Alec Coppel
Encyclopedia
Alec Coppel was an Australian born screenwriter
, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He is best known for the films Vertigo
(1958), The Captain's Paradise
(1953), Mr Denning Drives North (1951) and Obsession
(1949), and the plays I Killed the Count
and The Gazebo
.
. He moved to England in the 1920s to study medicine at Cambridge University, but dropped out before graduating and went to work in advertising, writing in his spare time. Coppel's first big success was his play I Killed the Count
, which saw him receive screenwriting offers. He returned to Australia during the early days of World War II
, where he co-founded and worked as a director for Whitehall Productions, operating out of the Minvera Theatre in Kings Cross, Sydney. He also wrote for radio and contributed to the script of Smithy (1946), one of the few feature films made in Australia during this time.
Coppel moved back to London towards the end of the war, and continued to alternate between novels, plays and screenplays. He became the first Australian to receive an Academy Award nomination for screenwriting with The Captain's Paradise
, which was nominated for Best Story in 1953. Many of his British screenplays featured American characters in sympathetic roles (e.g. Obsession
, Mr Denning Drives North, Hell Below Zero
).
Coppel moved to Los Angeles in 1954, where he wrote a number of scripts, including an early draft of Vertigo
(1958), and a popular play, The Gazebo
. He spent the 1960s mostly working in Europe and London. His last two credits were a pair of sex comedies co-written with Denis Norden
, The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
and The Statue
. Coppel died of liver cancer
on 22 January 1972, in London, England.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He is best known for the films Vertigo
Vertigo (film)
Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
(1958), The Captain's Paradise
The Captain's Paradise
The Captain's Paradise is a 1953 British comedy film starring Alec Guinness and directed by Anthony Kimmins. It is set in Gibraltar and northern Morocco, and on a ship that travels between them....
(1953), Mr Denning Drives North (1951) and Obsession
Obsession (1949 film)
Obsession, released in the US as The Hidden Room, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based on the book A Man About A Dog by Alec Coppel, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, and turned the story into a novel. Obsession was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film...
(1949), and the plays I Killed the Count
I Killed the Count
I Killed the Count is a 1939 British, black-and-white, comedy, crime, mystery film, directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Ronald Shiner as Mullet, Ben Lyon, Syd Walker, Terence de Marney, Barbara Blair and Athole Stewart. It was produced by Grafton Films...
and The Gazebo
The Gazebo
The Gazebo is a 1959 black comedy film about a married couple who are being blackmailed. It was based on the play of the same name by Alec Coppel.Helen Rose was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.-Plot:...
.
Biography
Coppel was born in Melbourne and attended Wesley CollegeWesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
. He moved to England in the 1920s to study medicine at Cambridge University, but dropped out before graduating and went to work in advertising, writing in his spare time. Coppel's first big success was his play I Killed the Count
I Killed the Count
I Killed the Count is a 1939 British, black-and-white, comedy, crime, mystery film, directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Ronald Shiner as Mullet, Ben Lyon, Syd Walker, Terence de Marney, Barbara Blair and Athole Stewart. It was produced by Grafton Films...
, which saw him receive screenwriting offers. He returned to Australia during the early days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where he co-founded and worked as a director for Whitehall Productions, operating out of the Minvera Theatre in Kings Cross, Sydney. He also wrote for radio and contributed to the script of Smithy (1946), one of the few feature films made in Australia during this time.
Coppel moved back to London towards the end of the war, and continued to alternate between novels, plays and screenplays. He became the first Australian to receive an Academy Award nomination for screenwriting with The Captain's Paradise
The Captain's Paradise
The Captain's Paradise is a 1953 British comedy film starring Alec Guinness and directed by Anthony Kimmins. It is set in Gibraltar and northern Morocco, and on a ship that travels between them....
, which was nominated for Best Story in 1953. Many of his British screenplays featured American characters in sympathetic roles (e.g. Obsession
Obsession (1949 film)
Obsession, released in the US as The Hidden Room, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based on the book A Man About A Dog by Alec Coppel, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, and turned the story into a novel. Obsession was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film...
, Mr Denning Drives North, Hell Below Zero
Hell Below Zero
Hell Below Zero is a 1954 murder mystery film, starring Alan Ladd in the second of his films for Warwick Films.The film was directed by Mark Robson, and was written by Alec Coppel and Max Trell...
).
Coppel moved to Los Angeles in 1954, where he wrote a number of scripts, including an early draft of Vertigo
Vertigo
Vertigo is a form of dizziness.Vertigo may also refer to:* Vertigo , a 1958 film by Alfred Hitchcock**Vertigo , its soundtrack** Vertigo effect, or Dolly zoom, a special effect in film, named after the movie...
