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Arthur Laurents is a Actor, Scriptwriter and Producer American born on 14 july 1917 at New York City (USA)

Arthur Laurents

Arthur Laurents
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Birth name Arthur Levine
Nationality USA
Birth 14 july 1917 at New York City (USA)
Death 5 may 2011 (at 93 years) at New York City (USA)

Arthur Laurents (July 14, 1917 – May 5, 2011) was an American playwright, stage director and screenwriter.

After writing scripts for radio shows after college and then training films for the U.S. Army during World War II, Laurents turned to writing for Broadway, producing a body of work that includes West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), and La Cage Aux Folles (1983), and directing some of his own shows and other Broadway productions.

His early film scripts include Rope (1948) for Alfred Hitchcock, followed by Anastasia (1956), Bonjour Tristesse (1958), The Way We Were (1973), and The Turning Point (1977).

Biography

Né à Brooklyn en 1917, Arthur Laurents est le fils aîné d'un avocat et d'une institutrice qui quitta son travail pour élever ses deux enfants. Edith, la sœur cadette d'Arthur, souffre de chorée.

Ses grands-parents paternels étaient des Juifs orthodoxes. Du côté de sa mère ils étaient des Juifs athées, et celle-ci n'observait les rites que pour plaire à son mari, sans imposer aux enfants la stricte observance de la religion. Arthur ne reniait pas ses origines juives, mais n'adopta aucune religion et changea son patronyme, pour Laurents, à la seule fin de se dénicher sans ennui un emploi.




Débuts radiophoniques
Au sortir de l'université Cornell, il suivit un cours du soir de l'Université de New York sur l'écriture radiophonique. Son professeur, un cadre de CBS radio, soumit le script de Laurents à son réseau, qui le produisit. Ce texte fantaisiste, Now Playing Tomorrow, qui portait sur la clairvoyance, a lancé sa carrière, entraînant des commandes variées pour des émissions radiophoniques, notamment pour le Lux Radio Theater.


Vie militaire
Au milieu de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, l'Armée américaine le réclame. Mais, à tout hasard, il n'est pas envoyé au front, mais est affecté à une section cinématographique locale où il devait écrire le scénario de films destinés à encourager l'enrôlement. Il a l'occasion d'y rencontrer notamment le réalisateur George Cukor et l'acteur William Holden. Il est ensuite assigné à l'écriture de dramatiques pour la radio, pour faire connaître les contributions particulières des différentes divisions de l'armée.


Débuts théâtraux
Peu après sa démobilisation, il rencontre la danseuse Nora Kaye , avec qui il connaît les hauts et les bas de la vie amoureuse. Puis Laurents finit par se lasser d'écrire pour la radio. À la demande expresse du cinéaste-acteur Martin Gabel, il consacre neuf nuits consécutives à écrire une dramatique inspirée d'un photographe des G.I. dans la jungle du Pacifique Sud, durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Ce qui devient Home of the Brave, un drame sur l'antisémitisme dans l'armée, monté sur scène à Broadway le 27 décembre 1945 et qui connait 49 représentations. Stanley Kramer produit en 1949 une adaptation de cette pièce au cinéma, La Demeure des braves (Home of the Brave), réalisé par Mark Robson, avec comme personnage principal un Noir plutôt qu'un Juif.

Dans les années 1950, il est une des victimes du maccarthysme, inscrit sur la liste noire du cinéma.

Arthur Laurents est mort le 5 mai 2011, à Manhattan, à l'âge de 93 ans.


Vie privée
Arthur Laurents était homosexuel. Il a entretenu des liaisons notamment avec Farley Granger et Tom Hatcher.

Best films

The Way We Were (1973)
(Writer)
West Side Story (1961)
(Musical)
Anastasia (1956)
(Scriptwriter)
The Snake Pit (1948)
(Scriptwriter)

Usually with

Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Arthur Laurents (16 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

The Celluloid Closet, 1h47
Directed by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Documentary, Historical
Themes Films about films, Films about sexuality, Bisexuality-related films, LGBT-related films, Documentary films about business, Documentary films about the film industry, Documentaire sur l'homosexualité, Documentary films about cities, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors Susan Sarandon, Lily Tomlin, Armistead Maupin, Arthur Laurents, Antonio Fargas, Tom Hanks
Roles Self
Rating77% 3.894033.894033.894033.894033.89403
Le film montre comment le cinéma hollywoodien a évoqué le thème de l’homosexualité, comment cette représentation a évolué au fil des ans et comment, en retour, elle a influencé la perception de l’homosexualité par le grand public.

