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Dore Schary

January 26, 2023

Isadore "Dore" Schary (August 31, 1905 – July 7, 1980) was an American playwright, director, and producer for the stage and a prolific screenwriter and producer of motion pictures. He directed just one feature film, Act One, the film biography of his friend, playwright and theater director Moss Hart. He became head of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and replaced Louis B. Mayer as president of the studio in 1951.[2][3]

Dore Schary
Born
Isadore Schary

(1905-08-31)August 31, 1905
Newark, New Jersey, US
DiedJuly 7, 1980(1980-07-07) (aged 74)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, playwright, film director, studio executive
Spouse
Miriam Svet
​
(m. 1932)​
ChildrenJill Schary Robinson
Joy Schary
Jeb Schary
RelativesJeremy Zimmer (grandchild)[1]

Early life

Schary was born to a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey.[4][5] Schary's father ran a catering business called the Schary Manor. Dore attended Central High School for a year but dropped out to sell haberdashery and buy china. When he finally returned to school, he completed his three remaining years of classwork in one year, graduating in 1923.[6]

Schary worked as a journalist, did publicity for a lecture tour by Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd, and was an assistant drama coach at the Young Men's Hebrew Association in Newark. The head coach was Moss Hart.[7]

Career

Theatre

Schary worked in theatre as an actor and writer. In 1927 he got a bit part on Broadway in a play with Paul Muni. Then he worked with Hart at a summer resort in the Catskill Mountains, where they wrote, produced, and directed skits and plays.

Schary appeared on Broadway in The Last Mile with Spencer Tracy. He wrote a play which was read by film producer Walter Wanger, who wired his New York office: "Hire Dore Schary. She writes with a lot of vigor – for a woman." Wanger subsequently hired Schary as a $ 100-a-week film writer.[8] Schary moved to Hollywood, but his option with Wanger was dropped after three months. In his autobiography Heyday (1979), Schary also credits theatrical agent Frieda Fishbein in getting him to Hollywood, by introducing him to Harry Cohn, "the Maharajah of Columbia".[9]

Early films

Schary's early writing credits include He Couldn't Take It (1933) for Monogram, and Fury of the Jungle (1933) and Fog (1933) at Columbia.

Schary worked on Let's Talk It Over (1934) for Universal, The Most Precious Thing in Life (1934) at Columbia, and Young and Beautiful (1934) at Universal. Other work for Universal included Storm Over the Andes (1935), Chinatown Squad (1935), and (uncredited) The Raven (1935).

At Warners, Schary wrote Murder in the Clouds (1934) and Red Hot Tires (1935). He did some uncredited work on Paramount's Mississippi (1935), and wrote for Republic's Racing Luck (1935).

Schary went to Fox for Silk Hat Kid (1935), Your Uncle Dudley (1935) and Song and Dance Man (1936). He was briefly under contract at MGM for a few months in 1936.[10]

At Paramount he did Timothy's Quest (1936), Mind Your Own Business (1936), Her Master's Voice (1936), Outcast (1937), and The Girl from Scotland Yard (1937). He did Ladies in Distress (1937) at Republic.

Schary's play Too Many Heroes ran on Broadway for 16 performances in the fall of 1937.

Work at MGM

At MGM he worked on two Spencer Tracy films, Big City (1937) and Boys Town (1938). Schary earned Oscar nominations on the latter for Best Screenplay and Best Story, winning for Best Story.

Schary went on to write Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940), Young Tom Edison (1940) with Mickey Rooney and Edison, the Man (1940) with Tracy. He also worked on Married Bachelor (1941). For Republic, Schary wrote Behind the News (1940).

MGM promoted Schary to producer of their "B" pictures unit. Schary began with Joe Smith, American (1942), based on Schary's own story, which became a solid hit. Kid Glove Killer (1942), the directorial debut for Fred Zinnemann, was also profitable.

Journey for Margaret (1942) was a big success, making a star of Margaret O'Brien. Bataan (1943) made a profit of over one million dollars. Lassie Come Home (1943) with Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor had a profit of over two million.[11]

Vanguard Films

Schary accepted an offer to go to work for David O. Selznick's Vanguard Films as head of the production. He produced I'll Be Seeing You (1944), The Spiral Staircase (1946), Till the End of Time (1946), The Farmer's Daughter (1947) with Loretta Young, and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) with Cary Grant, Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple. All films were considered critical and commercial successes.

Head of production at RKO

Schary's Vanguard films were released through RKO, which offered him the job as head of the production. Although he still had eleven months left on his Vanguard contract they let him go and Schary signed a five-year deal with RKO in January 1947.[12][13]

Schary personally produced Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), a big hit, and championed Crossfire (1947), a major success for the studio. Other hits its included Every Girl Should Be Married (1948), Station West (1949), The Set-Up (1949) and The Window (1949). He greenlit the directorial debuts of Nicholas Ray (They Live by Night (1948)) and Joseph Losey (The Boy with Green Hair (1948)), both of which lost money. Expensive money losers included Adventure in Baltimore (1949) with Shirley Temple.

RKO was taken over by Howard Hughes, who clashed with Schary, particularly over Schary's desire to make Battleground, a film about the Battle of the Bulge. Schary resigned in July 1948.[14] He soon accepted a job offer from Louis B. Mayer at MGM.