(1958), and a popular play, The Gazebo
The Gazebo
The Gazebo is a 1959 black comedy film about a married couple who are being blackmailed. It was based on the play of the same name by Alec Coppel.Helen Rose was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.-Plot:...
. He spent the 1960s mostly working in Europe and London. His last two credits were a pair of sex comedies co-written with Denis Norden
Denis Norden
Denis Mostyn Norden CBE is a former English comedy writer and television presenter. After an early career working in cinemas, he began scriptwriting during World War II. From 1948 to 1959, he co-wrote the successful BBC Radio comedy programme Take It from Here with Frank Muir...
, The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom is a 1968 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath. The screenplay by Alec Coppel and Denis Norden was adapted from a play by Coppel that was based on a short story by Josef Shaftel, who served as the film's producer.-Plot:...
and The Statue
The Statue (1971 film)
The Statue is a British film comedy starring David Niven, Robert Vaughn and Italian beauty Virna Lisi in the key roles.-Cast:* David Niven as Alex Bolt* Virna Lisi as Rhonda Bolt* Robert Vaughn as Ray* Ann Bell as Pat* John Cleese as Harry...
. Coppel died of liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
on 22 January 1972, in London, England.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Over the Moon Over the Moon (film) Over the Moon is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Merle Oberon, Rex Harrison, Ursula Jeans and Herbert Lomas. A wealthy heiress becomes involved with a penniless doctor.... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1939 | I Killed the Count I Killed the Count I Killed the Count is a 1939 British, black-and-white, comedy, crime, mystery film, directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Ronald Shiner as Mullet, Ben Lyon, Syd Walker, Terence de Marney, Barbara Blair and Athole Stewart. It was produced by Grafton Films... |
Screenplay, based on his play |
| 1939 | Just Like a Woman Just Like a Woman (1939 film) Just Like a Woman is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Felix Aylmer, Jeanne De Casalis and Fred Emney. A group of private detectives working for a jeweller pursue a gang of thieves in Argentina.-Cast:... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1946 | Smithy Smithy (film) Smithy is a 1946 film about pioneering Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his flight across the Pacific Ocean, from San Francisco, California, United States to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia during 1928. This was the first-ever trans-Pacific flight... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1948 | Brass Monkey Brass Monkey (film) Brass Monkey is a British crime drama film directed by Thornton Freeland, starring Carroll Levis, formerly a radio variety show host, and American actress Carole Landis... |
Screenplay |
| 1948 | Woman Hater Woman Hater Woman Hater is a 1948 British romantic comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Stewart Granger, Edwige Feuillère and Ronald Squire. Lord Datchett invites a French film star to stay as his house but pretends to be one of his employees while he tries to romance her with the help of his... |
Based on short story |
| 1949 | Obsession Obsession (1949 film) Obsession, released in the US as The Hidden Room, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based on the book A Man About A Dog by Alec Coppel, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, and turned the story into a novel. Obsession was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film... |
Screenplay, dialogue director, based on original story |
| 1950 | Two on the Tiles Two on the Tiles -Cast:* Herbert Lom as Ford* Hugh McDermott as Dick Lawson* Brenda Bruce as Janet Lawson* Ingeborg von Kusserow as Madeleine* Humphrey Lestocq as Jimmy Bradley* Armand Guinle as Pierre... |
Screenplay |
| 1951 | The Smart Aleck The Smart Aleck -Cast:* Peter Reynolds as Alec Albion* Mercy Haystead as Judith* Leslie Dwyer as Gossage* Edward Lexy as Inspector* Kynaston Reeves as Uncle Edward* Charles Hawtrey as Farr* David Hurst as Poppi* David Keir as Mr. Guppy* Annette D. Simmonds as Sylvia... |
Screenplay, based on his play Mr Smart Guy |
| 1951 | 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... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1951 | Mr. Denning Drives North Mr. Denning Drives North Mr. Denning Drives North is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring John Mills, Phyllis Calvert and Eileen Moore. The plot concerns an aircraft manufacturer who accidentally kills the boyfriend of his daughter and tries to dispose the body... |
Screenplay, based on his novel |
| 1953 | The Captain's Paradise The Captain's Paradise The Captain's Paradise is a 1953 British comedy film starring Alec Guinness and directed by Anthony Kimmins. It is set in Gibraltar and northern Morocco, and on a ship that travels between them.... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1954 | Hell Below Zero Hell Below Zero Hell Below Zero is a 1954 murder mystery film, starring Alan Ladd in the second of his films for Warwick Films.The film was directed by Mark Robson, and was written by Alec Coppel and Max Trell... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1954 | The Black Knight The Black Knight (1954 film) The Black Knight is a 1954 film starring Alan Ladd as the title character and Peter Cushing and Patrick Troughton as two conspirators attempting to overthrow King Arthur... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1954 | To Catch a Thief To Catch a Thief To Catch a Thief is a 1952 thriller novel by David Dodge. John Robie is a retired American jewel thief, formerly known as Le Chat , who now spends his time tending to the rose garden in his villa on the Côte d'Azur. Following a series of recent jewel robberies on the Riviera that resemble his... |
