William Ludwig

Screenwriter

About

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Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

May 26, 1911

Died

February 07, 1999

Cause of Death

Complications From Parkinson's Disease

Biography

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A former lawyer turned screenwriter, William Ludwig scripted many of the country's favorite films of the 1930s and 40s including the "Andy Hardy" series and "Challenge to Lassie" (1949). With longtime collaborator Sonya Levien, he received a WGA nomination for "The Great Caruso" (1951) and an Oscar for "Interrupted Melody" (1955). He also adapted the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musi...

Filmography

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Back Street (1961)

Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957)

Gun Glory (1957)

Interrupted Melody (1955)

Hit the Deck (1955)

Oklahoma! (1955)

Photos & Videos

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Blackmail (1939) -- (Movie Clip) White Or Whole Wheat?

Blackmail (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Don't Use A Nasty Word Like That

Biography

A former lawyer turned screenwriter, William Ludwig scripted many of the country's favorite films of the 1930s and 40s including the "Andy Hardy" series and "Challenge to Lassie" (1949). With longtime collaborator Sonya Levien, he received a WGA nomination for "The Great Caruso" (1951) and an Oscar for "Interrupted Melody" (1955). He also adapted the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical "Oklahoma!" (1955) for the screen and wrote many of the Academy Awards shows during the 1970s.

Filmography

Writer (Feature Film)

Back Street (1961)

Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957)

Gun Glory (1957)

Interrupted Melody (1955)

Hit the Deck (1955)

Oklahoma! (1955)

The Student Prince (1954)

Written for Screen by

The Merry Widow (1952)

It's a Big Country: An American Anthology (1952)

Episode one Screenplay

The Great Caruso (1951)

Shadow on the Wall (1950)

Challenge to Lassie (1949)

The Sun Comes Up (1949)

Julia Misbehaves (1948)

Hills of Home (1948)

Original Screenplay

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1947)

Boys' Ranch (1946)

Original story and Screenplay

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)

An American Romance (1944)

Girl Crazy (1943)

Contract Writer

Journey for Margaret (1942)

Love Crazy (1941)

Love Crazy (1941)

Blackmail (1939)

Stronger Than Desire (1939)

The Hardys Ride High (1939)

Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)

Out West with the Hardys (1938)

Writer (Special)

The 48th Annual Academy Awards Presentation (1976)

Special Thanks (Special)

The 48th Annual Academy Awards Presentation (1976)

Life Events

1938

Joined Screen Writers Guild

1938

Wrote first screenplay, "Love Finds Andy Hardy"

1961

Final screenplay to date, "Back Street"

Videos

Blackmail (1939) -- (Movie Clip) White Or Whole Wheat? Oklahoma oil-rig fire fighter (Edward G. Robinson as John Ingram) returns home with his wife and son (Ruth Hussey, Bobs Watson) celebrating the opening of his own first well when he’s confronted by a drifter (Gene Lockhart as Ramey), who makes clear why he’s been sensitive about his past, in MGM’s Blackmail, 1939.

Blackmail (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Don't Use A Nasty Word Like That Oklahoma oil-rig fire fighter (Edward G. Robinson as John Ingram) returns home with his wife and son (Ruth Hussey, Bobs Watson) celebrating the opening of his own first well when he’s confronted by a drifter (Gene Lockhart as Ramey), who makes clear why he’s been sensitive about his past, in MGM’s Blackmail, 1939.

Shadow On The Wall(1950) -- (Movie Clip) It's My Time To Live! Wild turns, as cheating spouse Celia (Kristine Miller), who just knocked out her husband (now-unconscious Zachary Scott) as he held a gun on her, gets lucky because her sister (Ann Sothern as Dell, whose fiancè she was cheating-with) turned up, intending one kind of confrontation, but improvising another, in Shadow On The Wall, 1950.

Shadow On The Wall (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Twice A Minute Clever-ish opening, credits, then the introduction of Gigi Perreau and Zachary Scott, both billed above the title with Ann Sothern, as father and daughter David and Susan, appearing nothing but innocent, in the little-noticed MGM Noir Shadow On The Wall, 1950, co-starring Nancy Reagan.

Shadow On The Wall (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Nobody Can Resist You New Yorker David (Zachary Scott), home from a business trip, escorts Bobby (Anthony Sydes), friend of his daughter, through the lobby when he spies his wife Celia (Kristine Miller) arriving with Crane (Tom Helmore), with whom we know she’s having an affair, though it’s his first clue, but he doesn’t let on, in MGM’s Shadow On The Wall, 1950.

