-->

• Horton Foote was an award-winning American writer for television, screen and stage who died on March 4, 2009, in Hartford, Connecticut, two weeks before his 93 birthday. His career spanned seven decades, producing a best adapted screenplay oscar for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird and a best original screenplay oscar for the 1983 film Tender Mercies. He also received a Pulitzer prize for his 1995 play The Young Man from Atlanta.Entertainment Weekly: Remembering Horton Foote (March 4, 2009) At 92, Foote was still busy signing autographs and making appearances when he died in his sleep during an afternoon nap on March 4 after suffering from a brief illness.Courant.com: Playwright Horton Foote Dies In Hartford (March 4, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Full name: Albert Horton Foote Jr.
  2. Birthdate: March 14, 1916
  3. Birthplace: Wharton, Texas, 40 miles from HoustonThe New York Times: Horton Foote, Chronicler of America in Plays and Film, Dies at 92 (March 4, 2009)
  4. Father of 4 children: Hallie Foote, Daisy Foote, Horton Foote Jr. and Walter FooteCourant.com: Playwright Horton Foote Dies In Hartford (March 4, 2009)
  5. Daughter Hallie often starred in her father's playsThe New York Times: Horton Foote, Chronicler of America in Plays and Film, Dies at 92 (March 4, 2009)
  6. Spoke with a Texas drawlThe New York Times: Horton Foote, Chronicler of America in Plays and Film, Dies at 92 (March 4, 2009)
  7. Moved to New York City in 1936Yahoo! Movies: Horton Foote Biography
  8. Had various jobs such as a bookstore clerk and night elevator operator
  9. Involved with the American Actor's TheaterThe New York Times: Horton Foote, Chronicler of America in Plays and Film, Dies at 92 (March 4, 2009)
  10. Wrote more than 60 plays and filmsThe New York Times: Horton Foote, Chronicler of America in Plays and Film, Dies at 92 (March 4, 2009)
  11. Stories usually about familial conflicts and individual's strugglesEntertainment Weekly: Remembering Horton Foote (March 4, 2009)
  12. Most of his stories took place in the fictional Texas town of Harrison, based on Wharton, TexasThe New York Times: Horton Foote, Chronicler of America in Plays and Film, Dies at 92 (March 4, 2009)
  13. Provided the voice for Jefferson Davis in the Ken Burns series on the Civil WarYahoo! Movies: [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800030711/bio Horton Foote Biography
  14. Won best screenplay oscars for To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender MerciesEntertainment Weekly: Remembering Horton Foote (March 4, 2009)
  15. Won a Pulitzer Prize for the 1995 play The Young Man from AtlantaEntertainment Weekly: Remembering Horton Foote (March 4, 2009)
  16. Often adapted his stories for various media outletsEntertainment Weekly: Remembering Horton Foote (March 4, 2009)
  17. Screenwriting debut in 1958 with Cornel Wilde's Storm FearYahoo! Movies: Horton Foote Biography
  18. Died March 4, 2009, in Hartford, ConnecticutEntertainment Weekly: Remembering Horton Foote (March 4, 2009)
  19. Private funeral services to be held in TexasCourant.com: Playwright Horton Foote Dies In Hartford (March 4, 2009)

• Background

  Leaving his hometown of Wharton, Texas at age 16, Horton Foote traveled to Dallas with dreams of becoming an actor. Soon after, he headed to Pasadena, California to study acting for two years before leaving for New York City in hopes of becoming a Broadway star. He began working at the American Actors Theater, where he was both an actor and writer.The New York Times: Horton Foote, Chronicler of America in Plays and Film, Dies at 92 (March 4, 2009) However, when the critics spent more time praising his writing skills, he decided to set aside his acting and devote himself to writing full-time. This eventually led to a long and prosperous career as a writer for television, film and plays.Yahoo! Movies: Horton Foote Biography

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  To Kill a Mockingbird Movie | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Robert Duvall | Gregory Peck | Texas | Ken Burns | Ken Burns' The War | | Academy Awards | Pulitzer Prize | Emmy Awards

Categories

• View History
• Discuss on the Message Board
• Embed this Page
• Share this page