- Douglas Gresham
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Douglas Gresham 
Gresham at the UK premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianBorn November 10, 1945
New York CityDouglas Gresham (born November 10, 1945) is an American-born British biographer and film producer, resident in Malta, and one of the two stepsons of C. S. Lewis.
Contents
Personal life
Gresham was born in New York City, the son of writers William Lindsay Gresham and Joy Davidman. William Gresham was the author of Nightmare Alley, the recently re-released classic of American noir literature, while Joy Davidman was best known for her book Smoke on The Mountain. The couple divorced in 1952, and Joy relocated to England with her two sons. Until recently, Douglas and his wife, Merrie, lived at Rathvinden House in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, Ireland. In 2008, they moved permanently to their house in Malta. They have five children: three sons and two daughters.
C. S. Lewis
Gresham's mother had become friends with C.S. Lewis through correspondence, and the friendship blossomed, eventually leading to marriage in 1956. Gresham's mother lost a battle with cancer in 1960, and Lewis continued to raise Douglas and his elder brother David. (Lewis had adopted the boys when he married, and The Horse and His Boy is dedicated to them both). At Lewis' death in 1963, his estate went to his brother Major Warren Hamilton Lewis, a renowned scholar of French history. The Major in turn passed the estate to Douglas and David ten years later. Douglas Gresham acknowledged in a 15 November 2005 interview on NPR that he and his brother are estranged,[1] although in a 4 December 2005 interview he did say that they are in email contact.[2] Douglas Gresham is a Christian, as were Lewis and his mother,[3] while David returned to the Orthodox Judaism of their mother's family while still a child in Lewis's home. Lewis made an effort to find kosher food for him.[2]
Career
Gresham hosted Focus on the Family's radio adaptations of his stepfather's most famous works, and his interest in media versions thereof was later shown again when he was named co-producer for the series of theatrical films adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters; he also made a cameo in the first installment as a radio newscaster, the second as a "Telmarine crier" and the third as a slaver.
Biography
He has also written an autobiography entitled Lenten Lands which chronicles his life from birth to the age of 28 in 1973.
A fictionalized young Douglas Gresham is a character in the 1993 film Shadowlands, in part derived from Lenten Lands. In the film, Gresham is played by American actor Joseph Mazzello. There is no character derived from Douglas' brother David in the film or in the stage play on which the film was based; however, both Douglas and David were portrayed as characters in the original teleplay (1985) on which the stage play was based.
Further sources
Bibliography
- Lenten Lands: My Childhood with Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis, Macmillan (USA 1988) ISBN 0025455702
- Jack's Life:The Life Story of C.S. Lewis, Broadman and Holman (2005) ISBN 0805432469
References
- ^ "NPR". http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5013120.
- ^ a b "At home in Narnia". The Age (Melbourne). 2005-12-04. http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/at-home-in-narnia/2005/12/03/1133422143366.html?page=4.
- ^ "At home in Narnia". The Age (Melbourne). 2005-12-04. http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/at-home-in-narnia/2005/12/03/1133422143366.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2.
External links
- Douglas Gresham at the Internet Movie Database
- In Lenten Lands
- [1] Interview with Douglas Gresham
Categories:- 1945 births
- Living people
- British biographers
- British film producers
- C. S. Lewis
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