Loren Singer
Encyclopedia
Loren Adelson Singer was an American
novelist, best-known for his 1970 political thriller, The Parallax View, which was made into a successful 1974 film, of the same name
, starring Warren Beatty
, Paula Prentiss
, Hume Cronyn
and William Daniels
.
Singer was born in Buffalo, New York
on March 5, 1923 and enlisted in the United States Army
after he completed high school. He was sent to Yale University
by the Office of Strategic Services
to study the Malay language
, but the war ended before he could serve in the field. While with the OSS, Singer learned the details of covert operations that became the theme of many of his novels. After the war ended, Singer earned an undergraduate degree in English from the Ohio State University
in 1947.
He married Erma Rosenstadt in 1947, and the couple moved to New York City in the early 1950s. There Singer worked for his father-in-law's printing business while he wrote for such television programs as Kraft Television Theater, Studio One and Westinghouse Playhouse
.
His 1970 book The Parallax View told the story of a reporter who follows the track of a series of witnesses who are found dead in the trail of the assassination of a presidential candidate, whose death had been attributed to a lone gunman. The book was written in 1970 at a time when questions still swirled over a series of political assassinations in the previous decade. The book allowed him to leave his job as a printing salesman working for his father-in-law and was the first movie that Doubleday pushed into film production. The film starred Warren Beatty
, Paula Prentiss
, Hume Cronyn
and William Daniels
.
Other novels Singer wrote included the 1973 police procedural That's the House, There, in which the story is told as one side of the telephone conversations of a police sergeant, while his 1974 book Boca Grande covered intrigue in Cuba on a Nassau-Jamaica yacht race. His 1993 novel Making Good told the story of a conspiracy discovered by U.S. Army soldiers who uncover a trove of Nazi looted art.
A resident of Mamaroneck, New York
, Singer died on December 19, 2009, aged 86. He was survived by his wife, three sons and three grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, best-known for his 1970 political thriller, The Parallax View, which was made into a successful 1974 film, of the same name
The Parallax View
The Parallax View is a 1974 American thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Warren Beatty, Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn and William Daniels. The film was adapted by David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr and an uncredited Robert Towne from the 1970 novel by Loren Singer...
, starring Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
, Paula Prentiss
Paula Prentiss
Paula Ragusa , better known by her stage name Paula Prentiss, is an American actress well-known for her film roles in Where the Boys Are, Man's Favorite Sport?, The Stepford Wives, What's New Pussycat?, The Black Marble, and The Parallax View and her co-starring role in the television situation...
, Hume Cronyn
Hume Cronyn
Hume Blake Cronyn, OC was a Canadian actor of stage and screen, who enjoyed a long career, often appearing professionally alongside his second wife, Jessica Tandy.-Early life:...
and William Daniels
William Daniels
William David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
.
Singer was born in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
on March 5, 1923 and enlisted in the United States 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...
after he completed high school. He was sent to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
by the Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
to study the Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, but the war ended before he could serve in the field. While with the OSS, Singer learned the details of covert operations that became the theme of many of his novels. After the war ended, Singer earned an undergraduate degree in English from the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1947.
He married Erma Rosenstadt in 1947, and the couple moved to New York City in the early 1950s. There Singer worked for his father-in-law's printing business while he wrote for such television programs as Kraft Television Theater, Studio One and Westinghouse Playhouse
Westinghouse playhouse
Westinghouse Playhouse is an American sitcom that aired from January to July 1961 on NBC. Starring Nanette Fabray, the series was also known as The Nanette Fabray Show, Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey, and ran under the title Yes, Yes Nanette in...
.
His 1970 book The Parallax View told the story of a reporter who follows the track of a series of witnesses who are found dead in the trail of the assassination of a presidential candidate, whose death had been attributed to a lone gunman. The book was written in 1970 at a time when questions still swirled over a series of political assassinations in the previous decade. The book allowed him to leave his job as a printing salesman working for his father-in-law and was the first movie that Doubleday pushed into film production. The film starred Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
, Paula Prentiss
Paula Prentiss
Paula Ragusa , better known by her stage name Paula Prentiss, is an American actress well-known for her film roles in Where the Boys Are, Man's Favorite Sport?, The Stepford Wives, What's New Pussycat?, The Black Marble, and The Parallax View and her co-starring role in the television situation...
, Hume Cronyn
Hume Cronyn
Hume Blake Cronyn, OC was a Canadian actor of stage and screen, who enjoyed a long career, often appearing professionally alongside his second wife, Jessica Tandy.-Early life:...
and William Daniels
William Daniels
William David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
.
Other novels Singer wrote included the 1973 police procedural That's the House, There, in which the story is told as one side of the telephone conversations of a police sergeant, while his 1974 book Boca Grande covered intrigue in Cuba on a Nassau-Jamaica yacht race. His 1993 novel Making Good told the story of a conspiracy discovered by U.S. Army soldiers who uncover a trove of Nazi looted art.
A resident of Mamaroneck, New York
Mamaroneck (village), New York
Mamaroneck is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 18,929 at the 2010 census. It is located partially within the town of Mamaroneck and partially within the town of Rye. The portion in Rye is unofficially called "Rye Neck"...
, Singer died on December 19, 2009, aged 86. He was survived by his wife, three sons and three grandchildren.