Lorenzo Semple Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorenzo Semple Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
Semple in 2008
|
|
| Born |
Lorenzo Elliott Semple III
March 27, 1923 New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
|
| Died | March 28, 2014 (aged 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | Brooks School, Yale University |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Years active | 1951–1996 |
| Spouse(s) |
Joyce Miller
(m. 1963) |
| Children | 3 |
Lorenzo Elliott Semple III (born March 27, 1923 – died March 28, 2014) was an American writer. He was best known for writing for the fun, over-the-top TV show Batman. He also wrote for spy and political movies like The Parallax View (1974) and Three Days of the Condor (1975). He was known professionally as Lorenzo Elliott Semple Jr.
Contents
About Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Lorenzo Semple Jr. went to the Brooks School and then Yale University. In 1941, he left college to join the American Field Service. He drove ambulances in North Africa during World War II.
At 19, he received two important French military awards: the Médaille militaire and the Croix de Guerre. These awards were for his brave service with the Free French forces in Libya. After being hurt in battle, he returned to the U.S. He then joined the army and worked as an intelligence officer in Europe. He was one of the nearly 20,000 "Ritchie Boys" who trained in military intelligence.
Starting His Writing Career
Lorenzo Semple Jr. began his writing career in 1951. He wrote short stories for magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. He also tried writing for the theater. One of his plays, Tonight in Samarkand (1955), was shown on Broadway.
He wrote an episode for The Alcoa Hour TV show in 1955. Another play he wrote, Golden Fleecing, became a movie called The Honeymoon Machine (1961). This movie starred Steve McQueen. After this, Semple moved to Hollywood. He became a writer for many TV shows, including Burke's Law.
Writing for Batman
In 1965, while living in Spain, Semple was asked to create a TV show based on the Batman comic book. He wrote the first episode, which was a big hit. The show became very popular. Semple wrote the first four episodes and helped guide the stories.
He also wrote the screenplay for the 1966 Batman movie. This movie was based on the TV series. He also wrote an episode for The Green Hornet TV series in 1966.
Movies He Wrote
From the late 1960s, Semple focused on writing movies. After the Batman movie, he worked on Fathom (1967). This was a spy comedy starring Raquel Welch.
His script for the movie Pretty Poison (1968) was highly praised by critics. It won an award for best screenplay. He also wrote The Sporting Club (1971) and The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971).
Semple was one of the writers for the successful movie Papillon (1973). He also wrote several thrillers: The Super Cops (1974), The Parallax View (1974), The Drowning Pool (1975), and Three Days of the Condor (1975).
Working with Dino De Laurentiis
The movie Three Days of the Condor was produced by Dino De Laurentiis. He liked Semple's work and hired him for several more films. Semple wrote the popular King Kong remake (1976). He also wrote Hurricane (1979), which did not make much money.
Another movie he wrote was Flash Gordon (1980). This was also based on a comic strip. It was made in a fun, exaggerated style, much like his Batman work. Some comic book fans didn't like his playful approach to the original stories.
After Never Say Never Again (1983), a James Bond movie starring Sean Connery, Semple wrote one more comic book movie. This was Sheena (1984), based on Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. He also wrote a TV movie called Rearview Mirror (1984).
Later Years and Recognition
Later in his life, Lorenzo Semple Jr. reviewed movies on YouTube with Marcia Nasatir. Their show was called "Reel Geezers."
In 2008, the Writers Guild of America honored him as a "Living Legend." In 2010, his movies were shown at a special event in Santa Monica.
Lorenzo Semple Jr. passed away at his home in Los Angeles, California, on March 28, 2014. He died one day after his 91st birthday.
Screenplays
- Batman (1966)
- Fathom (1967)
- Pretty Poison (1968)
- Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (with Larry Cohen) (1969)
- The Sporting Club (1971)
- The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971)
- Papillon (with Dalton Trumbo) (1973)
- The Super Cops (1974)
- The Parallax View (with David Giler) (1974)
- The Drowning Pool (1975)
- Three Days of the Condor (with David Rayfiel) (1975)
- King Kong (1976)
- Hurricane (with Tracy Keenan Wynn and Walter Hill) (1977)
- Flash Gordon (with Michael Allin) (1980)
- Never Say Never Again (1983)
- Sheena (with David Newman) (1984)
- Never Too Young to Die (with Gil Bettman) (1986)
Television
- The Alcoa Hour (1955)
- Target (1958)
- Pursuit (1958)
- The Rogues (1964)
- Burke's Law (1964)
- Batman (1966)
- Thompson's Ghost (1966)
- The Rat Patrol (1966)
- The Green Hornet (1966)
- Rearview Mirror (1984)
- Rapture (1993)
See also
In Spanish: Lorenzo Semple Jr. para niños