Scriptwriter

West Side Story
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Musical, Crime, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Théâtre, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals, Films based on works by William Shakespeare, Children's films
Actors Ansel Elgort, Rita Moreno, Corey Stoll, Brian d'Arcy James, Maddie Ziegler, Ana Isabelle
Roles Theatre Play
Rating70% 3.549153.549153.549153.549153.54915
Upper West Side, années 1950. Deux bandes de jeunes s'affrontent : d'un côté les Sharks dirigés par Bernardo et de l'autre les Jets, avec Riff à leur tête. Tony, lié au Jets, va s'éprendre de Maria, la sœur de Bernardo.
Gypsy
Gypsy (1993)
, 2h33
Directed by Emile Ardolino
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Musical
Themes Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals
Actors Bette Midler, Cynthia Gibb, Peter Riegert, Edward Asnere, Elisabeth Moss, Lacey Chabert
Roles Theatre Play
Rating71% 3.5930953.5930953.5930953.5930953.593095
Determined to make her young, blonde, and beautiful daughter, June, a vaudeville headliner, willful, resourceful, domineering stage mother Rose Hovick will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. She drags June and her shy, awkward, and decidedly less-talented older sister, Louise, around the country in an effort to get them noticed, and with the assistance of agent Herbie Sommers, she manages to secure them bookings on the prestigious Orpheum Circuit.
The Turning Point, 1h59
Directed by Herbert Ross
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Themes Dance films, Children's films
Actors Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Tom Skerritt, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leslie Browne, Martha Scott
Roles Writer
Rating67% 3.3974153.3974153.3974153.3974153.397415
DeeDee (Shirley MacLaine) left the ballet company after becoming pregnant by Wayne (Tom Skerritt), another dancer in the company. They marry and later move to Oklahoma City to run a dance studio. Emma (Anne Bancroft) stays with the company and eventually becomes a prima ballerina and well-known figure in the ballet community.
The Way We Were, 1h58
Directed by Sydney Pollack
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about religion
Actors Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman, Lois Chiles, Patrick O'Neal, Viveca Lindfors
Roles Writer
Rating69% 3.4990553.4990553.4990553.4990553.499055
Told partly in flashback, it is the story of Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) and Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford). Their differences are immense: she is a stridently vocal Marxist Jew with strong anti-war opinions, and he is a carefree WASP with no particular political bent. While attending the same college, she is drawn to him because of his boyish good looks and his natural writing skill, which she finds captivating, although he doesn't work very hard at it. He is intrigued by her conviction and her determination to persuade others to take up social causes. Their attraction is evident, but neither of them act upon it, and lose touch after graduation.
Gypsy
Gypsy (1962)
, 2h23
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Films about sexuality, Théâtre, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals, Striptease
Actors Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Parley Baer, Morgan Brittany, Jack Benny
Roles Writer
Rating70% 3.544943.544943.544943.544943.54494
Determined to make her young, blonde, and beautiful daughter June a vaudeville headliner, willful, resourceful, domineering stage mother Rose Hovick will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. She drags the girl and her shy, awkward, and decidedly less-talented older sister Louise around the country in an effort to get them noticed, and with the assistance of agent Herbie Sommers, she manages to secure them bookings on the prestigious Orpheum Circuit.
West Side Story, 2h32
Directed by Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Musical theatre, Musical, Crime, Romance
Themes Dance films, Films about music and musicians, Théâtre, Musical films, Romeo and Juliet, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals, Films based on works by William Shakespeare, Gangster films
Actors Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Marni Nixon, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris
Roles Musical
Rating75% 3.797683.797683.797683.797683.79768
In the West Side's Lincoln Square neighborhood in Manhattan, there is tension between an Anglo gang, the Jets, led by Riff, and a Puerto Rican gang of immigrants, the Sharks, led by Bernardo. After a brawl erupts ("Prologue"), Lieutenant Schrank and Officer Krupke arrive and break it up, warning both gangs to cease fighting or pay. Despite the warning, the Jets decide to challenge the Sharks to a rumble for neighborhood control at an upcoming dance.
Bonjour Tristesse, 1h34
Directed by Otto Preminger
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Themes La provence
Actors Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Jean Seberg, Mylène Demongeot, Geoffrey Horne, Juliette Gréco
Rating68% 3.4460053.4460053.4460053.4460053.446005
On the French Riviera, Cécile (Jean Seberg) is a decadent young girl who lives with her rich playboy father, Raymond (David Niven). Anne (Deborah Kerr), a mature and cultured friend of Raymond's late wife, arrives at Raymond's villa for a visit. Cécile is afraid that Anne will disrupt the undisciplined way of life that she has shared with her father.
Anastasia
Anastasia (1956)
