Dorothy Kingsley
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Kingsley was an American screenwriter
, who worked extensively in film, radio and television.
. Following their divorce, Hanlon remarried to director Louis Myll, when they had been living at Bayside, Queens
for the last two years; later moving with Dorothy to the affluent suburb of Grosse Pointe
, Michigan.
Kingsley also had an unsuccessful first marriage. As a young divorced mother of three, while recuperating from a severe case of the measles, she listened to all the radio programs and began to think that she could write better material than she was hearing. She went to Los Angeles to visit a friend and made the rounds of numerous agents with material she had written for various radio stars such as Jack Benny
. Her youthful appearance worked against her, but she finally found an agent who would take a chance on her. Kingsley went home and packed up her children, but on her return to Los Angeles she found that the agent had gone out of business.
socially. Bennett thought that Kingsley's material was better than her current supply, and used a couple of her gags on her radio program. Despite the size of the program's writing staff, Kingsley began supplying material gags under the table for $75 a week, but eventually the representative who was paying her for the material left and she was again unemployed. Kingsley answered a newspaper ad to write gags for Edgar Bergen
, and as a result she was chosen from 400 entries for a one-month trial period at $50 a week. The Edgar Bergen show became one of the top-rated programs and Kingsley stayed with them for several years.
at MGM
thought she had promise and wanted to put her under contract at double what Bergen was paying. Bergen was notorious for underpaying his talent and when he found out she was dismissed. Her first assignment was a production rewrite on Girl Crazy
, a Mickey Rooney
/Judy Garland
musical. The current writer was otherwise occupied, so Freed asked her to go down to the set and just do a little work. Kingsley soon developed the ability to fix an ailing script during production, and while she was working on Girl Crazy, producer Jack Cummings was having a lot of trouble with Bathing Beauty
and asked her to fix that as well. Many people had already worked on the ailing script whose musical numbers had been shot and had no story. It was the first picture for Esther Williams
and became a big hit.
Kingsley often worked without credit; and though hers was usually a co-credit, she normally worked alone, before or after the other screenwriters had finished up. Kingsley wrote many of the great MGM musicals such as Kiss Me Kate
, as well as a number of scripts for Debbie Reynolds
and three quarters of all the Esther Williams
pictures. The grand spectacle pictures were very popular during the war years, when people desperately wanted escapist entertainment. In 1948, Kingsley and fellow screenwriter Dorothy Cooper wrote A Date with Judy
, which was a pivotal film for Elizabeth Taylor
, who, after playing frail juvenile roles, was given the part of a manipulative modern flirt who saw a school campus as merely husband-hunting grounds.
Kingsley, a devout Catholic, wrote the baseball picture Angels in the Outfield
, President Eisenhower’s favorite picture which featured the Pittsburgh Pirates
. He ran it so many times that the staff said, “Please, Mr. President, not again."
She was the last of the writers to work on the script for Stanley Donen
's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers after Albert Hackett
and Frances Goodrich. Their original script was based on the short story The Sobbin' Women by Stephen Vincent Benet
, but the script wasn't coming out right. From Kingsley:
After she had been at MGM a while, Kingsley acquired the reputation as a fixer in construction. She would regularly be called down to the set to fix pictures on the fly when the original writers were no longer on the scene to be consulted. The studio kept her working all the time and her contract was continually being extended.
, which was a perfect vehicle for Frank Sinatra
; however, Sinatra and MGM executive Harry Cohen
had been feuding for years and didn't speak to each other. Kingsley and Lillian Burns, the assistant to Harry Cohn, did a synopsis of the film written with Sinatra in mind and had it sent to Sinatra without Cohen's involvement. Sinatra agreed to do the picture and Cohen committed without ever seeing the script. Sinatra was so pleased with what Kingsley had done with Pal Joey, he committed to Can-Can
without a script.
In 1969, she was instrumental in creating the "Bracken's World
" series for television, based on the behind-the-scenes activities at the fictitious Century Studios in Hollywood.
