Fred Haines

Fred Haines (February 27 1936 – May 4 2008) was an American Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director.

Early life

Haines was born in Los Angeles, California in 1936, and later moved to Tuscon, Arizona with his family. He joined the United States Navy in 1953, and served until 1956 when he received an honorable discharge. While in the Navy, he had married Dede Wright, the daughter of his commanding Admiral, although they divorced in 1961 after having two children.Rourke, Mary: [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-haines22-2008may22,0,2518131.story Fred Haines, 72; film writer and director] , "Los Angeles Times", May 22 2008.]

Film career

After leaving the military, Haines studied literature at Columbia University and the University of Arizona before receiving his degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He got a job at Pacifica Radio, where he met film director Joseph Strick through film critic Pauline Kael. Strick was impressed with Haines' intellectual curiosity and film knowledge, and got him a job in the writing department at Columbia Pictures.Kennedy, Douglas: [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/fred-haines-screenwriter-who-adapted-ulysses-825473.html OBITUARY - Fred Haines: Screenwriter who adapted 'Ulysses'] , "The Independent", May 10 2008.]

Strick obtained the film rights to the James Joyce novel "Ulysses", and brought Haines on board as co-writer and associate producer for the film, with Strick directing. "Ulysses" was released in 1967, and was praised for its faithfulness to Joyce's novel, receiving an nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1967 Academy Awards. While filming "Ulysses" in Ireland, Haines met his second wife, Frances McCormack.

Haines continued to work closely with Strick, although he requested his name be taken off the credits for Strick's 1970 adaptation of Henry Miller's "Tropic of Cancer" after a disagreement between the pair. Haines spent the early 1970s trying to arrange funding for his proposed adaptation of Herman Hesse's novel "Steppenwolf". The film version was released in 1974, with Haines directing the film himself.

When McCormack fell ill with multiple sclerosis, Haines and his wife moved to Ireland to be closer to her family and the Irish health care system. The couple lived in a rented apartment in the house of writer Constantine Fitzgibbon on the outskirts of Dublin, and Haines worked as a script editor for the Irish broadcaster RTÉ and helped to run Stage One, a fringe theatre company with fellow American expatriate writer Douglas Kennedy.

Later life

By 1984, money troubles prompted Haines and McCormack to return to Los Angeles. Their marriage ended in 2000, and Haines later lived next door to his son Sean in Venice Beach until he died aged 72 on May 4 2008 due to complications from lung cancer.

References

External links

*imdb|id=0354247