Head of production at MGM

MGM struggled to adapt to the post-war filmmaking environment and, in 1947, recorded its first-ever end-of-year financial loss. The movie industry was faced with the threat of the Paramount Decree, rising labor costs, political turmoil, labor unrest, and the threat of television. MGM's parent company, Loews Incorporated in New York, decided that Schary might be able to turn the tide.[8] Schary signed to be vice president in charge of production in July 1948.[15] Schary and studio chief and founder Louis B. Mayer would soon be at odds over philosophy, with Mayer favoring splashy, wholesome entertainment and Schary leaning toward what Mayer derided as darker "message pictures". "Films must provoke thought in addition to entertainment", Schary once said. "They must educate and inform as they entertain."[16]

Schary's career at MGM got off to a strong start when Battleground (1949) proved to be MGM's most profitable film of the year. A 1949 profile called him a "boy wonder... very probably the most important man in the movie industry."[8] Schary also received acclaim for his personal productions, including The Next Voice You Hear... (1950), Go for Broke! (1951) and Westward the Women (1951). Schary co-wrote (with Charles Palmer) the 1950 book Case History of a Movie, which extensively covered, from initial conception to screening, the production of the film The Next Voice You Hear....

Mayer and Schary's differences came to a head with the production of The Red Badge of Courage (1951). Mayer presented an ultimatum to Nick Schenck, head of Loews, that Schary be fired. Schenck supported Schary and Mayer resigned. In July 1951 Schary took over complete control of production at MGM.[17]

MGM after Mayer

Schary's personal productions started losing money: Washington Story (1952), Plymouth Adventure (1952), and Dream Wife (1953). However Take the High Ground! (1953) and Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) were moderately successful. Schary also wrote and produced the documentary film The Battle of Gettysburg (1955), getting two Oscar nominations for his work.

At MGM, Schary greenlighted such films as Blackboard Jungle (1955), The Teahouse of the August Moon and Don't Go Near the Water which all proved to be big successes at the box office.[18]

Fired from MGM

In Schary's last year at MGM he personally produced three films, all of which lost money: The Swan (1956), The Last Hunt (1956) and Designing Woman (1957). MGM recorded a loss in 1956 leading to Loews firing him from his $200,000 annual contract and replacing him with Ben Thau. He was to remain as a consultant for MGM until 1968 at $100,000 a year.[19] Contemporary newspaper reports and Schary later claimed he was fired because of his political activities, including his close association with the Democratic Party.[20]

In 1956, his final year running MGM, he appeared on the show This Is Your Life. Host Ralph Edwards stated that there had never been a show where more stars appeared to honor a guest. However, MGM swimming star Esther Williams would later state in her 1999 autobiography The Million Dollar Mermaid that Schary was just as rude, cruel, and as imperious as Mayer had been. She noted that she thought it appropriate that Schary was fired on Thanksgiving, since he was a "turkey".

Return to Broadway and later films

Following his departure from MGM, Schary obtained the rights to the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1957.[21] He wrote and produced the Broadway play Sunrise at Campobello (1958–59), about Roosevelt, starring Ralph Bellamy. The play won five Tony Awards and ran for 556 performances.[22]

Schary returned to Hollywood when he wrote and produced the film Lonelyhearts (1958), starring Montgomery Clift and directed by Vincent J. Donehue.[23]

He had another Broadway hit when he produced and directed (but did not write) the comedy A Majority of One (1959–60) by Leonard Spigelgass, starring Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke. Schary earned a Tony nomination for his direction and the show ran for 556 performances. (It was later filmed, without Schary's involvement.)

Less successful was The Highest Tree (1959), which Schary wrote, produced and directed (and featured Robert Redford in the cast[24]) and Triple Play (1959), a collection of short plays, which he produced.[25]

Schary wrote and produced the film version of Sunrise at Campobello, which was released by Warner Brothers, directed by Donehue, in 1960. He also had a brief uncredited role in the film as Chairman of the Connecticut Delegation.[26]

On Broadway, Schary had another huge hit as producer and director with the Meredith Wilson musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1960) starring Tammy Grimes, which ran for 532 performances. MGM released a film version starring Debbie Reynolds in 1964.[27]

Schary wrote, produced and directed The Devil's Advocate (1961), based on the novel by Morris West, which ran for 116 performances.[28] He produced and directed Something About a Soldier (1962) by Ernest Kinoy[29] and Love and Kisses (1963) by Anita Block[30] both which had short runs. He also wrote a memoir, For Special Occasions (1962).[31]

Schary made his directorial debut in movies with Act One (1963) based on the memoirs of Moss Hart; Schary also wrote and produced. It was a flop and marked both the beginning and the end of Schary's film directing career.

Later career

On Broadway he wrote, produced and directed One by One (1964), which ran for seven performances,[32] and produced and directed the musical, The Zulu and the Zayda (1965) which went for 179.[33] Schary also wrote two more produced Broadway plays, Brightower (1970) (one performance[34]) and Herzl (1976) (8 performances),[35] neither of which had long runs.

