Douglas Day Stewart (born January 1, 1940) is an American screenwriter and film director.^[1] He was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for the 1982 filmAn Officer and a Gentleman.^[2]

Douglas Day Stewart
Douglas Day Stewart, with daughter Shady (left) and wife Judy (right), in 2012
Born	(1940-01-01)January 1, 1940 (age 85) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater	Claremont McKenna College Northwestern University
Occupation(s)	Screenwriter,film director
Website	douglasdaystewart.com

Stewart was born on January 1, 1940, inOklahoma City, Oklahoma,^[3] and moved toSan Marino, California during his adolescence. He graduated fromClaremont McKenna College in 1962.^[4][5]

From 1962 to 1965, Stewart served in theUnited States Navy,^[3] initially intending enrolling as aNavy Aviation Officer Candidate, from which he was later disqualified due to a medical issue.^[6] He was transferred to a unit overseeing the transportation of7th Marine Regiment toSouth Vietnam.^[6][7][8] His experiences in Candidate School would later form the basis for his screenplay forAn Officer and a Gentleman.^[7]

After his discharge, Stewart earned a Masters of Arts in radio, Film and Television fromNorthwestern University.^[3]

After working as a playwright, Stewart's first screen writing credits was for the television seriesRoom 222. He subsequently wrote for several programs, includingBonanza andThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble. The latter earned him aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination forOutstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

In 1980, Stewart wrote the screenplay for the box-office hitThe Blue Lagoon.^[9]

In 1982, Stewart wrote and co-produced the hit romantic dramaAn Officer and a Gentleman. A critical and commercial success,^[10][11] the film earned Stewart anOscar nod forBest Original Screenplay.^[2] He made his directorial debut two years later, with the filmThief of Hearts.

• Room 222 (episodes: "KWWH", "Stay Awhile, Mr. Dream Chaser", "The Quitter" and "You Don't Know Me, He Said") (1971–1972) (TV)
• Bonanza (episode: "The Initiation") (1972) (TV)
• Cannon (episodes: "The Rip-Off" and "Catch Me If You Can") (1972–1973) (TV)
• The Man Who Could Talk to Kids (1973) (TV)
• Murder or Mercy (1974) (TV)
• Gone with the West (1975)
• The Last Survivors (1975) (TV)
• The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) (TV)
• The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2 (1978)
• The Blue Lagoon (1980)^[9]
• An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) (also producer)^[12][13]
• Thief of Hearts (1984; also director)^[14]
• Listen to Me (1989; also director)^[15][16]
• The Scarlet Letter (1995)^[17]
• Silver Strand (1995)
• What About Love (2020)

• An Officer and a Gentleman's Daughter (2024)

• Douglas Day Stewart atIMDb
• Official website