Kingsley and her second husband, William Durney, left Hollywood for Carmel, California, where they started the Durney Vineyard brand winery. They were among the earliest vintners in the Carmel Valley Wine region when they planted their original vineyards in 1968, with the first wines being produced in 1976.
Dorothy Kingsley died of heart failure in 1997 in Monterey, California.
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:...
, who worked extensively in film, radio and television.
Biography
Born in New York City, Kingsley was the daughter of newspaperman and press agent Walter J. Kingsley, and silent film actress Alma HanlonAlma Hanlon
Alma Hanlon was an American silent film actress. Hanlon's film career was short, lasting only four years. She appeared in twenty-three films...
. Following their divorce, Hanlon remarried to director Louis Myll, when they had been living at Bayside, Queens
Bayside, Queens
Bayside is a suburban neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York, New York in the United States. Bayside is known as one of the most expensive areas to live in Queens, with well kept homes and landscaping...
for the last two years; later moving with Dorothy to the affluent suburb of Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe refers to a coastal area in Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States that comprises five adjacent individual communities. From southwest to northeast, they are:*Grosse Pointe Park, city*Grosse Pointe, city*Grosse Pointe Farms, city...
, Michigan.
Kingsley also had an unsuccessful first marriage. As a young divorced mother of three, while recuperating from a severe case of the measles, she listened to all the radio programs and began to think that she could write better material than she was hearing. She went to Los Angeles to visit a friend and made the rounds of numerous agents with material she had written for various radio stars such as Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
. Her youthful appearance worked against her, but she finally found an agent who would take a chance on her. Kingsley went home and packed up her children, but on her return to Los Angeles she found that the agent had gone out of business.
Radio
While Kingsley unsuccessfully made the rounds of agents, she happened to meet Constance BennettConstance Bennett
-Early life:She was born in New York City, the daughter of actor Richard Bennett and actress Adrienne Morrison, whose father was the stage actor Lewis Morrison , a wealthy performer of English and Spanish ancestry...
socially. Bennett thought that Kingsley's material was better than her current supply, and used a couple of her gags on her radio program. Despite the size of the program's writing staff, Kingsley began supplying material gags under the table for $75 a week, but eventually the representative who was paying her for the material left and she was again unemployed. Kingsley answered a newspaper ad to write gags for Edgar Bergen
Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist.-Early life:...
, and as a result she was chosen from 400 entries for a one-month trial period at $50 a week. The Edgar Bergen show became one of the top-rated programs and Kingsley stayed with them for several years.
MGM
It was while she was with the Bergen radio show that Kingsley started submitting scripts to studios. Arthur FreedArthur Freed
Arthur Freed was born Arthur Grossman in Charleston, South Carolina. He was a Jewish American lyricist and a Hollywood film producer.- Biography :Freed began his career as a song-plugger and pianist in Chicago...
at MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
thought she had promise and wanted to put her under contract at double what Bergen was paying. Bergen was notorious for underpaying his talent and when he found out she was dismissed. Her first assignment was a production rewrite on Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in this musical production....
, a Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
/Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
musical. The current writer was otherwise occupied, so Freed asked her to go down to the set and just do a little work. Kingsley soon developed the ability to fix an ailing script during production, and while she was working on Girl Crazy, producer Jack Cummings was having a lot of trouble with Bathing Beauty
Bathing Beauty
Bathing Beauty is a 1944 musical starring Red Skelton, Basil Rathbone and Esther Williams and directed by George Sidney.Although this was not William's screen debut, it was her first Technicolor musical. The film was initially to be titled "Mr. Co-Ed" with Red Skelton having top billing...
and asked her to fix that as well. Many people had already worked on the ailing script whose musical numbers had been shot and had no story. It was the first picture for Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
and became a big hit.
Kingsley often worked without credit; and though hers was usually a co-credit, she normally worked alone, before or after the other screenwriters had finished up. Kingsley wrote many of the great MGM musicals such as Kiss Me Kate
Kiss Me, Kate (film)
Kiss Me Kate is the 1953 MGM film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name.Inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, it tells the tale of musical theater actors, Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, who were once married and are now performing opposite each other in the roles of Petruchio and...
