Jack Rosenthal
Encyclopedia
Jack Morris Rosenthal CBE
(8 September 1931 - 29 May 2004) was an English
playwright
, who wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV
soap opera
Coronation Street
and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations.
, Manchester
, and after studying English Literature at Sheffield University, carried out his National Service
in the Royal Navy
. He worked briefly in advertising
before joining Granada Television
. He earned his first television credit with them in 1961, assigned as a writer of episode 31 of Britain's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street
. He became a regular writer for the series and began writing for other series as well. During the 1960s, he contributed material for various television comedy shows including the satirical That Was The Week That Was
. At Granada Television
, he wrote a spin off series from Coronation Street for the character, Leonard Swindley, played by Arthur Lowe
called Pardon the Expression
and created two comedy series The Dustbinmen
and The Lovers
starring Richard Beckinsale
and Paula Wilcox
. In 1976 he also wrote a TV drama for ITV, called Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
, which was later remade in 2003.
Rosenthal won three BAFTA awards for Bar Mitzvah Boy
(about a Jewish boy's Bar Mitzvah), The Evacuees (based in his own war-time evacuation
) and Spend, Spend, Spend
(about the football pools
winner, Viv Nicholson
, directed by John Goldschmidt
). He also wrote The Knowledge, a film about London taxi-drivers which has become a classic for cabbies-in-training. He created London's Burning
as a one-off drama in 1986, and this later developed into a long-running TV drama
. Rosenthal adapted the novel "The Devil's Lieutenant" for director John Goldschmidt as a mini-series for Channel 4 and ZDF, and wrote the screenplay of "Captain Jack" (based on a true story) for producer John Goldschmidt.
In 1983, Rosenthal co-wrote the film Yentl
with Barbra Streisand
. He also did uncredited work on the screenplay of Chicken Run
.
Rosenthal also wrote the book for the musical version of Bar Mitzvah Boy
, with music by Jule Styne
.
He married actress Maureen Lipman
in 1974; they have two grown-up children, writers Amy Rosenthal
and Adam Rosenthal. Jack Rosenthal was a Manchester United fan all his life.
Rosenthal was awarded the CBE
in 1994.
He died in Barnet
, London
, aged 72, on 29 May 2004, of multiple myeloma
, a form of cancer
.
His autobiography, By Jack Rosenthal was published posthumously and a four-part adaptation by his daughter, titled Jack Rosenthal's Last Act was broadcast to great acclaim on BBC Radio 4 in July 2006 starring Maureen Lipman as herself and Stephen Mangan
as Jack Rosenthal.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(8 September 1931 - 29 May 2004) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, who wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations.
Biography
Rosenthal was born in Cheetham HillCheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill is an inner city area of Manchester, England. As an electoral ward it is known as Cheetham and has a population of 12,846. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north-northeast of Manchester city centre and close to the boundary with the City of Salford...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and after studying English Literature at Sheffield University, carried out his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He worked briefly in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
before joining Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. He earned his first television credit with them in 1961, assigned as a writer of episode 31 of Britain's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. He became a regular writer for the series and began writing for other series as well. During the 1960s, he contributed material for various television comedy shows including the satirical That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, is a satirical television comedy programme that was shown on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced and directed by Ned Sherrin and presented by David Frost...
. At Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
, he wrote a spin off series from Coronation Street for the character, Leonard Swindley, played by Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...
called Pardon the Expression
Pardon the Expression
Pardon The Expression! was an ITV sitcom made by Granada Television, that was first broadcast from Wednesday 2 June 1965 to Monday 27 June 1966. The sitcom was one of only four spin-offs from the highly popular soap opera Coronation Street. Pardon the Expression itself had a spin-off: Turn out the...
and created two comedy series The Dustbinmen
The Dustbinmen
The Dustbinmen was a British television sitcom made by Granada Television for ITV, which starred Bryan Pringle, Trevor Bannister, Graham Haberfield and Tim Wylton. The show was a spin-off from a one-off 90-minute TV movie "There's a Hole in Your Dustbin, Delilah" written by Jack Rosenthal and...
and The Lovers
The Lovers (TV series)
The Lovers is a British television sitcom by Jack Rosenthal, starring Richard Beckinsale and Paula Wilcox as a courting couple, Geoffrey and Beryl. It was made between 1970 and 1971 by Granada Television for the ITV network. The hook for the show was the mismatch between the two, particularly in...
starring Richard Beckinsale
Richard Beckinsale
Richard Arthur Beckinsale was an English actor, best known for his roles as Lennie Godber in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge and Alan Moore in the British sitcom Rising Damp....
and Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Chrissy in the British comedy Man About the House .-Early sitcom fame:...
. In 1976 he also wrote a TV drama for ITV, called Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
Ready When You Are, Mr McGill is a feature length TV drama, written by Jack Rosenthal. ITV produced two versions, in 1976 and 2003. The 1976 version was the first in a series of six single television plays called "Red Letter Days" each of which showed the events in a single, special day in...
, which was later remade in 2003.
