James Leo Herlihy
Encyclopedia
James Leo Herlihy was an American
novelist, playwright
and actor
.
Born into a working class family in Detroit, Michigan
, Herlihy is known for his novels Midnight Cowboy
and All Fall Down
and his play Blue Denim
, all of which were adapted for cinema. Other publications include The Season of the Witch
and several short stories
.
in North Carolina for two years, where he studied sculpture. He then relocated to California and attended the Pasadena Playhouse
College of the Theater.
Plays which he wrote include Streetlight Sonata (1950), Moon in Capricorn (1953), and Blue Denim
(produced on Broadway in 1958).
He directed actress Tallulah Bankhead
in a touring production of his play Crazy October in 1959.
Three of his one-act plays, titled collectively Stop You're Killing Me were presented by the Theater Company of Boston in 1969.
He wrote three novels: All Fall Down (1960), Midnight Cowboy
(1965), and Season of the Witch (1971).
His short stories were collected in The Sleep of Baby Filbertson and Other Stories (1959) and A Story That Ends in a Scream and Eight Others (1967), a collection which also included plays.
He acted in Edward Albee
's play Zoo Story in 1963 in Boston and Paris.
In 1968, he signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments as a protest against the Vietnam War.
He acted in the 1981 movie Four Friends
directed by Arthur Penn
.
Herlihy committed suicide
, aged 66, by taking an overdose of sleeping pills in Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, 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...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Born into a working class family in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Herlihy is known for his novels Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Cowboy (novel)
For the 1969 film adaptation of this novel, see Midnight Cowboy.Midnight Cowboy is a 1965 novel by James Leo Herlihy that chronicles the naïve Texan Joe Buck's odyssey from Texas to New York City, where he plans on realizing his dream of becoming a male prostitute servicing rich ladies...
and All Fall Down
All Fall Down (novel)
All Fall Down is a 1960 novel by James Leo Herlihy, which was adapted into a 1962 film directed by John Frankenheimer.-Explanation of the novel's title:...
and his play Blue Denim
Blue Denim
Blue Denim was a successful Broadway play by writer James Leo Herlihy, the author of the novels All Fall Down and Midnight Cowboy . It starred Carol Lynley, Warren Berlinger and newcomer Burt Brinckerhoff in the lead male role...
, all of which were adapted for cinema. Other publications include The Season of the Witch
The Season of the Witch
The Season of the Witch is a novel by James Leo Herlihy.-Plot introduction:The story is written in the form of a journal that spans three months and accounts the life of a teenage runaway, Gloria Glyczwych, during the autumn of 1969.-Plot summary:...
and several short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
.
Biography
Herlihy enlisted with the Navy in 1944. He attended Black Mountain CollegeBlack Mountain College
Black Mountain College, a school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a new kind of college in the United States in which the study of art was seen to be central to a liberal arts education, and in which John Dewey's principles of education played a major role...
in North Carolina for two years, where he studied sculpture. He then relocated to California and attended the Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
College of the Theater.
Plays which he wrote include Streetlight Sonata (1950), Moon in Capricorn (1953), and Blue Denim
Blue Denim
Blue Denim was a successful Broadway play by writer James Leo Herlihy, the author of the novels All Fall Down and Midnight Cowboy . It starred Carol Lynley, Warren Berlinger and newcomer Burt Brinckerhoff in the lead male role...
(produced on Broadway in 1958).
He directed actress Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
in a touring production of his play Crazy October in 1959.
Three of his one-act plays, titled collectively Stop You're Killing Me were presented by the Theater Company of Boston in 1969.
He wrote three novels: All Fall Down (1960), Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Cowboy (novel)
For the 1969 film adaptation of this novel, see Midnight Cowboy.Midnight Cowboy is a 1965 novel by James Leo Herlihy that chronicles the naïve Texan Joe Buck's odyssey from Texas to New York City, where he plans on realizing his dream of becoming a male prostitute servicing rich ladies...
(1965), and Season of the Witch (1971).
His short stories were collected in The Sleep of Baby Filbertson and Other Stories (1959) and A Story That Ends in a Scream and Eight Others (1967), a collection which also included plays.
He acted in Edward Albee
Edward Albee
Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...
's play Zoo Story in 1963 in Boston and Paris.
In 1968, he signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments as a protest against the Vietnam War.
He acted in the 1981 movie Four Friends
Four Friends (film)
Four Friends is a 1981 American drama film directed by Arthur Penn. The semi-autobiographical screenplay by Steve Tesich follows the path of the title characters from high school to college during the often turbulent 1960s and beyond.-Plot synopsis:...
directed by Arthur Penn
Arthur Penn
Arthur Hiller Penn was an American film director and producer with a career as a theater director as well. Penn amassed a critically acclaimed body of work throughout the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:...
.
Herlihy committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, aged 66, by taking an overdose of sleeping pills in Los Angeles.
Novels
- All Fall Down (1960)
- Midnight CowboyMidnight Cowboy (novel)For the 1969 film adaptation of this novel, see Midnight Cowboy.Midnight Cowboy is a 1965 novel by James Leo Herlihy that chronicles the naïve Texan Joe Buck's odyssey from Texas to New York City, where he plans on realizing his dream of becoming a male prostitute servicing rich ladies...
(1965) - The Season of the Witch (1971)
Plays
- Streetlight Sonata (1950)
- Moon in Capricorn (1953)
- Blue DenimBlue DenimBlue Denim was a successful Broadway play by writer James Leo Herlihy, the author of the novels All Fall Down and Midnight Cowboy . It starred Carol Lynley, Warren Berlinger and newcomer Burt Brinckerhoff in the lead male role...
(1958) - Crazy October (1959)
- Stop, You’re Killing Me: Three Short Plays (1969)
Collections
- The Sleep of Baby Filbertson and Other Stories (1958)
- A Story That Ends with a Scream and Eight Others (1967)