Helene Hanff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helene Hanff
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Helene Hanff, 1990s
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| Born | April 15, 1916 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | April 9, 1997 (aged 80) New York City, United States |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, writer |
Helene Hanff (born April 15, 1916 – died April 9, 1997) was an American writer. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Helene is most famous for her book 84, Charing Cross Road. This book was so popular that it was turned into a play for the stage, a TV show, and even a movie.
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Growing Up
Helene Hanff was born in 1916. Her parents were Miriam and Arthur Hanff. Her father used to be a performer. Later, he sold shirts, but he still loved the theatre. He would sometimes trade shirts for tickets to shows!
Helene's family didn't have a lot of money for her education. She won a scholarship to go to Temple University. She knew she would only be able to stay for a year. After that, she decided to teach herself by studying every day. However, she had to stop this plan. Her family needed her to get a job and earn money.
Her Writing Career
Helene Hanff started her career writing plays. Many of them were admired but never made it to the stage. She even wrote a book in 1961 called Underfoot in Show Business. This book was about her challenges as a young playwright trying to succeed in New York City in the 1940s and 1950s.
She worked in offices that promoted shows and spent summers working with theatre groups along the East Coast. All this time, she kept writing plays.
In the early 1950s, television shows started to be made in New York City. Helene found a new job writing and editing scripts for many early TV dramas. One of her main jobs was for the show The Adventures of Ellery Queen.
Later, most TV production moved to California, but Helene chose to stay in New York. As her TV work slowed down, she began writing for magazines. Eventually, she wrote the books that made her famous. In 1981, Helene also appeared on a BBC radio show called Desert Island Discs. On the show, she talked about her life and career. She also shared her favorite music, which was by Johann Sebastian Bach, and said her luxury item would be Scrabble.
84, Charing Cross Road
Helene Hanff's famous book, 84, Charing Cross Road, was first published in 1970. It's a special kind of book made up of letters. It tells the story of her 20 years of writing letters to Frank Doel. He was the main book buyer for a London bookshop called Marks & Co.
Helene relied on this bookshop and Frank Doel to find old and rare classic books. These books helped her teach herself. She became very close with the staff at the shop. She even sent them food packages during times when food was scarce in Britain after the war. She also shared stories about her life in Manhattan with them.
Helene always wanted to visit her friends in England. But she had money problems and didn't like to travel. Sadly, she waited too long. Frank Doel passed away in December 1968 from a sudden illness. The bookshop eventually closed down.
Helene finally visited Charing Cross Road in London in the summer of 1971. The shop building was empty but still standing. She wrote about this trip in her 1973 book, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. In Duchess, Helene describes meeting friends and fans. She visited many interesting places in London and Southern England. This trip was a very special time in her life. She showed her humor and love for London and her friends. These friends, including Frank Doel's wife Nora and his daughter Sheila, loved her because of 84, Charing Cross Road.
The 1987 movie 84 Charing Cross Road starred Anne Bancroft as Helene Hanff. Anthony Hopkins played Frank Doel. Before this, Anne Jackson played Helene and Frank Finlay played Frank in a 1975 TV version. Ellen Burstyn also played Helene on Broadway in 1982. Elaine Stritch played Helene Hanff in another TV adaptation.
Other Books
Helene Hanff loved the British scholar Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. She wrote a book about this interest called Q's Legacy (1985). This book gives more background to 84, Charing Cross Road and tells what happened after Duchess.
Other books she wrote include:
- Apple of My Eye (1977, updated 1988): This was her unique guide to New York City.
- Letter from New York (1992): This book collected her five-minute talks that she gave each month on the BBC radio show Woman's Hour from 1978 to 1984.
- Underfoot in Show Business (1961, reissued 1989): This book was later made into a stage play by Charles Leipart. It first opened in 2008 in Eastbourne, UK.
Personal Life
Helene Hanff never got married. In the 1987 movie 84 Charing Cross Road, a photo of an American soldier is shown in her apartment during World War II. She smiles at it, making viewers wonder if she stayed unmarried because he died. However, her own writings don't mention such a person or any long-term romantic relationships. Some people who knew her or wrote about her have suggested she had romances, but she kept her personal life very private.
Later Life and Legacy
Helene Hanff passed away from diabetes in New York City in 1997. She was almost 81 years old.
The apartment building where she lived in New York City has been named "Charing Cross House" in her honor. There is a bronze plaque by the front door. It remembers her living there and writing her famous book. In London, there is also a bronze plaque at the spot where the original bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road used to be.
A book about her life, Helene Hanff: A Life, was published in 2011 by Stephen R. Pastore. He wrote it based on interviews he had done with her.