Rosenthal won three BAFTA awards for Bar Mitzvah Boy
Bar Mitzvah Boy
Bar Mitzvah Boy is a British television play, written by Jack Rosenthal and originally transmitted in the Play for Today anthology series on BBC1...
(about a Jewish boy's Bar Mitzvah), The Evacuees (based in his own war-time evacuation
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
) and Spend, Spend, Spend
Spend, Spend, Spend (play)
Spend, Spend, Spend is an episode of the BBC's Play for Today anthology series first transmitted 15 March 1977Michael Brooke , BFI screenonline page on BBC1, recounting the life of football pools winner Viv Nicholson....
(about the football pools
Football pools
A football pool, often collectively referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, with the potential to win huge money. Entries were traditionally...
winner, Viv Nicholson
Viv Nicholson
Vivian Nicholson became publicly known overnight within Great Britain in 1961 when she received £152,319 in a football-pools win and announced to the press that she was going to "spend, spend, spend"...
, directed by John Goldschmidt
John Goldschmidt
John Goldschmidt is a film director and producer. Goldschmidt was born in London, but grew up in Vienna leaving at the age of 16 to return to London. Goldschmidt has both Austrian and British nationality...
). He also wrote The Knowledge, a film about London taxi-drivers which has become a classic for cabbies-in-training. He created London's Burning
London's Burning
London's Burning was a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.It was broadcast between 1986 and...
as a one-off drama in 1986, and this later developed into a long-running TV drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. Rosenthal adapted the novel "The Devil's Lieutenant" for director John Goldschmidt as a mini-series for Channel 4 and ZDF, and wrote the screenplay of "Captain Jack" (based on a true story) for producer John Goldschmidt.
In 1983, Rosenthal co-wrote the film Yentl
Yentl
Yentl is a play by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer.Based on Singer's short story "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy," it centers on a young girl who defies tradition by discussing and debating Jewish law and theology with her rabbi father...
with Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
. He also did uncredited work on the screenplay of Chicken Run
Chicken Run
Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
.
Rosenthal also wrote the book for the musical version of Bar Mitzvah Boy
Bar Mitzvah Boy (musical)
Bar Mitzvah Boy is a musical with a book by Jack Rosenthal, lyrics by Don Black, and music by Jule Styne.Based on Rosenthal's award-winning 1976 BBC1 teleplay of the same name, it focuses on young Eliot Green who, filled with apprehension, escapes from the synagogue where he is about to make his...
, with music by Jule Styne
Jule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
.
He married actress Maureen Lipman
Maureen Lipman
Maureen Diane Lipman CBE is a British film, theatre and television actress, columnist and comedienne.-Early life:Lipman was born in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Maurice Julius Lipman and Zelma Pearlman. Her father was a tailor; he used to have a shop between the...
in 1974; they have two grown-up children, writers Amy Rosenthal
Amy Rosenthal
Amy Rosenthal is a British playwright from Muswell Hill, London. She is the daughter of Jack Rosenthal and Maureen Lipman.- Plays :Rosenthal studied playwriting at the University of Birmingham...
and Adam Rosenthal. Jack Rosenthal was a Manchester United fan all his life.
Rosenthal was awarded the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1994.
He died in Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, aged 72, on 29 May 2004, of multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
, a form of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
His autobiography, By Jack Rosenthal was published posthumously and a four-part adaptation by his daughter, titled Jack Rosenthal's Last Act was broadcast to great acclaim on BBC Radio 4 in July 2006 starring Maureen Lipman as herself and Stephen Mangan
Stephen Mangan
Stephen Mangan is an English actor, best known for his roles as Guy Secretan in the television series Green Wing, Dan Moody in I'm Alan Partridge and as Holistic Detective Dirk Gently in the 2010 BBC adaptation of Douglas Adams' book Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, as well as Sean Lincoln...
as Jack Rosenthal.
Television
- Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(1961–69) - Pardon the ExpressionPardon the ExpressionPardon The Expression! was an ITV sitcom made by Granada Television, that was first broadcast from Wednesday 2 June 1965 to Monday 27 June 1966. The sitcom was one of only four spin-offs from the highly popular soap opera Coronation Street. Pardon the Expression itself had a spin-off: Turn out the...
(1965–66) - You Dont Have to Book Buckingham Palace (1966)
- The Night Before the Morning After (1966)
- Compensation Alice (1967)
- Your Name's Not God, It's Edgar (1968)
- There's a Hole in Your Dustbin, DelilahThe DustbinmenThe Dustbinmen was a British television sitcom made by Granada Television for ITV, which starred Bryan Pringle, Trevor Bannister, Graham Haberfield and Tim Wylton. The show was a spin-off from a one-off 90-minute TV movie "There's a Hole in Your Dustbin, Delilah" written by Jack Rosenthal and...
(1968) - The DustbinmenThe DustbinmenThe Dustbinmen was a British television sitcom made by Granada Television for ITV, which starred Bryan Pringle, Trevor Bannister, Graham Haberfield and Tim Wylton. The show was a spin-off from a one-off 90-minute TV movie "There's a Hole in Your Dustbin, Delilah" written by Jack Rosenthal and...