Schary wrote his memoirs, Heyday, which came out shortly before his death.[36] In an interview, he said "I've always had an edge and the edge is that I'm a writer. No matter what happens I can write. And I'm tough. You had to be tough to outwit them, to wear them down. I've always been pretty lucky that way."[37]

Politics

Although one of the studio executives who formulated the 1947 Waldorf Statement, he became an outspoken opponent of the anticommunist investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1948, he was honored by the Anti-Defamation League for “distinguished contributions toward the enrichment of America’s democratic legacy," together with Charles E. Wilson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Barney Balaban, and Darryl Zanuck.[38]

He served as National Chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith from 1963 until April 22, 1969, when Samuel Dalsimer was elected the new National Chairman.[39] After Dalsimer died unexpectedly later that year on August 22, Schary was named acting National Chairman and served until May 1970, when Seymour Graubard was elected to replace him.[40][41] Schary was appointed by Mayor John Lindsay to the office of New York City Commissioner for Cultural Affairs.[42]

Personal life

He worked as a printer in his youth at Art Craft Press in Newark, New Jersey. He married Miriam Svet, a pianist and painter, on March 5, 1932. The couple had three children: the novelist and memoirist Jill Schary Robinson, psychoanalyst Dr. Joy Schary, and CLIO award-winning producer Jeb Schary. Miriam and Dore Schary had seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.[citation needed]

Dore Schary died in 1980, aged 74, and was interred in the Hebrew Cemetery (also known as the Monmouth Fields Jewish Cemetery[43]), West Long Branch, New Jersey. Miriam Svet Schary died on October 2, 1986, aged 74, and was interred next to her husband in the Hebrew Cemetery.[citation needed]

Legacy

To honor his memory, the Anti-Defamation League established the Dore Schary Awards in 1982 "to recognize outstanding student film and video productions addressing themes related to ADL's mission."[44]

In popular culture

  • His name is used for a rhyme at the very end of Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years, a satirical album from 1961: "That highly military / (script by Dore Schary) / Revolutionary War!"
  • In the 1947 RKO film, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (which he produced), Schary appears driving Cary Grant to the airport at the end of the film. Grant calls him "Jebby".
  • In the I Love Lucy episode "Don Juan is Shelved" (1955), Ricky Ricardo calls Schary's office from his Hollywood hotel room and later Lucy Ricardo unknowingly recruits Schary to play a "big Hollywood producer" to prevent Ricky from being fired from his movie contract at MGM. Schary had agreed to play himself but cancelled on short notice and was played instead by Philip Ober, who at the time was the husband of cast member Vivian Vance.[45]
  • In the Patty Duke Show episode "The Actress", Patty tries to get discovered by sending Schary a fake newspaper review of her high school play. The actor playing Schary says "That's the oldest trick in the book, a fake review. But I like her initiative. Send someone over."
  • In the one-act comedy "Adaptation", written by Elaine May, the lead character Phil Bensen names his son "Dore Schary Junior".
  • Actor Josh Pais portrayed Schary in the 2015 film I Saw the Light[46]
  • Dore Schary appears as a character in the Broadway biography of Moss Hart, Act One, written by James Lapine and produced by Lincoln Center Theatre in 2014.

Select filmography

As screenwriter

As head of MGM B unit

For David O. Selznick

Films overseen while head of RKO

Personally produced while head of MGM

Films overseen while head of MGM

Post MGM films

  • Lonelyhearts (1958) – writer, producer
  • Startime (1960) (TV series) – episode "What About You" – writer, producer
  • Sunrise at Campobello (1960) – writer, producer
  • Westinghouse Presents: The Sound of the Sixties (1961) (TV special) – producer
  • Act One (1963) – writer, producer director (producer)

Theatre credits

  • Too Many Heroes (1937) – writer
  • Sunrise at Campobello (1958) – writer, producer
  • A Majority of One (1959) – producer, director
  • Triple Play (1959) – producer
  • The Highest Tree (1959) – writer, producer, director
  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1960) – producer, director
  • The Devil's Advocate (1961) – writer, producer, director
  • Something About a Soldier (1962) – producer, director
  • Love and Kisses (1963) – producer, director
  • One by One (1964) – writer, producer, director
  • The Zulue and the Zayda (1965) – producer, director
  • Brightower (1970) – writer
  • Herzl (1976) – writer, producer

