Writing

Melvin Frank

Born August 13, 1913 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Died October 13, 1988 · aged 75

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Melvin Frank (13 August 1913 in Chicago, Illinois – 13 October 1988 in Los Angeles, California) was an American screenwriter, film producer and film director. He is known for his work on films such as Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), The Court Jester (1956), and A Touch of Class (1973). Born to a Jewish family, Frank graduated from the Universit…

Known For

Are We Done Yet?

Are We Done Yet? · 2007

Are We Done Yet?

MovieFamilyComedy

Newlyweds Nick and Suzanne decide to move to the suburbs to provide a better life for their two kids. But their idea of a dream home is disturbed by a contractor with a bizarre approach to business.

White Christmas

White Christmas · 1954

White Christmas

MovieComedyMusic

Two talented song-and-dance men team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. In time they befriend and become romantically involved with the beautiful Haynes sisters who comprise a sister act.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House · 1948

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

An advertising executive dreams of getting out of the city and building a perfect home in the country, only to find the transition fraught with problems.

The Court Jester

The Court Jester · 1955

The Court Jester

MovieMusicAdventure

A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against a usurper who has overthrown the rightful king of England.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum · 1966

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

MovieMusicComedy

A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.

The Road to Hong Kong

The Road to Hong Kong · 1962

The Road to Hong Kong

MovieComedyAdventure

When Chester accidentally memorises and destroys the only copy of a secret Russian formula for a new and improved rocket fuel, he and Harry are thrust into international intrigue, trying to stay alive while keeping the formula out of enemy hands.

The Trap

The Trap · 1959

MovieCrimeThriller

Lawyer Ralph Anderson arrives in Tula, an amazingly remote town in the desert, as reluctant emissary of mob chief Victor Massonetti, who wants the airstrip clear for his unofficial exit from the country. Ralph's arrival has a profound effect on his estranged father, the sheriff; his brother Tip, an alcoholic deputy; and his ex-sweetheart Linda, now married to Tip. Tension builds as a small army of gangsters takes over the town. Then the situation abruptly changes...

Not With My Wife, You Don't!

Not With My Wife, You Don't! · 1966

Not With My Wife, You Don't!

MovieComedyRomance

During the Korean War, Italian nurse Virna Lisi falls in love with two American fliers, Tony Curtis and George C. Scott. Lisi marries Curtis after he convinces her that Scott has been killed in a plane crash. She soon discovers Scott is alive, but remains happily married to Curtis until Scott re-enters their lives 14 years later.

Filmography

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Are We Done Yet?

Are We Done Yet? · 2007

Are We Done Yet?

MovieFamilyComedy

Newlyweds Nick and Suzanne decide to move to the suburbs to provide a better life for their two kids. But their idea of a dream home is disturbed by a contractor with a bizarre approach to business.

Original Film Writer

White Christmas

White Christmas · 1954

White Christmas

MovieComedyMusic

Two talented song-and-dance men team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. In time they befriend and become romantically involved with the beautiful Haynes sisters who comprise a sister act.

Writer

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House · 1948

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

An advertising executive dreams of getting out of the city and building a perfect home in the country, only to find the transition fraught with problems.

Screenplay

The Court Jester

The Court Jester · 1955

The Court Jester

MovieMusicAdventure

A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against a usurper who has overthrown the rightful king of England.

Director

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum · 1966

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

MovieMusicComedy

A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.

Screenplay

The Road to Hong Kong

The Road to Hong Kong · 1962

The Road to Hong Kong

MovieComedyAdventure

When Chester accidentally memorises and destroys the only copy of a secret Russian formula for a new and improved rocket fuel, he and Harry are thrust into international intrigue, trying to stay alive while keeping the formula out of enemy hands.

Writer

The Trap

The Trap · 1959

MovieCrimeThriller

Lawyer Ralph Anderson arrives in Tula, an amazingly remote town in the desert, as reluctant emissary of mob chief Victor Massonetti, who wants the airstrip clear for his unofficial exit from the country. Ralph's arrival has a profound effect on his estranged father, the sheriff; his brother Tip, an alcoholic deputy; and his ex-sweetheart Linda, now married to Tip. Tension builds as a small army of gangsters takes over the town. Then the situation abruptly changes...

Producer

Not With My Wife, You Don't!

Not With My Wife, You Don't! · 1966

Not With My Wife, You Don't!

MovieComedyRomance

During the Korean War, Italian nurse Virna Lisi falls in love with two American fliers, Tony Curtis and George C. Scott. Lisi marries Curtis after he convinces her that Scott has been killed in a plane crash. She soon discovers Scott is alive, but remains happily married to Curtis until Scott re-enters their lives 14 years later.

Story

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

The Prisoner of Second Avenue · 1975

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Mel Edison has just lost his job after many years and now has to cope with being unemployed at middle age during an intense NYC heat wave.

