Rose Franken (December 28, 1895 – June 22, 1988) was an American writer and playwright best known for her Claudia stories, plus the books, films, and plays based on them.
Rose Franken | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rose Lewin December 28, 1895 |
| Died | June 22, 1988 (aged 92) Tucson, Arizona |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Known for | Claudia stories |
| Spouse(s) | Sigmund W.A. Franken (1913–1932, his death) William Brown Meloney (1905–1971) |
Early years
editBorn Rose Dorothy Lewin[1] in Gainesville, Texas, Franken was the youngest child of Michael and Hannah Younker Lewin. When Franken was 12, the family moved to New York; there, she attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School. After graduation, she planned to attend Barnard College but was wed instead.[1]
Career
editFranken began writing after her second child was born. The editor to whom she sent her early work liked it and asked for more, thus beginning her career as a writer.[2]
Her books included Of Great Riches (1937), Strange Victory (1939), Claudia: The Story of A Marriage (1939), and When Doctors Disagree (1940). From her novel Claudia and a Redbook magazine serial story, "Claudia and David," Franken developed a play, a radio series (Claudia),[3] and two films. These works led to a television series,[4] Claudia (1952).
In 1963, Doubleday published Franken's autobiography, When All Is Said and Done.[5]
Franken's first play was Another Language (1932), which was the basis for the film Another Language (1933). Her next play was Claudia (1941).[1]
Personal life
editOn September 1, 1913, she married Sigmund Walter Anthony Franken, an oral surgeon who died on December 17, 1932.[6] They had three children,[2] including physicist Peter Franken.[failed verification] On April 27, 1937, she married writer William Brown Meloney. He died on May 4, 1971.[6]
She was one of the artists and writers to visit Melrose Plantation on the Cane River in Louisiana.[7][when?][clarification needed]
Death
editFranken died on June 22, 1988, in Tucson, Arizona, at age 92. She was survived by her sons, Paul, John, and Peter; four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.[1][4]
Selected filmography
edit- Claudia and David (1960) (TV movie)
- Claudia (1960) (TV movie)
- Another Language (1957) (TV movie)
- Mr. Dooley, Jnr. (1953) (TV movie)
- Another Language (1952) (TV movie)
- The Secret Heart (1946)
- Claudia and David (1943)
- Claudia (1943)
- Made for Each Other (1939)
- Beloved Enemy (1936)
- Next Time We Live (1936)
- Dante's Inferno (1935)
- Alias Mary Dow (1935)
- Storm Over the Andes (1935)
- Elinor Norton (1934)
- Another Language (1933)
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Rose Franken, 92, Author of the 'Claudia' Stories". The New York Times. New York, New York City. June 24, 1988. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ a b Kerr, Adelaide (January 27, 1942). "Texas-Born Rose Franken Prefers To Write From Life". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. Associated Press. p. 2-B. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mother Role". The News-Palladium. October 1, 1947. p. 9. Retrieved March 20, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Sherilyn Brandenstein, "Rose Dorothy Lewin Franken," The Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Jacobson, Betty (October 25, 1963). "When All Is Said and Done". Carrol Daily Times Herald. Iowa, Carroll. p. 6. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Frank, Glenda. "Rose Franken 1895 - 1988". Encyclopedia. Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ James Lynwood Wilson, Clementine Hunter: American Folk Artist, p. 22. Pelican Publishing Company (1990) ISBN 0-88289-658-X
