Frank D. Gilroy

Director, Playwright, Screenwriter

About

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Also Known As

Frank Daniel Gilroy

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

October 13, 1925

Biography

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Award-winning playwright who began his career during the "Golden Age" of live TV and entered film as a screenwriter in 1956 with "Fastest Gun Alive." Gilroy won acclaim on the New York stage with his Obie Award-winning "Who'll Save the Plowboy?" (1962), he won a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for his Broadway debut, "The Subject Was Roses," a powerful autobiographical drama about a post-w...

Filmography

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The Luckiest Man in the World (1989)

Nero Wolfe (1979)

Once in Paris (1978)

From Noon Till Three (1976)

The Turning Point of Jim Malloy (1975)

Photos & Videos

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Subject Was Roses, The (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Who Knows Where The Time Goes?

Subject Was Roses, The (1968) -- (Movie Clip) This Is Where I Came In

Family & Companions

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Ruth Dorothy Gaydos

Wife

Married on February 13, 1954.

Bibliography

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"From Noon till Three"

Frank Gilroy (1977)

"The Private"

Frank Gilroy and Ruth Gilroy (1970)

"Little Ego"

Frank Gilroy (1970)

Biography

Award-winning playwright who began his career during the "Golden Age" of live TV and entered film as a screenwriter in 1956 with "Fastest Gun Alive." Gilroy won acclaim on the New York stage with his Obie Award-winning "Who'll Save the Plowboy?" (1962), he won a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for his Broadway debut, "The Subject Was Roses," a powerful autobiographical drama about a post-war, dysfunctional family that he adapted to film in 1968.

Gilroy subsesquently branched out into directing, and sometimes producing, quirky films based on his own highly personal screenplays such as "Desperate Characters" (1971), "From Noon Till Three" (1976), "Once in Paris..." (1978) and "The Gig" (1985). Son John Gilroy served as associate producer and editor on his father's 1989 film "The Luckiest Man in the World" and sons Dan ("Freejack" 1992) and Tony are both screenwriters.

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

The Luckiest Man in the World (1989)

Nero Wolfe (1979)

Once in Paris (1978)

From Noon Till Three (1976)

The Turning Point of Jim Malloy (1975)

Desperate Characters (1971)

Writer (Feature Film)

The Luckiest Man in the World (1989)

Nero Wolfe (1979)

Once in Paris (1978)

From Noon Till Three (1976)

The Turning Point of Jim Malloy (1975)

Desperate Characters (1971)

The Only Game in Town (1970)

The Subject Was Roses (1968)

The Gallant Hours (1960)

The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)

Producer (Feature Film)

Once in Paris (1978)

Desperate Characters (1971)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

From Noon Till Three (1976)

Source Material (From Novel)

Writer (Special)

Amos Burke: Who Killed Julie Greer? (1961)

Special Thanks (Special)

Amos Burke: Who Killed Julie Greer? (1961)

Director (TV Mini-Series)

Money Plays (1996)

Writer (TV Mini-Series)

Money Plays (1996)

Life Events

1943

Served in US Army

1949

First play produced, "The Middle World" at Dartmouth College

1952

Became a TV writer

1956

Debut as screenwriter, "Fastest Gun Alive" (with Russell Rouse; adapted from Gilroy's short story "The Last Notch" and play)

1962

First professional production of play, "Who'll Save the Plowboy?", Off-Broadway at the Phoenix Theatre

1964

First play produced on Broadway, "The Subject Was Roses"

1971

Debut as feature film producer and director, "Desperate Characters"

Videos

Subject Was Roses, The (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Who Knows Where The Time Goes? Judy Collins’ vocal on Sandy Denny’s then-unreleased composition, first heard as the B-side of Collins’ hit 1968 recording of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” later recorded by Denny and Fairport Convention, nearly overshadows director Ulu Grosbard’s opening, with Patricia Neal, briefly Martin Sheen, and Jack Albertson, in his Academy Award-winning performance, from The Subject Was Roses. 1968.

Subject Was Roses, The (1968) -- (Movie Clip) This Is Where I Came In Jack Albertson as Bronxite John was just trying on the uniform coat brought home by his still-snoozing son, just returned from WWII, when he notices his wife Nettie (Patricia Neal) coming back from morning shopping, character sketching in their first scene together, adapted by Frank Gilroy from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, in The Subject Was Roses. 1968.

Subject Was Roses, The (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Crazy About Waffles Dad (Jack Albertson) just departing the family Bronx apartment on business as his son (Martin Sheen as Timmy), the morning after his welcome-home from WWII party, converses with his mom (Patricia Neal as Nettie), raising her ire when he deploys one of the old man’s verbal devices, early in The Subject Was Roses. 1968, from the Frank D. Gilroy play.

Only Game In Town, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) But Not For Me After the credit sequence establishing Elizabeth Taylor as a weary Las Vegas showgirl, she enters a piano bar where co-star Warren Beatty is the act, George Stevens directing his last feature, from Frank Gilroy’s play and screenplay, in The Only Game In Town, 1970.

Only Game In Town, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) How Long We Been Married? The morning after their first evening together, Las Vegas showgirl Fran (Elizabeth Taylor) and lounge pianist Joe (Warren Beatty) tangle a little then warm up, George Stevens directing from Frank D. Gilroy’s screenplay, in The Only Game In Town, 1970.

Only Game In Town, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) You Never Thought I'd Make It Compulsive gambler and lounge pianist Joe (Warren Beatty) has won enough cash to finally leave Las Vegas, so he’s out celebrating with his new gal, showgirl Fran (Elizabeth Taylor), starting at his old gig, in The Only Game In Town, 1970, directed by George Stevens.

Gallant Hours, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Put That Ice Pick Away Admiral Halsey (James Cagney) gets the skinny on Yamomoto from Commander Pulaski (Vaughn Taylor) then diverts aide Lowe (Dennis Weaver) and doctor Keys (Walter Sande) in producer-director Robert Montgomery's bio-pic The Gallant Hours, 1960.

Gallant Hours, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Three Men In That Squad Will Survive Pacific commander Admiral Halsey (James Cagney) visiting with soldiers at Guadalcanal, with aide "Andy" (Dennis Weaver) and producer-director Robert Montgomery narrating, in The Gallant Hours, 1960.

Gallant Hours, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) 22 November, 1945 Martial and reverent opening from producer-director and narrator Robert Montgomery, introducing James Cagney as Admiral "Bull" Halsey, in The Gallant Hours, 1960.

From Noon Till Three - (Original Trailer) Charles Bronson is a two-bit outlaw who becomes a legend when he's mistakenly reported dead in From Noon Till Three (1976).

Fastest Gun Alive, The -- (Original Trailer) Glenn Ford is The Fastest Gun Alive (1956), a reformed gunslinger whose past keeps catching up with him.

Subject Was Roses, The - (Original Trailer) A young veteran (Martin Sheen) returns home to deal with family conflicts in The Subject Was Roses (1968), co-starring Patricia Neal and Jack Albertson.

Family

Frank B Gilroy

Father

Coffee broker.

Bettina Gilroy

Mother

Tony Gilroy

Son

Screenwriter.

John Gilroy

Son

Film editor.

Daniel Gilroy

Son

Screenwriter.

Companions

Ruth Dorothy Gaydos

Wife

Married on February 13, 1954.

Bibliography

"From Noon till Three"

Frank Gilroy (1977)

"The Private"

Frank Gilroy and Ruth Gilroy (1970)

"Little Ego"

Frank Gilroy (1970)

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