Frank Pierson died in Los Angeles of natural causes, following a short illness. He was a veteran TV and feature film writer and director, who won an Academy Award for best original screenplay for Dog Day Afternoon. He was nominated for two other Academy Awards—for Cat Ballou and Cool Hand Luke. Pierson was president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science from 2001-2005. He also won Emmy awards for TV directing: Truman (1995) and Conspiracy (2001).
Pierson received the Writers Guild of America’s top three honors—Laurel Award for Lifetime Achievement, Valentine Davies Award and Edmund H. North Award. He served as president of the WGA from 1981-1983 and 1993-1995.
He was born May 12, 1925 in Chappaqua, New York, and was educated at Harvard University. After serving as a correspondent for Time magazine, he became a story editor for various TV shows. Following a robust TV writing career, he launched into directing. While continuing to write, he made his film directing debut with The Looking Glass War in 1969. He also directed the 1976 version of A Star Is Born, starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson and directed King of the Gypsies in 1978.
Pierson received the Writers Guild of America’s top three honors—Laurel Award for Lifetime Achievement, Valentine Davies Award and Edmund H. North Award. He served as president of the WGA from 1981-1983 and 1993-1995.
He was born May 12, 1925 in Chappaqua, New York, and was educated at Harvard University. After serving as a correspondent for Time magazine, he became a story editor for various TV shows. Following a robust TV writing career, he launched into directing. While continuing to write, he made his film directing debut with The Looking Glass War in 1969. He also directed the 1976 version of A Star Is Born, starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson and directed King of the Gypsies in 1978.
1 comment:
Now that is a film clip to treasure. A man who throve in the middle of the glamorous film industry, worked hard, learned a lot, and knew how fortunate he was to eat with Jack Nicholson, "now a basketball fan". I wonder how many other writers with his fantastic achievements would be so humble and humorous.
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