Producer

A Touch of Class

A Touch of Class · 1973

A Touch of Class

MovieComedyRomance

Steve, a happily married American man living in London meets Vicki, an English divorcée and run off to Marbella for a rollicking week of sex. They then return to London to set up a cozy menage, despite the fact that he loves his wife and children, and now realize that he and Vicki have also fallen in love.

Director

Road to Utopia

Road to Utopia · 1946

MovieAdventureComedy

While on a ship to Skagway, Alaska, Duke and Chester find a map to a secret gold mine, which had been 'stolen' by thugs. In Alaska to recover her father's map, Sal Van Hoyden falls in with Ace Larson, who secretly wants to steal the gold mine for himself. Duke, Chester, the thugs, Ace and his henchman chase each other all over the countryside—for the map.

Screenplay

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Thank Your Lucky Stars · 1943

Thank Your Lucky Stars

MovieComedyMusic

An Eddie Cantor look-alike organizes an all-star show to help the war effort.

Screenplay

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell · 1968

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell

MovieComedyRomance

After the end of WWII, an Italian woman receives child support payments from three former US soldiers who all believe themselves to be the father of her daughter, Gia.

Director

The Jayhawkers!

The Jayhawkers! · 1959

The Jayhawkers!

MovieActionWestern

Before the U.S. Civil War rebel leader Luke Darcy sees himself as leader of a new independent Republic of Kansas but the military governor sends an ex-raider to capture Darcy.

Director

Strange Bedfellows

Strange Bedfellows · 1965

Strange Bedfellows

MovieComedyRomance

After a hasty wedding, Carter and Toni find that they disagree on everything. They separate and seven years later, on the eve before their divorce, meet again and spend the night together. Reality sets in when morning comes and they begin arguing again. Once again, divorce proceedings are on — until Carter finds out that an important promotion hinges on whether he's married.

Director

Above and Beyond

Above and Beyond · 1953

Above and Beyond

MovieActionDrama

The story of Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Although unaware of the full potential of this new weapon, he knows that it can do tremendously more damage than any other weapon used before, and that the death toll resulting from it will be huge. He is reluctant to be the person who will end so many lives, but as time goes on, the pressure upon him only increase.

Director

Walk Like a Man

Walk Like a Man · 1987

Walk Like a Man

Bobo, a feral man raised by wolves, is reunited with his family by a researcher. However, this disappoints his brother, Reggie, who has no intentions of sharing the family inheritance with him.

Director

Lost and Found

Lost and Found · 1979

While visiting Switzerland, an American college professor, Adam, keeps running into a divorced British secretary, Patricia, wherever they go. First their cars collide. Then they smash into one another on a ski slope, each breaking a leg. In between numerous quarrels, the two develop lust and love. They hastily marry, but the disagreements continue. Patricia decides to leave, so Adam decides to fake a suicide. They lose and find each other, again and again.

Director

Knock on Wood

Knock on Wood · 1954

MovieActionComedy

Ventriloquist Jerry Morgan has failed with another love affair. The reason: when the relationship reaches the point when it is time to discuss marriage, his two dolls become mean and jealous. Morgan's dollmaker Papinek is a member of a spy ring who has stolen the secret plans for the top-secret Lafayette airplane. Since Morgan is leaving for Zurich the same night, he decides to hide the secret plan in the heads of the dolls.

Director

And the Angels Sing

And the Angels Sing · 1944

And the Angels Sing

MovieComedyRomance

The singing/dancing Angel sisters, Nancy, Bobby, Josie, and Patti, aren't interested in performing together, and this plays havoc with the plans of Pop Angel to buy a soy bean farm. They do accept an offer of ten dollars to sing at a dubious night club on the edge of town where a band led by Happy Marshall is playing.

Screenplay

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox · 1976

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox

MovieComedyWestern

A female hustler is chasing after rich men, but becomes repeatedly mixed up with a suave con man and card shark through a series of misadventures before falling in love with him.

Director

My Favorite Blonde

My Favorite Blonde · 1942

My Favorite Blonde

Larry Haines, a mediocre vaudeville entertainer, boards a train for Los Angeles. Aboard, he meets an attractive, blonde British agent carrying a coded message hidden in a brooch—and is being pursued by Nazi agents.

Story

Star Spangled Rhythm

Star Spangled Rhythm · 1942

Star Spangled Rhythm

MovieComedyMusic

Pop, a security guard at Paramount has told his son that he's the head of the studio. When his son arrives in Hollywood on shore leave with his buddies, Pop enlists the aid of the studio's dizzy switchboard operator in pulling off the charade. Things get more complicated when Pop agrees to put together a show for the Navy starring Paramount's top contract players.

Screenplay

The Facts of Life

The Facts of Life · 1960

The Facts of Life

MovieDramaComedy

Middle-class suburbanites Larry and Kitty grow bored with their lives and respective marriages. Although each always found the other's manner grating, they fall in love when thrown together--without their spouses--on vacation. On returning home they try to break things off, only to grow closer. A holiday together will finally settle whether they should end their marriages.

Director