, as well as a number of scripts for Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
and three quarters of all the Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
pictures. The grand spectacle pictures were very popular during the war years, when people desperately wanted escapist entertainment. In 1948, Kingsley and fellow screenwriter Dorothy Cooper wrote A Date with Judy
A Date with Judy
A Date with Judy was a comedy radio series aimed at a teenage audience which had a long run from 1941 to 1950.The show began as a summer replacement for Bob Hope's show, sponsored by Pepsodent and airing on NBC from June 24 to September 16, 1941, with 14-year-old Ann Gillis in the title role...
, which was a pivotal film for Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, who, after playing frail juvenile roles, was given the part of a manipulative modern flirt who saw a school campus as merely husband-hunting grounds.
Kingsley, a devout Catholic, wrote the baseball picture Angels in the Outfield
Angels in the Outfield (1951 film)
Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 American black-and-white film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
, President Eisenhower’s favorite picture which featured the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He ran it so many times that the staff said, “Please, Mr. President, not again."
She was the last of the writers to work on the script for Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ; is an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are Singin' in the Rain and On the Town, both of which he co-directed with Gene Kelly. His other noteworthy films include Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, Indiscreet, Damn...
's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers after Albert Hackett
Albert Hackett
Albert Maurice Hackett was an American dramatist and screenwriter most noted for his collaborations with his partner and wife Frances Goodrich.-Early years:...
and Frances Goodrich. Their original script was based on the short story The Sobbin' Women by Stephen Vincent Benet
Stephen Vincent Benét
Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By...
, but the script wasn't coming out right. From Kingsley:
"Stanley Donen called me in and I looked at the script and said, 'The big trouble in the original short story is that the Howard Keel character is the one that tries to get all of these boys married off, and that’s not right. The girl has nothing to do, and she’s got to be the one to engineer all this stuff.' That was changed around and seemed to please everyone, and we went from there."
After she had been at MGM a while, Kingsley acquired the reputation as a fixer in construction. She would regularly be called down to the set to fix pictures on the fly when the original writers were no longer on the scene to be consulted. The studio kept her working all the time and her contract was continually being extended.
Sinatra
MGM was set to produce Pal JoeyPal Joey (film)
Pal Joey is a 1957 film, loosely adapted from the musical play of the same name, and starring Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak. Jo Ann Greer sang for Hayworth, as she had done previously in Affair in Trinidad and Miss Sadie Thompson. Kim Novak's singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Erwin...
, which was a perfect vehicle for Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
; however, Sinatra and MGM executive Harry Cohen
Harry Cohen
Harry Michael Cohen is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Leyton and Wanstead from 1983 to 2010.-Early life:...
had been feuding for years and didn't speak to each other. Kingsley and Lillian Burns, the assistant to Harry Cohn, did a synopsis of the film written with Sinatra in mind and had it sent to Sinatra without Cohen's involvement. Sinatra agreed to do the picture and Cohen committed without ever seeing the script. Sinatra was so pleased with what Kingsley had done with Pal Joey, he committed to Can-Can
Can-Can (film)
Can-Can is a 1960 musical film made by Suffolk-Cummings productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Walter Lang, produced by Jack Cummings and Saul Chaplin, from a screenplay by Dorothy Kingsley and Charles Lederer, loosely based on the musical play by Abe Burrows with music...
without a script.
In 1969, she was instrumental in creating the "Bracken's World
Bracken's World
Bracken's World is an American drama series broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1969 to December 25, 1970. The series was created and produced by Dorothy Kingsley.-Synopsis:...
" series for television, based on the behind-the-scenes activities at the fictitious Century Studios in Hollywood.
Kingsley and her second husband, William Durney, left Hollywood for Carmel, California, where they started the Durney Vineyard brand winery. They were among the earliest vintners in the Carmel Valley Wine region when they planted their original vineyards in 1968, with the first wines being produced in 1976.
Dorothy Kingsley died of heart failure in 1997 in Monterey, California.