Uncredited contribution to script |
| 1957 | Appointment with a Shadow | Screenplay |
| 1958 | Vertigo Vertigo (film) Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1959 | The Gazebo The Gazebo The Gazebo is a 1959 black comedy film about a married couple who are being blackmailed. It was based on the play of the same name by Alec Coppel.Helen Rose was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.-Plot:... |
Based on his play |
| 1962 | Swordsman of Siena Swordsman of Siena Swordsman of Siena is a 1962 Italian adventure film directed by Baccio Bandini and starring Stewart Granger, Sylva Koscina and Christine Kaufmann... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1966 | Moment to Moment Moment to Moment Moment to Moment is a 1966 film directed by Mervyn LeRoy starring Jean Seberg as a married woman who has an affair which leads to murder.... |
Co-screenplay |
| 1968 | The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom is a 1968 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath. The screenplay by Alec Coppel and Denis Norden was adapted from a play by Coppel that was based on a short story by Josef Shaftel, who served as the film's producer.-Plot:... |
Co-screenplay, based on his play A Bird in the Nest |
| 1971 | The Statue The Statue (1971 film) The Statue is a British film comedy starring David Niven, Robert Vaughn and Italian beauty Virna Lisi in the key roles.-Cast:* David Niven as Alex Bolt* Virna Lisi as Rhonda Bolt* Robert Vaughn as Ray* Ann Bell as Pat* John Cleese as Harry... |
Co-screenplay, based on his play |
Plays
- Short Circuit (1935)
- The Stars Foretell (1936)
- I Killed the CountI Killed the CountI Killed the Count is a 1939 British, black-and-white, comedy, crime, mystery film, directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Ronald Shiner as Mullet, Ben Lyon, Syd Walker, Terence de Marney, Barbara Blair and Athole Stewart. It was produced by Grafton Films...
(1937) - Let’s Pretend (1938) – contributed to book of a revue
- Believe it Or Not (1940)
- Mr Smart Guy (1941)
- My Friend Lester (1947)
- A Man About a DogObsession (1949 film)Obsession, released in the US as The Hidden Room, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based on the book A Man About A Dog by Alec Coppel, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, and turned the story into a novel. Obsession was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film...
(1949) - The Genius and the Goddess (1957)
- The Joshua Tree (1958) – from a story by Myra and Alec Coppel
- Oh, Captain!Oh, Captain!Oh, Captain! is a musical comedy based on the film The Captain's Paradise, which had been written by Alec Coppel and Nicholas Phipps. The film starred Alec Guinness as a philandering ship's captain, with a wife in one port and a mistress in another. The musical starred Tony Randall, and updated the...
(1958) – based on his story only - The GazeboThe GazeboThe Gazebo is a 1959 black comedy film about a married couple who are being blackmailed. It was based on the play of the same name by Alec Coppel.Helen Rose was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.-Plot:...
(1959) – from a story by Myra and Alec Coppel - Viva Le Difference (1960)
- The Captain's ParadiseThe Captain's ParadiseThe Captain's Paradise is a 1953 British comedy film starring Alec Guinness and directed by Anthony Kimmins. It is set in Gibraltar and northern Morocco, and on a ship that travels between them....
(1961) - Not in My Bed, You Don’t (1968) - with Myra Coppel
- Cadenza (1977)
Novels
- I Killed the CountI Killed the CountI Killed the Count is a 1939 British, black-and-white, comedy, crime, mystery film, directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Ronald Shiner as Mullet, Ben Lyon, Syd Walker, Terence de Marney, Barbara Blair and Athole Stewart. It was produced by Grafton Films...
(London: Blackie, 1939) - A Man About a DogObsession (1949 film)Obsession, released in the US as The Hidden Room, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based on the book A Man About A Dog by Alec Coppel, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, and turned the story into a novel. Obsession was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film...
(London: George G Harrap and Company Ltd, 1947) (US: Over the Line) - Mr Denning Drives North (London: George G Harrap & Co Ltd, 1950)
- The Last Parable (London: Arthur Baker, 1953)
- Moment to MomentMoment to MomentMoment to Moment is a 1966 film directed by Mervyn LeRoy starring Jean Seberg as a married woman who has an affair which leads to murder....
(Greenwich: Fawcett Publications, 1966) - Tweedledum and Tweedledee (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1967)
External links
- Alec Coppel Australian theatre credits at AusstageAusstageAusStage is an online database which records information about live performances in Australia. It provides records of productions from the beginnings of theatre in Australia up to today...
- Alec Coppel at National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...