- Frank Perry
Infobox Actor
name = Frank Perry
birthdate = birth date|1930|8|21
birthplace =New York City, New York
deathdate = death date and age|1995|8|29|1930|8|21
deathplace =New York City, New York
goldenraspberryawards = Worst Screenplay
1981 "Mommie Dearest"Frank Perry (
August 21 1930 –August 29 1995 ) was an American stage andfilm director , producer andscreenwriter .Perry was born in
New York City where as a teenager he began pursuing his interest in the theater with a job as a parking lot attendant for the Westport Country Playhouse in nearbyWestport, Connecticut . He would develop his talents to where he produced several plays at Westport then turned for a time to producing television documentaries.A veteran of the
Korean War , he returned to the entertainment industry after being discharged and made hisHollywood directorial debut in 1962 with the low-budget drama film "David and Lisa ". Based on the novel byTheodore Isaac Rubin , the screenplay was written by his wife,Eleanor Perry , who would receive a nomination for anAcademy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay . A character study of two emotionally disturbed teenagers, the film was successful at the box office and met with much critical acclaim, earning him a nomination for anAcademy Award for Directing .Frank Perry went on to direct and produce a number of films including "The Swimmer" in 1968 based on a
John Cheever story and 1969's "Trilogy" written byTruman Capote . Frank and Eleanor Perry divorced in 1971.Perry is most regarded for his character studies involving a
dysfunctional family such as that in his wife's script of theSue Kaufman novel "Diary of a Mad Housewife " that earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination forCarrie Snodgress and his 1972 film "Play It As It Lays " starringTuesday Weld that brought her aGolden Globe Best Actress nomination. Both of these films Perry produced and directed, but he is probably best remembered for directing the controversial 1981 bio-drama "Mommie Dearest", an adaptation of abiography byactress Joan Crawford 'sadoptive daughter, which portrayed the famous movie starlet as a cruel,sadistic tyrant.Diagnosed with
prostate cancer , in 1992 Frank Perry made his final film. An autobiographical documentary called "On the Bridge ", it recounted Perry's lengthy battle with cancer, from which he died in 1995, 8 days after his 65th birthday.Frank Perry was also the uncle of singer/songwriter Katy Perry.
Further reading
*Beaver, Jim. "Frank Perry". Films in Review, November 1981.
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