Horton Foote

Writing

Horton Foote

Born March 14, 1916

Died March 4, 2009 · aged 92

Albert Horton Foote Jr. (March 14, 1916 – March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received Academy Awards for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which was adapted from the 1960 novel of the same name by Harper Lee, and Tender Mercies (1983). He was also known for his notable live television dramas produced during the Golden Age of Television.

Known For

To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird · 1962
To Kill a Mockingbird
8.01962
MovieDrama
Scout Finch, 6, and her older brother Jem live in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama, spending much of their time with their friend Dill and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. When Atticus, their widowed father and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges, the trial and tangent events expose the children to evils of racism and stereotyping.
The ChaseThe Chase · 1966
The Chase
7.11966
MovieCrimeDrama
The escape of Bubber Reeves from prison affects the inhabitants of a small Southern town.
Of Mice and MenOf Mice and Men · 1992
Of Mice and Men
7.21992
MovieDrama
Two drifters, one a gentle but slow giant, try to make money working the fields during the Depression so they can fulfill their dreams.
CourtshipCourtship · 1987
Courtship
10.01987
MovieDrama
In 1915, Elizabeth has fallen in love with Horace Robedaux, a young man her father condemns as a "wild boy." No matter how strict and protective, her parents cannot deter their daughter's growing independence.
Tender MerciesTender Mercies · 1983
Tender Mercies
6.81983
MovieDramaMusic
Alcoholic former country singer Mac Sledge makes friends with a young widow and her son. The friendship enables him to find inspiration to resume his career.
Hurry SundownHurry Sundown · 1967
Hurry Sundown
6.41967
MovieDrama
A ruthless Southern opportunist tries to buy his cousin's land, and when thwarted, brings several tragedies to the lives of his loved ones.
Lily DaleLily Dale · 1996
Lily Dale
3.71996
MovieDramaTV Movie
In 1910, 19-year-old Horace Robedaux, still bitter toward his stepfather, goes to Houston to be reunited with his mother, Corella, and his sister, Lily Dale, following a long estrangement. He has not seen either since he was 12 because his wicked stepfather, Pete Davenport (whom his mother married after his father drank himself to death) believes a boy ought to be self-reliant.
Main StreetMain Street · 2010
Main Street
4.62010
MovieDramaRomance
From the once thriving tobacco warehouses, to the current run-down and closed shops of Five Points, a diverse group of residents and their respective life changes when outsider Gus Leroy brings something new and potentially dangerous into their quiet town.

Filmography

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Barn BurningBarn Burning · 1980
Barn Burning
5.41980
MovieDramaTV Movie
Ab Snopes (Tommy Lee Jones) is a Southern tenant farmer whose unrelenting and violent nature proves to be his undoing in William Faulkner's Barn Burning. Snopes sets his employer's barn on fire when he thinks he's been treated unfairly. His son, Sarty, is horrified. Snopes escapes justice for lack of proof, but he and his family are told to move on. No sooner do they move than Snopes is offended by his new rich employer. Torn between trying to win his father's acceptance and his aversion to what his father will do, Sarty must make a decision and act quickly. Adapted by Academy Award winning screenwriter Horton Foote, Faulkner's complex world of class divisions and hostile family relationships comes to life through a boy's attempt to liberate himself from hatred and poverty.

Teleplay

Goodyear Television PlayhouseGoodyear Television Playhouse · 1951
Goodyear Television Playhouse
6.01951
SeriesDrama
The Goodyear Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was telecast live on NBC from 1951 to 1957 during the "Golden Age of Television". Sponsored by Goodyear, Goodyear alternated sponsorship with Philco, and the Philco Television Playhouse was seen on alternate weeks. In 1955, the title was shortened to The Goodyear Playhouse and it aired on alternate weeks with The Alcoa Hour. The three series were essentially the same, with the only real difference being the name of the sponsor. Producer Fred Coe nurtured and encouraged a group of young, mostly unknown writers that included Robert Alan Aurthur, George Baxt, Paddy Chayefsky, Horton Foote, Howard Richardson, Tad Mosel and Gore Vidal. Notable productions included Chayefsky's Marty starring Rod Steiger, Chayefsky's The Bachelor Party, Vidal's Visit to a Small Planet, Richardson's Ark of Safety and Foote's The Trip to Bountiful. From 1957 to 1960, it became a taped, half-hour series titled Goodyear Theater, seen on Mondays at 9:30pm.

Writer