AJ Carothers
Encyclopedia
AJ Carothers (October 22, 1931 - April 9, 2007) was an American
playwright and television writer, best known for his work with Walt Disney
, who was a very close friend. So much so in fact that Carothers gave a eulogy at Disney's funeral. Disney's daughter later spoke at Mr. Carothers' funeral. Carothers describes reaction to Disney's death at the studio in a video included at the Walt Disney Family Museum (San Francisco).
Born in Houston, Texas
on October 22, 1931, he was the oldest out of his two other siblings, Gibson and Lesley. He sold his first story, a murder mystery, to a classmate when he was 9 for 15 cents. After an Army stint in Panama – where he helped create the first television station in the Caribbean – he returned to Los Angeles to pursue his career in 1957. During his career, he created more than 100 motion pictures, television shows, and plays. His final works included writing the book for the Sherman Brothers
stage musical Piccadilly (also called Busker Alley
)., which toured the U.S. in 1996, and was produced in November, 2006, by the York Theater Festival, and Two Can Play, which enjoyed successful runs in Kansas City and Virginia.
He also wrote speeches for Nancy Reagan, John Ritter, Patrick Stewart, John Lithgow and many others. He wrote the scripts for the Music Center Spotlight Awards from its 1995 inception through 2006.
Carothers garnered many honors, including the Distinguished Artists Award given by the Los Angeles Music Center, numerous Box Office Blue Ribbon awards, and The Kinkaid School Distinguished Alumnus award. He was a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served on its Writers Executive Committee, as well as The Writers Guild of America. The Los Angeles Times named him "Father of the Year" in 1967.
He was married to Caryl Carothers for 47 years, and had three sons, named Chris, Cameron, and Andrew.
He was diagnosed with cancer which eventually took his life on April 9, 2007.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playwright and television writer, best known for his work with Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, who was a very close friend. So much so in fact that Carothers gave a eulogy at Disney's funeral. Disney's daughter later spoke at Mr. Carothers' funeral. Carothers describes reaction to Disney's death at the studio in a video included at the Walt Disney Family Museum (San Francisco).
Born in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
on October 22, 1931, he was the oldest out of his two other siblings, Gibson and Lesley. He sold his first story, a murder mystery, to a classmate when he was 9 for 15 cents. After an Army stint in Panama – where he helped create the first television station in the Caribbean – he returned to Los Angeles to pursue his career in 1957. During his career, he created more than 100 motion pictures, television shows, and plays. His final works included writing the book for the Sherman Brothers
Sherman Brothers
The Sherman Brothers are an American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
stage musical Piccadilly (also called Busker Alley
Busker Alley
Busker Alley is a musical with a score by the Sherman Brothers and a book by AJ Carothers, based on the 1938 British film, St. Martin's Lane, which was inspired by the 1905 novel, Small Town Tyrant, by Heinrich Mann....
)., which toured the U.S. in 1996, and was produced in November, 2006, by the York Theater Festival, and Two Can Play, which enjoyed successful runs in Kansas City and Virginia.
He also wrote speeches for Nancy Reagan, John Ritter, Patrick Stewart, John Lithgow and many others. He wrote the scripts for the Music Center Spotlight Awards from its 1995 inception through 2006.
Carothers garnered many honors, including the Distinguished Artists Award given by the Los Angeles Music Center, numerous Box Office Blue Ribbon awards, and The Kinkaid School Distinguished Alumnus award. He was a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served on its Writers Executive Committee, as well as The Writers Guild of America. The Los Angeles Times named him "Father of the Year" in 1967.
He was married to Caryl Carothers for 47 years, and had three sons, named Chris, Cameron, and Andrew.
He was diagnosed with cancer which eventually took his life on April 9, 2007.