(1969–70) - The LoversThe Lovers (TV series)The Lovers is a British television sitcom by Jack Rosenthal, starring Richard Beckinsale and Paula Wilcox as a courting couple, Geoffrey and Beryl. It was made between 1970 and 1971 by Granada Television for the ITV network. The hook for the show was the mismatch between the two, particularly in...
(1970–71) - Another Sunday and Sweet F.A. (1972)
- And for My Next Trick (1972)
- Hot Fat (1974)
- The Evacuees (1975)
- Sadie, It's Cold Outside (1975)
- Ready When You Are, Mr McGillReady When You Are, Mr McGillReady When You Are, Mr McGill is a feature length TV drama, written by Jack Rosenthal. ITV produced two versions, in 1976 and 2003. The 1976 version was the first in a series of six single television plays called "Red Letter Days" each of which showed the events in a single, special day in...
(1976) - The Five Pound Orange (1976)
- Well Thank You, Thursday (1976)
- Amazing Stories (1976)
- Matchfit (1976)
- Bag of Yeast (1976)
- Bar Mitzvah BoyBar Mitzvah BoyBar Mitzvah Boy is a British television play, written by Jack Rosenthal and originally transmitted in the Play for Today anthology series on BBC1...
(1976) - Spaghetti Two-Step (1977)
- Spend, Spend, SpendSpend, Spend, Spend (play)Spend, Spend, Spend is an episode of the BBC's Play for Today anthology series first transmitted 15 March 1977Michael Brooke , BFI screenonline page on BBC1, recounting the life of football pools winner Viv Nicholson....
(1977) - The Knowledge (1979)
- The Devil's Lieutenant (1983)
- Mrs Capper's Birthday (1985)
- The Fools on the Hill (1986)
- London's BurningLondon's BurningLondon's Burning was a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.It was broadcast between 1986 and...
(1986) - And a Nightingale SangAnd a Nightingale SangAnd a Nightingale Sang is a play by British playwright C.P. Taylor and commissioned by Newcastle upon Tyne's Live Theatre Company. The play was made into a TV play in 1989 by Jack Rosenthal for Tyne Tees Television....
(1989) - About Face: The Bag LadyAbout Face (TV series)About Face is a series of twelve unconnected half-hour sitcoms all starring Maureen Lipman in the lead role. Each episode featured a guest cast of well known actors and actresses....
(1989) - About Face: Sleeping SicknessAbout Face (TV series)About Face is a series of twelve unconnected half-hour sitcoms all starring Maureen Lipman in the lead role. Each episode featured a guest cast of well known actors and actresses....
(1991) - Bye Bye Baby (1992)
- Wide-Eyed and Legless (1993)
- Moving Story (1994–95)
- Eskimo Day (1996)
- Cold Enough for Snow (1997)
- Lucky Jim (2003)
- Ready When You Are, Mr McGillReady When You Are, Mr McGillReady When You Are, Mr McGill is a feature length TV drama, written by Jack Rosenthal. ITV produced two versions, in 1976 and 2003. The 1976 version was the first in a series of six single television plays called "Red Letter Days" each of which showed the events in a single, special day in...
(2003)
Screenplays
- The Lucky StarThe Lucky Star (film)- Plot :A young Jewish boy who escapes from the traumas of war-torn Holland by living in a fantasy world of American westerns - where good triumphs over evil and the outcast becomes a hero.- Recognition :* 1981...
(1980) - P'tang, Yang, KipperbangP'tang, Yang, KipperbangP'tang, Yang, Kipperbang is a television film first shown on Channel 4 on its second night, 3 November, 1982.Written by Jack Rosenthal as part of his First Love series, it is a simple coming-of-age film set in a grammar school in the outer London suburbs of the early 1950s...
(1982) - Experience Preferred... But Not Essential (1982)
- YentlYentl (film)Yentl is a 1983 romantic musical drama film from United Artists, and directed, co-written, co-produced, and starring Barbra Streisand based on the play of the same name by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer, itself based on Singer's short story, "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy".The dramatic story...
(1983)
- The ChainThe Chain (1984 film)The Chain is a British comedy drama film first released in 1984. The film was produced and distributed by Film Four International.-Cast:* Denis Lawson as Keith* Rita Wolf as Carrie* Phyllis Logan as Alison* David Troughton as Dudley...
(1984) - Captain JackCaptain Jack (film)Captain Jack is a British comedy film released on video by Kosch Vision in 1999.-Plot:Captain Jack stars Bob Hoskins as a rebellious captain of a small Whitby boat who is determined to flout petty maritime bureaucracy...
(1999) - Chicken RunChicken RunChicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
(2000)
Stage
- Bar Mitzvah Boy (musical)Bar Mitzvah Boy (musical)Bar Mitzvah Boy is a musical with a book by Jack Rosenthal, lyrics by Don Black, and music by Jule Styne.Based on Rosenthal's award-winning 1976 BBC1 teleplay of the same name, it focuses on young Eliot Green who, filled with apprehension, escapes from the synagogue where he is about to make his...
(1978) - Dear Anyone (1983)
- Our Gracie (1984)
- Dreyfus (2000)