing Director 58
Average
1972 Here Comes the Judge Directing Director N/A
N/A
1972 The War Between Men and Women Directing Director 59
Average
1968 Yours, Mine and Ours Directing Director 60
Fair
1966 Cast a Giant Shadow Directing Director 59
Average
1963 A New Kind of Love Directing Director 58
Average
1962 The Pigeon That Took Rome Directing Director 58
Average
1961 On the Double Directing Director 58
Average
1960 It Started in Naples Directing Director 59
Average
1959 The Five Pennies Directing Director 59
Average
1958 Houseboat Directing Director 60
Fair
1957 Beau James Directing Director 59
Average
1955 The Seven Little Foys Directing Director 58
Average

Writing
1985 Deceptions Writing Writer 58
Average
1979 Ike Writing Writer 58
Average
1979 Ike Writing Writer 69
Fair
1976 The Great Houdinis Writing Writer 58
Average
1975 The Legend of Valentino Writing Writer 58
Average
1974 Mixed Company Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1972 Here Comes the Judge Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1972 The War Between Men and Women Writing Writer 59
Average
1968 Yours, Mine and Ours Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1966 Cast a Giant Shadow Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1963 A New Kind of Love Writing Writer 58
Average
1962 The Pigeon That Took Rome Writing Writer 58
Average
1961 On the Double Writing Writer 58
Average
1960 It Started in Naples Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1959 The Five Pennies Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1958 Houseboat Writing Writer 60
Fair
1957 Beau James Writing Writer 59
Average
1955 The Seven Little Foys Writing Writer 58
Average
1954 Living It Up Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1953 Trouble Along the Way Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1952 April in Paris Writing Writer 58
Average
1952 Room for One More Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1951 Double Dynamite Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1951 I'll See You in My Dreams Writing Writer 58
Average
1951 On Moonlight Bay Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1950 The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1950 The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady Writing Story 58
Average
1949 Always Leave Them Laughing Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1949 The Great Lover Writing Writer 58
Average
1949 It's a Great Feeling Writing Writer 58
Average
1949 Sorrowful Jones Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1947 Where There's Life Writing Story 59
Average
1947 Where There's Life Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1946 The Kid from Brooklyn Writing Adaptation 58
Average
1945 Hollywood Victory Caravan Writing Writer 58
Average
1945 Wonder Man Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1944 The Princess and the Pirate Writing Screenplay 59
Average

Production
1979 Ike Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1972 Here Comes the Judge Production Producer N/A
N/A
1966 Cast a Giant Shadow Production Producer 59
Average
1963 A New Kind of Love Production Producer 58
Average
1962 The Pigeon That Took Rome Production Producer 58
Average
1953 Trouble Along the Way Production Producer 58
Average