Screenwriting Credits
- The Secret of My Succe$sThe Secret of My Succe$sThe Secret of My Success is a 1987 American comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and Helen Slater, produced and directed by Herbert Ross . The screenplay is written by Jim Cash, who previously co-scripted Top Gun.-Plot:Brantley Foster The Secret of My Success (sometimes stylized as The Secret of My...
(1987) (screenplay) (story) - Hero at LargeHero at LargeHero at Large is a 1980 comedy film starring John Ritter and Anne Archer. The film was written by former Disney screenwriter, AJ Carothers and directed by Martin Davidson. The original music score was composed by Patrick Williams.-Plot:...
(1980) - Never a Dull Moment (1968)
- The Happiest MillionaireThe Happiest MillionaireThe Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring Fred MacMurray and based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Costume Design by Bill Thomas. The musical song score is by Robert and Richard Sherman...
(1967) (screenplay) - Emil and the DetectivesEmil and the DetectivesEmil and the Detectives is a 1929 novel for children set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner. It was Kästner's first major success, the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship, and remains his best-known work, and has been translated into at least 59 languages...
(1964) - Miracle of the White StallionsMiracle of the White StallionsMiracle of the White Stallions is a 1963 film released by Walt Disney starring Robert Taylor , Lilli Palmer, and Eddie Albert. It is the story of the evacuation of the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna during World War II.Major parts of the movie were shot in the...
(1963) also known as The Flight of the White Stallions (UK)
Television Writing Credits
- Making of a Male ModelMaking of a Male ModelMaking of a Male Model is a 1983 American TV movie starring Joan Collins and Jon-Erik Hexum. It was produced by ABC and released on October 9, 1983.-Plot:...
(1983) (TV) - Goodnight, BeantownGoodnight, BeantownGoodnight, Beantown is an American sitcom that aired on CBS for two brief seasons in 1983 and 1984.-Synopsis:The series starred Bill Bixby as Matt Cassidy and Mariette Hartley as Jennifer Barnes, two news anchors at a fictional Boston, Massachusetts television station...
(1983) (TV) including the "Pilot" TV episode and "Custody" TV episode - Summer Girl (1983) (TV) also known as The Hands That Rob the Cradle
- "Disneyland" TV Serial Including TV episodes: "Never a Dull Moment" (1979) ; "Emil and the Detectives": Part 2 (1966), Emil and the DetectivesEmil and the DetectivesEmil and the Detectives is a 1929 novel for children set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner. It was Kästner's first major success, the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship, and remains his best-known work, and has been translated into at least 59 languages...
: Part 1 (1966); Flight of the White Stallions: Part 2 (1965) TV Episode (writer) - Flight of the White Stallions: Part 1 (1965) TV Episode (writer)
- The Thief of Baghdad (1978) (TV)
- "Forever" (1978) (TV)
- "Topper Returns" (1973) (TV) (as A.J. Carothers)
- "Miss Stewart, Sir" (1972) (TV) (as A.J. Carothers)
- Goldilocks (1971)
- Nanny and the ProfessorNanny and the ProfessorNanny and the Professor is a U.S. fantasy situation comedy created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century Fox Television. During pre-production, the proposed title was Nanny Will Do. The series first aired as a mid-season replacement on January 21, 1970, on ABC and was last telecast...
(1970) TV Series (creator) (writer) (executive script consultant) (executive story consultant) - My Three SonsMy Three SonsMy Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
(5 episodes, 1961–1962) TV series (writer) - Bourbon Street BeatBourbon Street BeatBourbon Street Beat is a private detective series which aired on the ABC network from 1959-1960 and featured Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, Richard Long as Rex Randolph, Van Williams as Kenny Madison, and Arlene Howell as Melody Lee Mercer, the secretary at the New Orleans detective agency in which...
(1959) TV Series (writer) - The Third ManThe Third ManThe Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
Episode: "The Man Who Died Twice" (1959) (as A.J. Carothers) - Studio OneStudio One (TV series)Studio One is a long-running American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC.-Radio:...
(1948) TV Series (writer)