Horton Foote facts for kids

Horton Foote (born March 14, 1916, died March 4, 2009) was a famous American writer. He wrote many plays and movie scripts. He won two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) for his screenplays. One was for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. The other was for his original story for the 1983 film Tender Mercies.

Foote was also known for his plays shown on television during the 1950s. This time was called the "Golden Age of Television." He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1995 for his play The Young Man From Atlanta. In 2000, he received the National Medal of Arts. This is a special award from the U.S. government for artists.

Early Life and Beginnings

Horton Foote was born in 1916 in Wharton, Texas. His parents were Harriet Gautier Brooks and Albert Horton Foote. He had two younger brothers. One of his brothers died in World War II.

Foote first studied theater in California in the early 1930s. He started his career as an actor. But he also began writing plays. People liked his plays more than his acting. So, in the 1940s, he decided to focus on writing.

Television Work

Horton Foote became a leading writer for American television in the 1950s. He wrote for popular shows like The Philco Television Playhouse and Playhouse 90.

His play The Trip to Bountiful was first shown on TV in 1953. Later that year, it became a play on Broadway. It was also made into a movie.

Foote adapted a story by William Faulkner called "Old Man" for television twice. He did this in 1958 and again in 1997. Both times, his work was nominated for an Emmy Award. In 1997, he won an Emmy for his writing.

Plays for the Stage

Horton Foote's plays were performed in many theaters. They were shown on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in other theaters across the United States.

In 1995, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play The Young Man From Atlanta. This play was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1997.

In 1996, Foote was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes important people in American theater.

One of his biggest projects was a series of nine plays. It was called The Orphans' Home Cycle. These plays told stories about his father's life and family. Some of these plays were also made into movies or TV shows. Critics praised this series as a major achievement in American theater.

Movie Screenplays

Horton Foote won an Oscar in 1963. This was for his script for To Kill a Mockingbird. He didn't go to the awards ceremony because he didn't expect to win!

He also helped choose the actor Robert Duvall for the role of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. Foote and Duvall worked together many times after that. Foote called Duvall "our number one actor."

Foote's script for the 1983 film Tender Mercies was first turned down by many directors. But an Australian director, Bruce Beresford, finally accepted it. This film won five Oscar nominations. Foote won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Robert Duvall also won an Oscar for his acting in the film. This time, Foote made sure to attend the ceremony!

Many of Foote's movie scripts were based on his own plays. For example, he wrote a trilogy of films: 1918, On Valentine's Day, and Courtship. These films were about his own family's history.

His screenplay for The Trip to Bountiful (1985) was nominated for an Oscar. The lead actress, Geraldine Page, won an Oscar for her role in the film.

Foote also adapted books by other famous authors for the screen. He adapted John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. He also adapted William Faulkner's short story Tomorrow into a 1972 film.

Foote also provided the voice of Jefferson Davis for a famous TV documentary. It was called The Civil War (1990).

Awards and Writing Style

Horton Foote received several honorary doctorates from universities.

Many people have studied Foote's work. Books have been written about his plays and screenplays. Baylor University also has a special connection with Foote. He was a "Visiting Distinguished Dramatist" there.

Actress Tess Harper, who worked with Foote, called him "America's Chekhov." Chekhov was a famous Russian writer. She meant that Foote wrote about quiet, everyday people in a special way.

Foote himself said that his writing style was natural. He believed that a writer's style chooses them, like the color of their eyes. He also felt that the topics a writer chooses are often decided when they are young. He tried to use realistic language in his writing.

The Fine Arts Building at Wharton County Junior College in his hometown is named the Horton Foote Theatre. He supported the arts in Wharton, Texas. A scholarship is also given in his name to theater students there.

In December 2000, President Bill Clinton gave Foote the National Medal of Arts. President Clinton called him "the nation's most prolific writer for stage, film, and television."

Academy Awards

• To Kill a Mockingbird (winner) – Best Adapted Screenplay (1962)
• Tender Mercies (winner) – Best Original Screenplay (1983)
• The Trip to Bountiful (nominee) – Best Adapted Screenplay (1985)

Personal Life

Horton Foote was married to Lillian Vallish Foote from 1945 until her death in 1992. They had four children. Many of his children also work in theater and film. His daughter Hallie Foote has acted in many of his plays. His daughter Daisy wrote a play that her father directed.

Foote was a dedicated member of the Christian Science church. He taught Sunday School for many years.

He was a distant cousin of the historian Shelby Foote. Both of them worked on the PBS series The Civil War. Horton Foote provided a voice, and Shelby Foote was a main expert.

Horton Foote passed away on March 4, 2009.

Stage Plays

The Orphans' Home Cycle is a series of nine plays. They tell the story of Horace Robedaux (based on Horton Foote's father) and his family.

Original Screenplays

• Tender Mercies (1983)
• Alone (1997)
• Main Street (2009)

Memoirs

• Farewell: A Memoir of a Texas Childhood (Scribner, 1999)
• Beginnings (2001), Simon and Schuster, 2002, ISBN: 0-74-3217616