Meade Roberts

About

Biography

Filmography

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Summer And Smoke (1961) -- (Movie Clip) It's A Civic Duty

Summer And Smoke (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Hello, Cavalier!

Notes

"Roberts's produced plays include "A Palm Tree in a Rose Garden" and "Maidens and Mistresses at Home at the Zoo". He also wrote a series of biographical dramas: "The Lady of the Lilacs", about Vivien Leigh, staged in Atlanta; "The Tennessee Williams Show", staged at the Actor's Studio; "Thorn Hill", about Eugene O'Neill, directed by John Cassavetes and starring Ben Gazzara; and "Memo from David O Selznick", staged at the American Place Theater with Tony Roberts. His most recent play, "Garbo", has not yet been staged." (From the "Variety" obituary, February 17, 1992)

Biography

A playwright and screenwriter associated with Tennessee Williams, Roberts co-wrote the film adaptations of two of Williams's plays, "The Fugitive Kind" (1960) and "Summer and Smoke" (1961). He also appeared in two John Cassavetes films, "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (1976) and "Opening Night" (1977).

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (Director's Cut) (1978)

Opening Night (1977)

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

Writer (Feature Film)

In the Cool of the Day (1963)

Screenwriter

The Stripper (1963)

Screenwriter

Summer and Smoke (1961)

Screenwriter

The Fugitive Kind (1960)

Screenwriter

Life Events

1959

Co-adapted Tennessee Williams's play "Orpheus Descending" (with Williams) for screenplay of "The Fugitive Kind", directed by Sidney Lumet

1961

Co-adapted, with James Poe, Williams's "Summer and Smoke" for the screen

1963

Adapted William Inge's play, "A Loss of Roses" for screenplay of "The Stripper", Franklin Schaffner's feature directorial debut

1963

Wrote screenplay for "In the Cool of the Day", a British melodrama starring Jane Fonda and Peter Finch

1976

Appeared as Mr. Sophistication in John Cassavetes's feature "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie"

1977

Appeared in John Cassavetes feature "Opening Night"

Videos

Summer And Smoke (1961) -- (Movie Clip) It's A Civic Duty After a childhood prologue and credits, Mississippi spinster Alma (Geraldine Page) with her dotty mother (Una Merkel) and minister father (Malcolm Atterbury), sings a Spanish song (“La Golondria”) at holiday festivities while her dashing neighbor Johnny (Laurence Harvey) arrives home, in Summer And Smoke, 1961, from a Tennessee Williams play.

Summer And Smoke (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Hello, Cavalier! Minding her needy mother (Una Merkel), Mississippian Alma (Academy Award-nominated Geraldine Page) finds cause to visit her dashing if reckless neighbor Johnny (Laurence Harvey), a young doctor home for the summer, finally managing an invitation, in Summer And Smoke, 1961.

Summer And Smoke (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Come Watch The Birdie Motivated partly by guilt for standing her up days earlier, fun-loving Mississippi doctor Johnny (Laurence Harvey) brings his neighbor, patient and life-long admirer Alma (Geraldine Page) to the casino (run by Thomas Gomez), where his paramour Rosa (Rita Moreno) dances, in Summer And Smoke, 1961, from the Tennessee Williams play.

Summer And Smoke (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Unless Maybe I Trap You! Hard-partying young Mississippi doctor Johnny (Laurence Harvey) has skipped an engagement with his neighbor (Geraldine Page as Alma), for a night at the casino, for gambling, cock-fighting and the owner’s fiery daughter Rosa (Rita Moreno), in Tennessee Williams’ Summer And Smoke, 1961.

Fugitive Kind, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) I Think They Got Him Having schmoozed himself and his guitar out of court in a Mississippi town, Valentine “Snakeskin” Xavier seeks shelter at what turns out to be the home of the local sheriff, where his wife Vee (Maureen Stapleton, a close Brando friend) tells him about a breakout, early in The Fugitive Kind, 1960.

Fugitive Kind, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) You Afraid I'll Snitch? Joanne Woodward as wayward heiress Carol Cutrere blows into a tiny Mississippi downtown (in a new-ish Jaguar XK), having recognized Marlon Brando as drifter “Snakeskin”, Maureen Stapleton as his new friend Vee, helping him land a job in the general store, Emory Richardson as the odd “Uncle Blessing,”in The Fugitive Kind, 1960, from Tennessee Williams’ play, directed by Sidney Lumet.

Fugitive Kind, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) You're Also Known As Snakeskin? Marlon Brando is largely alone, in the opening before the credits, Sidney Lumet directing, the screenplay by Tennessee Williams (from his poorly reviewed play Orpheus Descending) with Meade Roberts, from The Fugitive Kind, 1960, also starring Anna Magnani, Geraldine Page and Joanne Woodward.

Fugitive Kind, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) She Made A Mistake About Me After an evening with unglued local heiress Carol, Marlon Brando as drifter-musician “Snakeskin” Xavier introduces himself to Anna Magnani (who got top billing in the Italian release) as “Lady” Torrance, wife of the ailing owner of the general store, looking for work, at least, in The Fugitive Kind, 1960, directed by Sidney Lumet from a Tennessee Williams play.

In The Cool Of The Day (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Lonelier Than Usual Publisher Murray (Peter Finch) returns from New York to London and wife Sibyl (Angela Lansbury, her first scene), who blames him for her facial scar and the death of their son, in In The Cool Of The Day, 1963, from a Susan Ertz novel.

In The Cool Of The Day (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Edge Of Something Terrible English publisher Murray (Peter Finch) arrives at the suburban New York home of colleague Sam (Arthur Hill), who reveals serious problems in his marriage, opening In The Cool Of The Day, 1963, also starring Jane Fonda and Angela Lansbury.

In The Cool Of The Day (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Never Ending Goodness English publisher Murray (Peter Finch) visiting New York has just met Christine (Jane Fonda), the young and estranged wife of his colleague Sam, (Arthur Hill), seen later at a party, in In The Cool Of The Day, 1963.

In The Cool Of The Day - (Original Trailer) The efforts of a man (Peter Finch) to save his friend's marriage lead to infidelity In The Cool Of The Day (1963).

Summer And Smoke - (Original Trailer) A small-town spinster's repressed love for the local rebel spells danger in Tennessee Williams' Summer And Smoke (1961).

Family

Lily Mednick

Mother

Lenore Weinstein

Sister

Bibliography

Notes

"Roberts's produced plays include "A Palm Tree in a Rose Garden" and "Maidens and Mistresses at Home at the Zoo". He also wrote a series of biographical dramas: "The Lady of the Lilacs", about Vivien Leigh, staged in Atlanta; "The Tennessee Williams Show", staged at the Actor's Studio; "Thorn Hill", about Eugene O'Neill, directed by John Cassavetes and starring Ben Gazzara; and "Memo from David O Selznick", staged at the American Place Theater with Tony Roberts. His most recent play, "Garbo", has not yet been staged." (From the "Variety" obituary, February 17, 1992)

About

Biography

Filmography

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Notes

Biography

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Writer (Feature Film)

Life Events

1959

1961

1963

1963

1976

1977

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

Bibliography

Notes

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