, 1h45
Directed by Anatole Litvak
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Historical, Romance
Themes Medical-themed films, Films about psychiatry, Films about disabilities, Films based on plays, Children's films
Actors Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, Helen Hayes, Martita Hunt, Akim Tamiroff, Sacha Pitoëff
Rating69% 3.4974453.4974453.4974453.4974453.497445
Ten years of turmoil have passed since the teenage Anastasia and her family (parents, sisters and brother) were presumed to have been killed by Bolshevik revolutionaries. Does the refugee Anna who has turned up in Paris have the bearing, speech, and intimate knowledge of the imperial family that the real grand duchess would have? Or is she merely a recovering amnesiac with a striking resemblance who has been cleverly groomed by the émigré General Bounine (Brynner) to stake a claim to 10 million pounds left by the Tsar in an English bank? In a series of encounters with former familiars and members of the imperial court, Anna begins to display a confidence and style that astonish her skeptical interlocutors, yet retains our sympathy by seeming more interested in recovering her own identity than the imperial bank account. In a climactic meeting with the Empress in Copenhagen, Anna and the Empress take the measure of each other, alternately projecting imperial self-possession and the anguish of family longing. Meanwhile, Bounine has become increasingly jealous of the attentions the fortune-hunting Prince Paul pays to Anna. At a grand ball at which her engagement to Paul is to be announced, the Empress has a private word with Anna/Anastasia, who subsequently elopes with Bounine.
Summertime
Summertime (1955)
, 1h39
Directed by David Lean
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Romance
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays
Actors Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Darren McGavin, Isa Miranda, Mari Aldon, Gino Cavalieri
Roles Theatre Play
Rating70% 3.547183.547183.547183.547183.54718
The story focuses on Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn), a single, middle-aged elementary school secretary (she refers to her position as "a fancy secretary") from Akron, Ohio. She is on her summer vacation and is now enjoying her lifelong dream of a vacation in Venice after saving up money for the past few years for the big trip. During the water bus ride to the Pensione Fiorini, she meets two fellow Americans, Lloyd (MacDonald Parke) and Edith (Jane Rose) McIlhenny. At the hotel, they are greeted by Signora Fiorini (Isa Miranda), a widow who transformed her home into a pensione after World War II. Also staying at the property are Eddie Yaeger (Darren McGavin), a young American painter studying art, and his wife Phyl (Mari Aldon).
Anna Lucasta
Directed by Irving Rapper
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Films based on plays
Actors Paulette Goddard, Dennie Moore, Oskar Homolka, John Ireland, Broderick Crawford, Will Geer
Roles Writer
Rating61% 3.0957353.0957353.0957353.0957353.095735
When the Lucasta family in Pennsylvania receives a message that a friend's son Rudolf is coming to town to find a wife, they see a chance to make some money. The friend of the family, Strobel, will send $4,000 to accompany Rudolf. The family decides on trying to "sell" one of their own daughters, Anna, to Rudolf. The only one opposed to the idea is the father, Joe, because he hates Anna more than the others. His daughter Stella's husband Frank has to persuade Joe with a beating before he agrees.
Home of the Brave, 1h28
Directed by Mark Robson
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War
Themes Medical-themed films, Seafaring films, Théâtre, Transport films, Films about psychiatry, Political films, Films based on plays
Actors Douglas Dick, Jeff Corey, Lloyd Bridges, James Edwards, Frank Lovejoy, Steve Brodie
Roles Writer
Rating69% 3.4884453.4884453.4884453.4884453.488445
Undergoing psychoanalysis by an Army psychiatrist (Corey), paralyzed Black war veteran Private Peter Moss (Edwards) begins to walk again only when he confronts his fear of forever being an "outsider."
Caught
Caught (1949)
, 1h28
Directed by Max Ophüls
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Noir, Romance
Actors Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Ryan, James Mason, Frank Ferguson, Curt Bois, Natalie Schafer
Rating69% 3.493883.493883.493883.493883.49388
Young model Leonora Eames marries multimillionaire Smith Ohlrig. Ohlrig though is deranged and did not marry for love. Eames insists several times that she married for love, but the film suggests that she is deluding herself. When Ohlrig becomes too abusive, she leaves him, penniless, to find a job at a medical clinic in a poor neighborhood and eventually falls for Dr. Larry Quinada.
Rope
Rope (1948)
, 1h20
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Documentary, Crime
Themes Assassinat, Films about education, L'action se déroule en une journée, Medical-themed films, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Films about psychiatry, Films based on plays, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Joan Chandler, Cedric Hardwicke, Douglas Dick
Rating79% 3.9503553.9503553.9503553.9503553.950355
Two brilliant young aesthetes, Brandon Shaw (Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Granger), strangle to death a former classmate, David Kentley (Dick Hogan), in their apartment. They commit the crime as an intellectual exercise; they want to prove their superiority by committing the "perfect murder".