References

  1. ^ "The 25 Most Important Families in Hollywood History". Vanity Fair. September 20, 2017.
  2. ^ . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2007. Archived from the original on November 11, 2007.
  3. ^ Schary, Dore (1979). Heyday: An autobiography. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-77270-4.
  4. ^ Edwards, Anne (January 28, 2014). The Reagans: Portrait of a Marriage. ISBN 9781466863262.
  5. ^ Brook, Vincent (December 15, 2016). From Shtetl to Stardom: Jews and Hollywood: Chapter 1: Still an Empire of Their Own: How Jews Remain Atop a Reinvented Hollywood. Purdue University Press. p. 17. ISBN 9781557537638.
  6. ^ Phillips, McCandlish. "Schary Named City's First Cultural Chief", The New York Times, February 25, 1970. Accessed March 27, 2018. "He was born in Newark and attended Newark Central High School, dropping out at 14 to work but later making up the missed credits."
  7. ^ Staff. "Dore Schary, Playwright and Movie Producer, 74, Dies; Human-Rights Leader Powerful in Hollywood Rejoined Hart in Catskills Some M-G-M Movies", The New York Times, July 8, 1980. Accessed March 27, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c S. B. (February 6, 1949). "Plan for hollywood -- by schary". New York Times. ProQuest 105779005.
  9. ^ Schary, Dore (1979). Heyday: An Autobiography. Boston.: Little and Brown. p. 55. ISBN 0316772704.
  10. ^ A.H. WEILER (August 15, 1948). "BY WAY OF REPORT". New York Times. ProQuest 108332422.
  11. ^ The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study
  12. ^ "DORE SCHARY HEAD OF RKO PRODUCTION". New York Times. January 2, 1947. ProQuest 107872453.
  13. ^ DORE SCHARY, Executive Vice President in Charge of Production, RKO, Radio Pictures. (April 6, 1947). "GOING ON RECORD". New York Times. ProQuest 107984669.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "DORE SCHARY RESIGNS RKO PRODUCTION POST". New York Times. July 1, 1948. ProQuest 108140882.
  15. ^ "Schary signed as production pilot of MGM". Los Angeles Times. July 15, 1948. ProQuest 165865494.
  16. ^ T. M. (May 16, 1954). "HOLLYWOOD DOSSIER". New York Times. ProQuest 112919349.
  17. ^ THOMAS M PRYOR (July 17, 1951). "DORE SCHARY GETS FULL METRO POWER". New York Times. ProQuest 112192041.
  18. ^ Tinee, M. (August 26, 1956). "Dore schary, a movie man of convictions". Chicago Daily Tribune. ProQuest 179859743.
  19. ^ MILTON ESTEROW (November 29, 1956). "SCHARY IS OUSTED AS CHIEF AT M-G-M". New York Times. ProQuest 113676233.
  20. ^ "Butler hails dore schary's political stand". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1959. ProQuest 167589853.
  21. ^ "Dore schary gets the FDR story". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. April 12, 1957. ProQuest 148918843.
  22. ^ "Sunrise at Campobello – Broadway Play – Original –". IBDB.
  23. ^ Richard, D. M. (September 9, 1958). "Dore schary returns to film-making". The Christian Science Monitor. ProQuest 509736065.
  24. ^ "The Highest Tree – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  25. ^ "Triple Play – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  26. ^ Sunrise at Campobello at IMDb
  27. ^ "The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDB.
  28. ^ "The Devil's Advocate – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  29. ^ "Something About a Soldier – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  30. ^ "Love and Kisses – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  31. ^ M. S. (October 21, 1962). "Growing up in newark". New York Times. ProQuest 116198100.
  32. ^ "One by One – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  33. ^ "The Zulu and the Zayda – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDB.
  34. ^ "Brightower – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  35. ^ "Herzl – Broadway Play – Original". IBDB.
  36. ^ Kevin Kelly, G. S. (February 10, 1980). "SCHARY AUTOBIOGRAPHY IS MOSTLY SELF-TRIBUTE; HEYDAY – AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY DORE SCHARY. LITTLE, BROWN. 389 PP. $L4.95". Boston Globe. ProQuest 293932621.
  37. ^ Kleiman, C. (February 28, 1980). "Tempo". Chicago Tribune. ProQuest 170110677.
  38. ^ "Anti-defamation League Awards Medals to Fighters for Human Rights". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. April 29, 1948. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  39. ^ "Samuel Dalsimer Named Anti-defamation League Chairman, Succeeding Dore Schary". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. April 24, 1969. p. 4. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  40. ^ "Samuel Dalsimer Is Dead at 60; Head of Anti-Defamation League; B'nai B'rith Group Chairman Since April Was on Board of Grey Advertising". The New York Times. August 23, 1969. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  41. ^ "Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith Elects Seymour Graubard US Chairman". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. May 22, 1970. p. 6. Retrieved July 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ "Dore Schary Appointed New York Cultural Commissioner by Mayor Lindsay". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. February 26, 1970. p. 4. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  43. ^ "Monmouth Fields Jewish Cemetery". Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  44. ^ "Toward Justice for All. 9. In the 1980's". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  45. ^ Nick at Nite's Classic TV Companion, edited by Tom Hill, © 1996 by Viacom International, p. 281: "Phil Ober, who was married to Vivian Vance at the time, makes his... appearance as Dore Schary... Schary was scheduled to appear as himself but backed out at the last minute."
  46. ^ Beville Dunkerley (October 16, 2014). "Hank Williams Movie Casts Four New Roles". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 28, 2014.