Filmography
- Look Who's LaughingLook Who's LaughingLook Who's Laughing is a 1941 film about a radio personality who plans to build an airplane plant in a small town. This film precedes its sequel Here We Go Again.-Cast:* Edgar Bergen - Himself* Charlie McCarthy - Himself* Jim Jordan - Fibber McGee...
(1941, material for Edgar Bergen) - Here We Go AgainHere We Go Again-In film and television:* Here We Go Again , a 1970s American sitcom starring Larry Hagman* Here We Go Again , a 1942 film featuring Fibber McGee and Molly, Edgar Bergen and Ginny Simms-Albums:...
(1942, material: Edgar Bergen) - Girl CrazyGirl CrazyGirl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in this musical production....
(1943, contributing writer, uncredited - Best Foot Forward (1943, contributing writer, uncredited)
- Bathing BeautyBathing BeautyBathing Beauty is a 1944 musical starring Red Skelton, Basil Rathbone and Esther Williams and directed by George Sidney.Although this was not William's screen debut, it was her first Technicolor musical. The film was initially to be titled "Mr. Co-Ed" with Red Skelton having top billing...
(1944, screenplay) - Broadway RhythmBroadway RhythmBroadway Rhythm is an MGM Technicolor musical film. It was produced by Jack Cummings and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film was originally announced as Broadway Melody of 1944 to follow MGM's Broadway Melody films of 1929, 1936, 1938, and 1940. The movie was originally slated to star Eleanor...
(1944, screenplay) - Easy to WedEasy to WedEasy to Wed is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell. The screenplay by Dorothy Kingsley is an updated adaptation of the screenplay of the 1936 film Libeled Lady by Maurine Dallas Watkins, Howard Emmett Rogers, and George Oppenheimer.-Plot:Financier J.B...
(1946, adaptation) - A Date with JudyA Date with JudyA Date with Judy was a comedy radio series aimed at a teenage audience which had a long run from 1941 to 1950.The show began as a summer replacement for Bob Hope's show, sponsored by Pepsodent and airing on NBC from June 24 to September 16, 1941, with 14-year-old Ann Gillis in the title role...
(1948, writer) - On an Island with YouOn an Island with YouOn an Island with You is a 1948 musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalbán, Cyd Charisse and Kathryn Beaumont....
(1948, writer) - Neptune's DaughterNeptune's Daughter (1949 film)Neptune's Daughter is a 1949 musical romantic comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn, Xavier Cugat and Mel Blanc...
(1949, writer) - Two Weeks with LoveTwo Weeks with LoveTwo Weeks with Love is a 1950 romantic musical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Roy Rowland, based on story by John Larkin who co-wrote the screenplay with Dorothy Kingsley.Set in the early 1900s, the film focuses on the Robinson family...
(1950, screenplay) - The Skipper Surprised His WifeThe Skipper Surprised His WifeThe Skipper Surprised His Wife is a 1950 film directed by Elliott Nugent. It stars Robert Walker and Joan Leslie.-Cast:*Robert Walker as Cmdr. William J. Lattimer*Joan Leslie as Daphne Lattimer*Edward Arnold as Adm. Homer Thorndyke...
(1950, writer) - Angels in the OutfieldAngels in the Outfield (1951 film)Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 American black-and-white film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
(1951, screenplay) - Texas CarnivalTexas CarnivalTexas Carnival is a 1951 musical film directed by Charles Walters. It stars Esther Williams, Red Skelton and Howard Keel.-Cast:*Esther Williams as Debbie Telford*Red Skelton as Cornie Quinell*Howard Keel as Slim Shelby*Ann Miller as Sunshine Jackson...
(1951, screenplay, story) - It's a Big CountryIt's a Big CountryIt's a Big Country is a 1951 anthology film directed by Clarence Brown, Don Hartman, John Sturges, Richard Thorpe, Charles Vidor, Don Weis, and William A. Wellman.-External links:...
(1951, segment 7) - When in RomeWhen in Rome (1952 film)When in Rome is a film starring Van Johnson, Paul Douglas, and Joseph Calleia. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was based on a story by Robert Buckner, Dorothy Kingsley, and Charles Schnee. When in Rome was one of the last films directed by famed MGM director Clarence Brown.-Plot...
