John H. Secondari
Encyclopedia
John Hermes Secondari was an American
author
and television producer
.
Secondari's 1952 novel Coins in the Fountain
was made into the 1954 Academy Award-winning film Three Coins in the Fountain
and remade as the 1964 Oscar-nominated film The Pleasure Seekers
. In 1963, he produced the Emmy
-nominated and Peabody Award
-winning ABC
television series Saga of Western Man
.
as being in "excess of quota." They were finally released on June 11 and settled in Framington, Massachusetts. According to the passenger list, John Secondari was born in Bevagna
, Umbria, Italy, not Rome. Secondari received a Bachelor of Arts
from Fordham University
in 1939 and a M.S.
in Journalism from Columbia University
in 1940. He joined the U.S. Army
in 1941 and commanded a reconnaissance
unit and a tank company in combat during World War II
in France
, Germany
, and Austria
. He was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Captain.
Secondari married Rita Hume in 1948, but she died in a car accident in Mallorca, Spain. They had a son, John Gerry. In 1961, he married Helen Jean Rogers
with whom he co-produced Saga of Western Man. They had a daughter, Linda Helen. He died of a heart attack at the age of 55 in New York City
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
.
Secondari's 1952 novel Coins in the Fountain
Coins in the Fountain (novel)
Coins in the Fountain is a novel by John Hermes Secondari, from which was adapted the 1954 Academy Award-winning film, Three Coins in the Fountain. It was remade in 1964 as the Oscar-nominated film The Pleasure Seekers and again in 1990 as Coins in the Fountain....
was made into the 1954 Academy Award-winning film Three Coins in the Fountain
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954 film)
Three Coins in the Fountain is the 1954 film that introduced the song of the same name, which became an enduring standard. It tells the story of three American girls looking for romance in Rome while employed at the American Embassy...
and remade as the 1964 Oscar-nominated film The Pleasure Seekers
The Pleasure Seekers
The Pleasure Seekers is a 1964 20th Century Fox motion picture starring Ann-Margret, Anthony Franciosa, and Carol Lynley, with Gardner McKay, Pamela Tiffin, Brian Keith, and Gene Tierney....
. In 1963, he produced the Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-nominated and Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
-winning ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Saga of Western Man
Saga of Western Man
Saga of Western Man is a historically themed anthology series television series that aired on ABC Television from 1963 to 1969. Each episode focused on a particular year, person, or incident that producer John H...
.
Biography
John H. Secondari was born in 1919 in Rome, Italy. In May of 1924, he emigrated to the United States with his mother, Linda Secondari, on board the S.S. Providence, which sailed from Naples, Italy, and arrived at the Port of New York on June 4, whereupon they were immediately detained at Ellis IslandEllis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
as being in "excess of quota." They were finally released on June 11 and settled in Framington, Massachusetts. According to the passenger list, John Secondari was born in Bevagna
Bevagna
Bevagna is a town and comune in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia, , in the flood plain of the Topino river.Bevagna is 25 km SE of Perugia, 8 km west of Foligno, 7 km north-north-west of Montefalco, 16 km south of Assisi and 15 km north-west of Trevi.It...
, Umbria, Italy, not Rome. Secondari received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in 1939 and a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Journalism from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1940. He joined the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1941 and commanded a reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
unit and a tank company in combat during 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...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Captain.
Secondari married Rita Hume in 1948, but she died in a car accident in Mallorca, Spain. They had a son, John Gerry. In 1961, he married Helen Jean Rogers
Helen Jean Rogers
Helen Jean Rogers Secondari was an American television producer. She won five Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards with her fellow producer and husband John H. Secondari.- Biography :...
with whom he co-produced Saga of Western Man. They had a daughter, Linda Helen. He died of a heart attack at the age of 55 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Filmography
- 1951 - Goodyear Television PlayhouseGoodyear Television PlayhouseThe Goodyear Television Playhouse produced live television dramas from 1951 to 1957 during the "Golden Age of Television".Sponsored by Goodyear, the hour-long anthology series was telecast Sundays at 9pm on NBC...
(episode writer) - 1954 - Three Coins in the FountainCoins in the Fountain (novel)Coins in the Fountain is a novel by John Hermes Secondari, from which was adapted the 1954 Academy Award-winning film, Three Coins in the Fountain. It was remade in 1964 as the Oscar-nominated film The Pleasure Seekers and again in 1990 as Coins in the Fountain....
(novel) - 1957 - The Alcoa HourThe Alcoa HourThe Alcoa Hour is a live anthology television series sponsored by Alcoa and telecast in the United States from 1955 to 1957. The series was seen Sundays on NBC at 9pm.-Overview:...
- "Hostages to Fortune" (episode writer) - 1957 - Open Hearing (moderator)
- 1963 - Saga of Western ManSaga of Western ManSaga of Western Man is a historically themed anthology series television series that aired on ABC Television from 1963 to 1969. Each episode focused on a particular year, person, or incident that producer John H...
(producer, writer) - 1964 - The Pleasure SeekersThe Pleasure SeekersThe Pleasure Seekers is a 1964 20th Century Fox motion picture starring Ann-Margret, Anthony Franciosa, and Carol Lynley, with Gardner McKay, Pamela Tiffin, Brian Keith, and Gene Tierney....
(novel) - 1967 - Christ Is Born (1967) (producer)
- 1969 - The Ellis Island Experience (1969) (producer)
- 1990 - Coins in the FountainCoins in the FountainCoins in the Fountain is a television film which was released on September 28, 1990. The film is based on the novel Coins in the Fountain by John H. Secondari, which was previously filmed in 1954 as Three Coins in the Fountain. It was directed by Tony Wharmby and written by Lindsay Harrison...
(novel)
External links
- John H. Secondari at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...