External links

January 26, 2023
dore, schary, isadore, dore, schary, august, 1905, july, 1980, american, playwright, director, producer, stage, prolific, screenwriter, producer, motion, pictures, directed, just, feature, film, film, biography, friend, playwright, theater, director, moss, har. Isadore Dore Schary August 31 1905 July 7 1980 was an American playwright director and producer for the stage and a prolific screenwriter and producer of motion pictures He directed just one feature film Act One the film biography of his friend playwright and theater director Moss Hart He became head of production at Metro Goldwyn Mayer and replaced Louis B Mayer as president of the studio in 1951 2 3 Dore ScharyBornIsadore Schary 1905 08 31 August 31 1905Newark New Jersey USDiedJuly 7 1980 1980 07 07 aged 74 New York City New York U S Occupation s Screenwriter playwright film director studio executiveSpouseMiriam Svet m 1932 wbr ChildrenJill Schary Robinson Joy Schary Jeb ScharyRelativesJeremy Zimmer grandchild 1 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Theatre 2 2 Early films 2 3 Work at MGM 2 4 Vanguard Films 2 5 Head of production at RKO 2 6 Head of production at MGM 2 6 1 MGM after Mayer 2 6 2 Fired from MGM 2 7 Return to Broadway and later films 2 8 Later career 3 Politics 4 Personal life 5 Legacy 6 In popular culture 7 Select filmography 7 1 As screenwriter 7 2 As head of MGM B unit 7 3 For David O Selznick 7 4 Films overseen while head of RKO 7 5 Personally produced while head of MGM 7 6 Films overseen while head of MGM 7 7 Post MGM films 8 Theatre credits 9 References 10 External linksEarly life EditSchary was born to a Jewish family in Newark New Jersey 4 5 Schary s father ran a catering business called the Schary Manor Dore attended Central High School for a year but dropped out to sell haberdashery and buy china When he finally returned to school he completed his three remaining years of classwork in one year graduating in 1923 6 Schary worked as a journalist did publicity for a lecture tour by Rear Adm Richard E Byrd and was an assistant drama coach at the Young Men s Hebrew Association in Newark The head coach was Moss Hart 7 Career EditTheatre Edit Schary worked in theatre as an actor and writer In 1927 he got a bit part on Broadway in a play with Paul Muni Then he worked with Hart at a summer resort in the Catskill Mountains where they wrote produced and directed skits and plays Schary appeared on Broadway in The Last Mile with Spencer Tracy He wrote a play which was read by film producer Walter Wanger who wired his New York office Hire Dore Schary She writes with a lot of vigor for a woman Wanger subsequently hired Schary as a 100 a week film writer 8 Schary moved to Hollywood but his option with Wanger was dropped after three months In his autobiography Heyday 1979 Schary also credits theatrical agent Frieda Fishbein in getting him to Hollywood by introducing him to Harry Cohn the Maharajah of Columbia 9 Early films Edit Schary s early writing credits include He Couldn t Take It 1933 for Monogram and Fury of the Jungle 1933 and Fog 1933 at Columbia Schary worked on Let s Talk It Over 1934 for Universal The Most Precious Thing in Life 1934 at Columbia and Young and Beautiful 1934 at Universal Other work for Universal included Storm Over the Andes 1935 Chinatown Squad 1935 and uncredited The Raven 1935 At Warners Schary wrote Murder in the Clouds 1934 and Red Hot Tires 1935 He did some uncredited work on Paramount s Mississippi 1935 and wrote for Republic s Racing Luck 1935 Schary went to Fox for Silk Hat Kid 1935 Your Uncle Dudley 1935 and Song and Dance Man 1936 He was briefly under contract at MGM for a few months in 1936 10 At Paramount he did Timothy s Quest 1936 Mind Your Own Business 1936 Her Master s Voice 1936 Outcast 1937 and The Girl from Scotland Yard 1937 He did Ladies in Distress 1937 at Republic Schary s play Too Many Heroes ran on Broadway for 16 performances in the fall of 1937 Work at MGM Edit At MGM he worked on two Spencer Tracy films Big City 1937 and Boys Town 1938 Schary earned Oscar nominations on the latter for Best Screenplay and Best Story winning for Best Story Schary went on to write Broadway Melody of 1940 1940 Young Tom Edison 1940 with Mickey Rooney and Edison the Man 1940 with Tracy He also worked on Married Bachelor 1941 For Republic Schary wrote Behind the News 1940 MGM promoted Schary to producer of their B pictures unit Schary began with Joe Smith American 1942 based on Schary s own story which became a solid hit Kid Glove Killer 1942 the directorial debut for Fred Zinnemann was also profitable Journey for Margaret 1942 was a big success making a star of Margaret O Brien Bataan 1943 made a profit of over one million dollars Lassie Come Home 1943 with Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor had a profit of over two million 11 Vanguard Films Edit Schary accepted an offer to go to work for David O Selznick s Vanguard Films as head of the production He produced I ll Be Seeing You 1944 The Spiral Staircase 1946 Till the End of Time 1946 The Farmer s Daughter 1947 with Loretta Young and The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer 1947 with Cary Grant Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple All films were considered critical and commercial successes Head of production at RKO Edit Schary s Vanguard films were released through RKO which offered him the job as head of the production Although he still had eleven months left on his Vanguard contract they let him go and Schary signed a five year deal with RKO in January 1947 12 13 Schary personally produced Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House 1948 a big hit and championed Crossfire 1947 a major success for the studio Other hits its included Every Girl Should Be Married 1948 Station West 1949 The Set Up 1949 and The Window 1949 He greenlit the directorial debuts of Nicholas Ray They Live by Night 1948 and Joseph Losey The Boy with Green Hair 1948 both of which lost money Expensive money losers included Adventure in Baltimore 1949 with Shirley Temple RKO was taken over by Howard Hughes who clashed with Schary