George Wells | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Wells at the30th Academy Awards in 1958 | |
| Born | (1909-11-08)November 8, 1909 New York City |
| Died | November 27, 2000(2000-11-27) (aged 91) |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1946–1973 |
George Wells (November 8, 1909 – November 27, 2000) was an American screenwriter and producer, best known for making light comedies and musicals forMGM.
Wells was the son of vaudevillianBilly K. Wells. He studied at New York University, then worked as a writer on radio on programs such asThe Jack Pearl Show andLux Radio Theatre.
Wells joined MGM as a screenwriter in 1943. He stayed there until 1970 when he retired.[1]
His first credit was forThe Show-Off (1946), aRed Skelton film. He wroteGood Old Summertime, a biopic ofGeorge Evans forArthur Freed to starFrank Sinatra but it was not made.[2]
He worked on the all-star musicalTill the Clouds Roll By (1946) and theClark Gable comedyThe Hucksters (1947). He wroteMerton of the Movies (1947), another movie for Skelton.
Wells' work onTake Me Out to the Ball Game (1949) earned him a Writers Guild Award nomination. He did uncredited work onThe Stratton Story (1949) then focused on musicals:Three Little Words (1950),The Toast of New Orleans (1950),Summer Stock (1951),Excuse My Dust (1951),Texas Carnival (1951) andLovely to Look At (1952).
He also worked onAngels in the Outfield (1951) andIt's a Big Country (1952).
Wells became a producer withEverything I Have Is Yours (1952). He also producedI Love Melvin (1953) andDangerous When Wet (1953). In April 1954, he signed a new contract with MGM and producedJupiter's Darling (1955).[3] This was a big flop and Wells' next film as producer,My Intimate Friend (to star Lana Turner and Ava Gardner), was never made.[4]
Wells went back to being a writer only.
Wells had a big hit withDon't Go Near the Water (1957). His work onDesigning Woman (1957) earned him an Oscar.
Party Girl (1958) was a change of pace, a film noir. After that Wells focused on comedies:Ask Any Girl (1959),The Gazebo (1959),Where the Boys Are (1960),The Honeymoon Machine (1961),The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962),Penelope (1966),Three Bites of the Apple (1967), andThe Impossible Years (1968).
He wrote an adaptation ofRip Van Winkle forGeorge Pal in 1967 but it was never made.[5]
He left MGM in 1970 and wroteCover Me Babe (1970) and the TV movieThe Fabulous Doctor Fable (1973).
In 1982 he published the novelTaurus.
He died at Newport Beach on November 27, 2000. His first wife Ruth died in 1987. He was survived by his second wife Mary, two children, and three grandchildren.
With co-writer Harry Tugend, Wells was nominated for the 1950Writers Guild of America Award in the category of Best Written American Musical forTake Me Out to the Ball Game. They lost toBetty Comden andAdolph Green, forOn the Town. He won theAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay forDesigning Woman.[citation needed]
