Melvin Frank
Melvin Frank (13 August 1913 – 13 October 1988) was an American screenwriter, film producer and film director. He is known for his partnership with Norman Panama and their work on films such as "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1948), "White Christmas" (1954), and "The Court Jester" (1956). He also directed films such as "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell" and "A Touch of Class" (1973). Life and career. Born to a Jewish family, Frank met his future collaborator Norman Panama in 1933 when they were both at the University of Chicago. After graduating, they formed a partnership in 1935  which endured for four decades; first writing for Milton Berle before becoming writers for Bob Hope's radio show. In 1941, they sold their first script to Paramount Pictures, "My Favorite Blonde" (1942), which starred Hope. They worked for Paramount for five years where, among others, they wrote "Road to Utopia" (1946), starring Hope and Bing Crosby, for which they received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. They moved to Columbia Pictures making "It Had to Be You" (1947) and "The Return of October" (1948) and also wrote "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1948) for RKO. In  1950, they signed a writing, producing and directing deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and made films together as co-writers, co-directors and co-producers. They started with "The Reformer and the Redhead" (1950) and also made "Knock on Wood" (1954) and "The Court Jester" (1956), both with Danny Kaye, with the former earning them another Academy Award nomination. They also co-wrote "White Christmas" (1954) with Norman Krasna. They wrote a Broadway play together in 1956, later adapted into "Li'l Abner" (1959), directed by Frank. They received another Academy Award nomination for "The Facts of Life" (1960) and also  worked on "The Road to Hong Kong" (1962). Frank went on to a successful solo career as a film director, most notably directing the acclaimed romantic comedy "A Touch of Class" (1973), starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced (with Jack Rose) and Jackson won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. Subsequent films directed by Frank include "The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox" (1976) and "Lost and Found" (1979). Over  the course of his career, Frank was nominated for five Academy Awards. In 1984, he received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement from the Writers Guild of America. Death. Frank had open heart surgery on October 12, 1988 and died the following day. Personal life. Frank's first wife was Anne Ray, younger sister of actress Jigee Viertel. At the time of his death he was still married to his second wife, Juliet. He had three children, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Elizabeth Frank and sons Andrew and James.