particularly over Schary s desire to make Battleground a film about the Battle of the Bulge Schary resigned in July 1948 14 He soon accepted a job offer from Louis B Mayer at MGM Head of production at MGM Edit MGM struggled to adapt to the post war filmmaking environment and in 1947 recorded its first ever end of year financial loss The movie industry was faced with the threat of the Paramount Decree rising labor costs political turmoil labor unrest and the threat of television MGM s parent company Loews Incorporated in New York decided that Schary might be able to turn the tide 8 Schary signed to be vice president in charge of production in July 1948 15 Schary and studio chief and founder Louis B Mayer would soon be at odds over philosophy with Mayer favoring splashy wholesome entertainment and Schary leaning toward what Mayer derided as darker message pictures Films must provoke thought in addition to entertainment Schary once said They must educate and inform as they entertain 16 Schary s career at MGM got off to a strong start when Battleground 1949 proved to be MGM s most profitable film of the year A 1949 profile called him a boy wonder very probably the most important man in the movie industry 8 Schary also received acclaim for his personal productions including The Next Voice You Hear 1950 Go for Broke 1951 and Westward the Women 1951 Schary co wrote with Charles Palmer the 1950 book Case History of a Movie which extensively covered from initial conception to screening the production of the film The Next Voice You Hear Mayer and Schary s differences came to a head with the production of The Red Badge of Courage 1951 Mayer presented an ultimatum to Nick Schenck head of Loews that Schary be fired Schenck supported Schary and Mayer resigned In July 1951 Schary took over complete control of production at MGM 17 MGM after Mayer Edit Schary s personal productions started losing money Washington Story 1952 Plymouth Adventure 1952 and Dream Wife 1953 However Take the High Ground 1953 and Bad Day at Black Rock 1955 were moderately successful Schary also wrote and produced the documentary film The Battle of Gettysburg 1955 getting two Oscar nominations for his work At MGM Schary greenlighted such films as Blackboard Jungle 1955 The Teahouse of the August Moon and Don t Go Near the Water which all proved to be big successes at the box office 18 Fired from MGM Edit In Schary s last year at MGM he personally produced three films all of which lost money The Swan 1956 The Last Hunt 1956 and Designing Woman 1957 MGM recorded a loss in 1956 leading to Loews firing him from his 200 000 annual contract and replacing him with Ben Thau He was to remain as a consultant for MGM until 1968 at 100 000 a year 19 Contemporary newspaper reports and Schary later claimed he was fired because of his political activities including his close association with the Democratic Party 20 In 1956 his final year running MGM he appeared on the show This Is Your Life Host Ralph Edwards stated that there had never been a show where more stars appeared to honor a guest However MGM swimming star Esther Williams would later state in her 1999 autobiography The Million Dollar Mermaid that Schary was just as rude cruel and as imperious as Mayer had been She noted that she thought it appropriate that Schary was fired on Thanksgiving since he was a turkey Return to Broadway and later films Edit Following his departure from MGM Schary obtained the rights to the life of Franklin D Roosevelt in April 1957 21 He wrote and produced the Broadway play Sunrise at Campobello 1958 59 about Roosevelt starring Ralph Bellamy The play won five Tony Awards and ran for 556 performances 22 Schary returned to Hollywood when he wrote and produced the film Lonelyhearts 1958 starring Montgomery Clift and directed by Vincent J Donehue 23 He had another Broadway hit when he produced and directed but did not write the comedy A Majority of One 1959 60 by Leonard Spigelgass starring Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke Schary earned a Tony nomination for his direction and the show ran for 556 performances It was later filmed without Schary s involvement Less successful was The Highest Tree 1959 which Schary wrote produced and directed and featured Robert Redford in the cast 24 and Triple Play 1959 a collection of short plays which he produced 25 Schary wrote and produced the film version of Sunrise at Campobello which was released by Warner Brothers directed by Donehue in 1960 He also had a brief uncredited role in the film as Chairman of the Connecticut Delegation 26 On Broadway Schary had another huge hit as producer and director with the Meredith Wilson musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown 1960 starring Tammy Grimes which ran for 532 performances MGM released a film version starring Debbie Reynolds in 1964 27 Schary wrote produced and directed The Devil s Advocate 1961 based on the novel by Morris West which ran for 116 performances 28 He produced and directed Something About a Soldier 1962 by Ernest Kinoy 29 and Love and Kisses 1963 by Anita Block 30 both which had short runs He also wrote a memoir For Special Occasions 1962 31 Schary made his directorial debut in movies with Act One 1963 based on the memoirs of Moss Hart Schary also wrote and produced It was a flop and marked both the beginning and the end of Schary s film directing career Later career Edit On Broadway he wrote produced and directed One by One 1964 which ran for seven performances 32 and produced and directed the musical The Zulu and the Zayda 1965 which went for 179 33 Schary also wrote two more produced Broadway plays Brightower 1970 one performance 34 and Herzl 1976 8 performances 35 neither of which had long runs Schary wrote his memoirs Heyday which came out shortly before his death 36 In an interview he said I ve always had an edge and the edge is that I m a writer No matter what happens I can write And I m tough You had to be tough to outwit them to wear them down I ve always been pretty lucky that way 37 Politics EditAlthough one of the studio executives who formulated the 1947 Waldorf Statement he became an outspoken