Shadow On The Wall (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Black Harvest Joining the first scene for Ann Sothern as Dell, sister of the hostess, Kristine Miller as Celia, whom we know is having an affair with Ann’s fiancè Crane (Tom Helmore) which is revealed after dinner and many drinks, by husband and brother-in-law David (Zachary Scott), who’s realized their stories about that afternoon don’t match, in MGM’s Shadow On The Wall, 1950.

Julia Misbehaves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Agamemnon Beating Circe Unveiling the affluent Packett household in France, Walter Pidgeon whom we surmise is the estranged but not unfriendly husband of the title character (Greer Garson, not seen here), Elizabeth Taylor the daughter, whose wedding she’s been unexpectedly invited to, Peter Lawford a hired artist, and Lucile Watson the grandmother, in MGM’s Julia Misbehaves, 1948.

Julia Misbehaves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) I'm Your Mother Showgirl Julia (Greer Garson) at the French country home of her estranged husband, for the wedding of her daughter Susan (Elizabeth Taylor), whom she hasn't seen since infancy, in Julia Misbehaves, 1948.

Julia Misbehaves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) My Wonderful One At the wedding rehearsal for Susan (Elizabeth Taylor), artist Ritchie (Peter Lawford) intruding, re-united parents Julia (Greer Garson)and William (Walter Pidgeon) remember their wedding with a song, in Julia Misbehaves, 1948.

Julia Misbehaves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Well Get Out Of The Nude! Opening and introducing Greer Garson as the London showgirl title character, craftily manipulating her manager Benjy (Reginald Owen) through her friend Louise (Veda Ann Borg), Jack Conway directing, from a Margery Sharp novel, co-starring Walter Pidgeon, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Lawford, in Julia Misbehaves, 1948.

Merry Widow, The (1952) -- (Movie Clip) Night Not quite able to see Lana Turner (title character, the visiting American widow Radek) in the dark, Count Danilo (Fernando Lamas), enlisted by his king to seduce her and her millions home to tiny Marshovia, offers the song from the Franz Lehar operetta, English lyric by Paul Francis Webster, in MGM’s The Merry Widow, 1952.

Merry Widow, The (1952) -- (Movie Clip) You Were Lovely By Moonlight Count Danilo (Fernando Lamas), under royal orders to woo the visiting American widow Radek (Lana Turner) and her funds, fails to realize that Kitty (Una Merkel) is only her secretary, then is further undermined when she finds the note detailing his instructions, in The Merry Widow, 1952.

Love Finds Andy Hardy - (Original Trailer) A small-town boy tries to juggle two girlfriends at once in Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

Girl Crazy (1943) - (Original Trailer) A womanizing playboy finds true love when he's sent to a desert college in Girl Crazy (1943) starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.

Hardys Ride High, The - (Original Trailer) In the sixth Hardy Family movie, The Hardys Ride High (1939) after they inherit a fortune but Andy has trouble adjusting to society life.

Boys' Ranch - (Original Trailer) A ball player (James Craig) creates a ranch for troubled kids from the city in Boys' Ranch (1946).

Blackmail (1939) - (Original Trailer) Edward G. Robinson plays a man in prison on false charges who escapes to save his family from Blackmail (1939).

Athena - (Original Trailer) A society lawyer falls in love with the daughter (Jane Powell) of a family of fitness fanatics in Athena (1954).

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble - (Original Trailer) In the 13th entry in the series, college boy Andy tangles with beautiful twins in Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944).

Merry Widow, The (1952) - (Original Trailer) A prince (Fernando Lamas) from a small kingdom courts a wealthy widow (Lana Turner) to keep her money in the country in The Merry Widow (1952).

Student Prince, The (1954) - (Original Trailer) A prince falls in love with a barmaid during his last fling before assuming the crown in the operetta The Student Prince (1954).

Out West with the Hardys - (Original Trailer) In the fifth Hardy Family movie, Judge Hardy has to help a friend negotiate water rights, so it's Out West With The Hardys (1938).

Journey for Margaret - (Original Trailer) An American correspondent (Robert Young) tries to adopt two children orphaned during the London blitz in Journey for Margaret (1942).

Sun Comes Up, The - (Original Trailer) Lassie helps Jeanette MacDonald find happiness with an orphaned boy in The Sun Comes Up (1949).

Bibliography

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