(1952, writer) - Kiss Me KateKiss Me, Kate (film)Kiss Me Kate is the 1953 MGM film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name.Inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, it tells the tale of musical theater actors, Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, who were once married and are now performing opposite each other in the roles of Petruchio and...
(1953, screenplay) - Small Town GirlSmall Town Girl (1953 film)Small Town Girl is a 1953 musical film directed by László Kardos and starring Jane Powell, Farley Granger, and Ann Miller. Busby Berkeley choreographed several dance numbers. Bobby Van performed the memorable "Street Dance", in which he hopped all around town. The film features song performances...
(1953, screenplay) - Dangerous When WetDangerous When WetDangerous When Wet is an Technicolor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical starring Esther Williams, Fernando Lamas, and Jack Carson, directed by Charles Walters, and featuring an animated swimming sequence starring Williams with the famous cat-and-mouse duo, Tom and Jerry.-Plot summary:Katie Higgins is...
(1953, writer) - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954, writer)
- Jupiter's DarlingJupiter's Darling (film)Jupiter's Darling is a musical romance film released by MGM in 1955 and directed by George Sidney. It starred Esther Williams as the Roman woman Amytis, Howard Keel as Hannibal, the Carthaginian military commander and George Sanders as Fabius Maximus, Amytis's fiance...
(1955, writer) - Pal JoeyPal Joey (film)Pal Joey is a 1957 film, loosely adapted from the musical play of the same name, and starring Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak. Jo Ann Greer sang for Hayworth, as she had done previously in Affair in Trinidad and Miss Sadie Thompson. Kim Novak's singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Erwin...
(1957, screenplay) - Don't Go Near the WaterDon't Go Near the Water (film)Don't Go Near the Water is a 1957 comedy film about a U.S. Navy public relations unit stationed on an island in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. It is an adaptation of the 1956 novel of the same name by William Brinkley. Glenn Ford and Gia Scala starred...
(1957, writer) - Green MansionsGreen Mansions (film)Green Mansions is a 1959 American romantic adventure film directed by Mel Ferrer. Based upon the 1904 novel Green Mansions by William Henry Hudson, the film starred Audrey Hepburn as Rima, a jungle girl who falls in love with a Venezuelan traveller played by Anthony Perkins. Also appearing in the...
(1959, writer) - PepePepe (film)Pepe is a 1960 film starring Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno in the title role, directed by George Sidney. A multitude of cameo appearances attempted to replicate the success of Mario Moreno's American debut, notably Around the World in Eighty Days, produced by Mike Todd in 1956.The film failed to...
(1960, writer) - Can-CanCan-Can (film)Can-Can is a 1960 musical film made by Suffolk-Cummings productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Walter Lang, produced by Jack Cummings and Saul Chaplin, from a screenplay by Dorothy Kingsley and Charles Lederer, loosely based on the musical play by Abe Burrows with music...
(1960, writer) - Half a SixpenceHalf a Sixpence (film)Half a Sixpence is a 1967 British musical film directed by George Sidney and choreographed by Gillian Lynne. The screenplay by Beverley Cross is adapted from his book for the stage musical of the same name, which was based on Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul, a 1905 novel by H.G. Wells...
(1967, adaptation) - Valley of the DollsValley of the Dolls (film)The soundtrack was released in 1967. Dionne Warwick sang the title track; however, her version is not on the soundtrack. Warwick was signed to Scepter Records at the time and could not contractually appear...
(1967, screenplay) - Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children(1969, teleplay)
- Bracken's WorldBracken's WorldBracken's World is an American drama series broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1969 to December 25, 1970. The series was created and produced by Dorothy Kingsley.-Synopsis:...
The Stunt"(1969, writer) - Bracken's WorldBracken's WorldBracken's World is an American drama series broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1969 to December 25, 1970. The series was created and produced by Dorothy Kingsley.-Synopsis:...
Fade-In"(1969, writer)