opponent of the anticommunist investigations of the House Un American Activities Committee In 1948 he was honored by the Anti Defamation League for distinguished contributions toward the enrichment of America s democratic legacy together with Charles E Wilson Eleanor Roosevelt Barney Balaban and Darryl Zanuck 38 He served as National Chairman of the Anti Defamation League of B nai B rith from 1963 until April 22 1969 when Samuel Dalsimer was elected the new National Chairman 39 After Dalsimer died unexpectedly later that year on August 22 Schary was named acting National Chairman and served until May 1970 when Seymour Graubard was elected to replace him 40 41 Schary was appointed by Mayor John Lindsay to the office of New York City Commissioner for Cultural Affairs 42 Personal life EditHe worked as a printer in his youth at Art Craft Press in Newark New Jersey He married Miriam Svet a pianist and painter on March 5 1932 The couple had three children the novelist and memoirist Jill Schary Robinson psychoanalyst Dr Joy Schary and CLIO award winning producer Jeb Schary Miriam and Dore Schary had seven grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren citation needed Dore Schary died in 1980 aged 74 and was interred in the Hebrew Cemetery also known as the Monmouth Fields Jewish Cemetery 43 West Long Branch New Jersey Miriam Svet Schary died on October 2 1986 aged 74 and was interred next to her husband in the Hebrew Cemetery citation needed Legacy EditTo honor his memory the Anti Defamation League established the Dore Schary Awards in 1982 to recognize outstanding student film and video productions addressing themes related to ADL s mission 44 In popular culture EditHis name is used for a rhyme at the very end of Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One The Early Years a satirical album from 1961 That highly military script by Dore Schary Revolutionary War In the 1947 RKO film The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer which he produced Schary appears driving Cary Grant to the airport at the end of the film Grant calls him Jebby In the I Love Lucy episode Don Juan is Shelved 1955 Ricky Ricardo calls Schary s office from his Hollywood hotel room and later Lucy Ricardo unknowingly recruits Schary to play a big Hollywood producer to prevent Ricky from being fired from his movie contract at MGM Schary had agreed to play himself but cancelled on short notice and was played instead by Philip Ober who at the time was the husband of cast member Vivian Vance 45 In the Patty Duke Show episode The Actress Patty tries to get discovered by sending Schary a fake newspaper review of her high school play The actor playing Schary says That s the oldest trick in the book a fake review But I like her initiative Send someone over In the one act comedy Adaptation written by Elaine May the lead character Phil Bensen names his son Dore Schary Junior Actor Josh Pais portrayed Schary in the 2015 film I Saw the Light 46 Dore Schary appears as a character in the Broadway biography of Moss Hart Act One written by James Lapine and produced by Lincoln Center Theatre in 2014 Select filmography EditAs screenwriter Edit Fury of the Jungle 1933 screenwriter Fog 1933 screenwriter He Couldn t Take It 1933 screenwriter Let s Talk It Over 1934 original story Loves of a Sailor The Most Precious Thing in Life 1934 screenwriter Young and Beautiful 1934 screenwriter Murder in the Clouds 1934 screenwriter Red Hot Tires 1935 additional dialogue Mississippi 1935 contributing writer Racing Luck 1935 additional dialogue Storm Over the Andes 1935 screenwriter Chinatown Squad 1935 screenwriter The Raven 1935 screenwriter uncredited Silk Hat Kid 1935 screenwriter Your Uncle Dudley 1935 screenwriter Timothy s Quest 1936 screenwriter Song and Dance Man 1936 screenwriter Mind Your Own Business 1936 screenwriter Her Master s Voice 1937 Outcast 1937 screenwriter The Girl from Scotland Yard 1937 screenwriter Big City 1937 screenwriter Ladies in Distress 1938 screenwriter Boys Town 1938 screenwriter Broadway Melody of 1940 1940 original story Young Tom Edison 1940 screenwriter Edison the Man 1940 screenwriter Behind the News 1940 Married Bachelor 1941 screenwriter Here Comes Kelly 1943 story It s a Big Country 1951 story The Battle of Gettysburg 1955 documentary short As head of MGM B unit Edit Joe Smith American 1942 Kid Glove Killer 1942 Journey for Margaret 1942 Bataan 1943 Lassie Come Home 1943 For David O Selznick Edit I ll Be Seeing You 1944 The Spiral Staircase 1945 Till the End of Time 1946 The Farmer s Daughter 1947 The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer 1947 Films overseen while head of RKO Edit Trail Street Feb 1947 A Likely Story Apr 1947 Banjo May 1947 Honeymoon May 1947 Born to Kill May 1947 The Woman on the Beach Jun 1947 Crossfire Jul 1947 presents The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer July 1947 personally produced The Long Night Aug 1947 Magic Town Oct 1947 Out of the Past Nov 1947 Mourning Becomes Electra Nov 1947 So Well Remembered Nov 1947 Tycoon Dec 1947 Night Song Jan 1948 If You Knew Susie Feb 1948 The Miracle of the Bells Mar 1948 I Remember Mama Mar 1948 presents Berlin Express May 1948 Race Street Jun 1948 presents Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House June 1948 presents Fighting Father Dunne Jun 1948 Return of the Badmen Jul 1948 The Velvet Touch Aug 1948 They Live By Night filmed 1947 rel Aug 1948 presents Bodyguard Sep 1948 Rachel and the Stranger Oct 1948 presents Station West Oct 1948 presents Every Girl Should Be Married Nov 1948 presents Blood on the Moon Nov 1948 The Boy with Green Hair Dec 1948 presents A Woman s Secret Feb 1949 presents The Clay Pigeon Feb 1949 The Set Up Mar 1949 Adventure in Baltimore Apr 1949 personally produced presents The Window May 1949 Roughshod Jun 1949 Follow Me Quietly Jul 1949 Make Mine Laughs Aug 1949 Bed of Roses 1948 Indian Summer 1949 Easy Living filmed 1948 rel Oct 1949 Walk Softly Stranger filmed 1948 rel Oct 1950 Personally produced while head of MGM Edit Battleground 1949 The Next Voice You Hear 1950 Go for Broke 1951 Westward the Women 1951 Target for Scandal 1952 Plymouth Adventure 1952 The Hoaxsters 1953 documentary Dream Wife 1953 Take the High Ground 1953 Bad Day at Black Rock 1955 The Swan 1956 The Last Hunt 1956 Designing Woman 1956 Films overseen while head of MGM Edit The Great Caruso 1950 An American in Paris 1951 Post MGM films Edit Lonelyhearts 1958 writer producer Startime 1960 TV series episode What About You writer producer Sunrise at Campobello 1960 writer producer Westinghouse Presents The Sound of the Sixties 1961 TV special producer Act One 1963 writer producer director producer Theatre credits EditToo Many Heroes 1937 writer Sunrise at Campobello 1958 writer producer A Majority of One 1959 producer director Triple Play 1959 producer The Highest Tree 1959 writer producer director The Unsinkable Molly Brown 1960 producer director The Devil s Advocate 1961 writer producer director Something About a Soldier 1962 producer director Love and Kisses 1963 producer director One by One 1964 writer producer director The Zulue and the Zayda 1965 producer director Brightower 1970 writer Herzl 1976 writer producerReferences Edit The 25 Most Important Families in Hollywood History Vanity Fair September 20 2017 Dore Schary Movies amp TV Dept The New York Times 2007 Archived from the original on November 11 2007 Schary Dore 1979 Heyday An autobiography Boston Little Brown ISBN 0 316 77270 4 Edwards Anne January 28 2014 The Reagans Portrait of a Marriage ISBN 9781466863262 Brook Vincent December 15 2016 From Shtetl to Stardom Jews and Hollywood Chapter 1 Still an Empire of Their Own How Jews Remain Atop a Reinvented Hollywood Purdue University Press p 17 ISBN 9781557537638 Phillips McCandlish Schary Named City s First Cultural Chief The New York Times February 25 1970 Accessed March 27 2018 He was born in Newark and attended Newark Central High School dropping out at 14 to work but later making up the missed credits Staff Dore Schary Playwright and Movie Producer 74 Dies Human Rights Leader Powerful in Hollywood Rejoined Hart in Catskills Some M G M Movies The New York Times July 8 1980 Accessed March 27 2018 a b c S B February 6 1949 Plan for hollywood by schary New York Times ProQuest 105779005 Schary Dore 1979 Heyday An Autobiography Boston Little and Brown p 55 ISBN 0316772704 A H WEILER August 15 1948 BY WAY OF REPORT New York Times ProQuest 108332422 The Eddie Mannix Ledger Los Angeles Margaret Herrick Library Center for Motion Picture Study DORE SCHARY HEAD OF RKO PRODUCTION New York Times January 2 1947 ProQuest 107872453 DORE SCHARY Executive Vice President in Charge of Production RKO Radio Pictures April 6 1947 GOING ON RECORD New York Times ProQuest 107984669 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link DORE SCHARY RESIGNS RKO PRODUCTION POST New York Times July 1 1948 ProQuest 108140882 Schary signed as production pilot of MGM Los Angeles Times July 15 1948 ProQuest 165865494 T M May 16 1954 HOLLYWOOD DOSSIER New York Times ProQuest 112919349 THOMAS M PRYOR July 17 1951 DORE SCHARY GETS FULL METRO POWER New York Times ProQuest 112192041 Tinee M August 26 1956 Dore schary a movie man of convictions Chicago Daily Tribune ProQuest 179859743 MILTON ESTEROW November 29 1956 SCHARY IS OUSTED AS CHIEF AT M G M New York Times ProQuest 113676233 Butler hails dore schary s political stand Los Angeles Times October 19 1959 ProQuest 167589853 Dore schary gets the FDR story The Washington Post and Times Herald April 12 1957 ProQuest 148918843 Sunrise at Campobello Broadway Play Original IBDB Richard D M September 9 1958 Dore schary returns to film making The Christian Science Monitor ProQuest 509736065 The Highest Tree Broadway Play Original IBDB Triple Play Broadway Play Original IBDB Sunrise at Campobello at IMDb The Unsinkable Molly Brown Broadway Musical Original IBDB The Devil s Advocate Broadway Play Original IBDB Something About a Soldier Broadway Play Original IBDB Love and Kisses Broadway Play Original IBDB M S October 21 1962 Growing up in newark New York Times ProQuest 116198100 One by One Broadway Play Original IBDB The Zulu and the Zayda Broadway Musical Original IBDB Brightower Broadway Play Original IBDB Herzl Broadway Play Original IBDB Kevin Kelly G S February 10 1980 SCHARY AUTOBIOGRAPHY IS MOSTLY SELF TRIBUTE HEYDAY AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY DORE SCHARY LITTLE BROWN 389 PP L4 95 Boston Globe ProQuest 293932621 Kleiman C February 28 1980 Tempo Chicago Tribune ProQuest 170110677 Anti defamation League Awards Medals to Fighters for Human Rights Jewish Telegraphic Agency April 29 1948 Retrieved August 29 2022 Samuel Dalsimer Named Anti defamation League Chairman Succeeding Dore Schary Jewish Telegraphic Agency April 24 1969 p 4 Retrieved July 28 2020 Samuel Dalsimer Is Dead at 60 Head of Anti Defamation League B nai B rith Group Chairman Since April Was on Board of Grey Advertising The New York Times August 23 1969 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 28 2020 Anti Defamation League of B nai B rith Elects Seymour Graubard US Chairman The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle May 22 1970 p 6 Retrieved July 28 2020 via Newspapers com Dore Schary Appointed New York Cultural Commissioner by Mayor Lindsay Jewish Telegraphic Agency February 26 1970 p 4 Retrieved September 2 2020 Monmouth Fields Jewish Cemetery Retrieved September 16 2021 Toward Justice for All 9 In the 1980 s Anti Defamation League Retrieved August 29 2022 Nick at Nite s Classic TV Companion edited by Tom Hill c 1996 by Viacom International p 281 Phil Ober who was married to Vivian Vance at the time makes his appearance as Dore Schary Schary was scheduled to appear as himself but backed out at the last minute Beville Dunkerley October 16 2014 Hank Williams Movie Casts Four New Roles Rolling Stone Retrieved October 28 2014 External links Edit Biography portalBrief bio of Schary Dore Schary at IMDb Dore Schary at the Internet Broadway Database Dore Schary Find a Grave Retrieved August 30 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dore Schary amp oldid 1134520862, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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