Michael Sayers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Sayers
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Sayers in 2006
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| Born | 19 December 1911 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 2 May 2010 (aged 98) New York City, U.S. |
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| Language | English |
| Nationality | Ireland, US |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
| Period | 1930s–2000s |
| Notable works | The Great Conspiracy: The Secret War Against Soviet Russia (1946) |
| Spouse | Mentana Galleani (first), Sylvia Thumin (second) |
| Children | 3 children |
Michael Sayers (born December 19, 1911 – died May 2, 2010) was a talented Irish writer. He wrote poems, plays, and screenplays. He was also known for books he wrote with Albert E. Kahn. Because of these books and his political views, he was "blacklisted" in the United States during the 1950s. This meant he had trouble finding work. Later, he wrote scripts for TV shows and even for the James Bond movie Casino Royale.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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Michael Sayers was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 19, 1911. He was one of four children. His parents were from Lithuania and were Jewish. His father was a strong supporter of Irish independence.
Michael went to school in Dublin and briefly in England. He studied at London University and Trinity College Dublin. At Trinity, he learned French from the famous writer Samuel Beckett. He also met actors like Orson Welles and James Mason at a theater in Dublin. During this time, he started publishing his poetry and writing for theater magazines.
A Career in Writing
When Michael Sayers was 18, in the 1930s, he began working for the famous writer T. S. Eliot. Eliot hired him to review plays for a magazine called The Criterion. Sayers also reviewed plays for another magazine, The New English Weekly.
Through his work, Sayers ended up sharing a flat with other writers, including Eric Blair, who is better known as George Orwell. Sayers also had his stories published in a popular annual collection called Best British Short Stories.
Investigating World War II
In 1936, Sayers moved to New York City to work in theater. By 1939, he started working for Friday (magazine). He investigated groups in the United States that supported the Nazis. By 1942, he was working with Albert E. Kahn on a newsletter that also investigated Nazis.
Together, Sayers and Kahn wrote three important books:
- Sabotage!: The Secret War Against America (1942)
- The Plot Against the Peace: A Warning to the Nation! (1945)
- The Great Conspiracy (1946)
Sayers said he was the first journalist to report on the Nazi death camps after they were freed. However, his editor at Fortune (magazine) didn't believe his stories at first.
In 1944, Sayers wrote articles about people in Ireland who supported the Nazis. This caused some concern between the Irish and American governments. Later, it was shown that some people in Ireland did have anti-Jewish and pro-Nazi views during that time.
Blacklisting and Later Work
In the mid-1940s, Sayers returned to London and saw his friend George Orwell, who had just published Animal Farm. In the late 1940s, Sayers helped start live television by writing plays for NBC. Famous actors like Rex Harrison and Boris Karloff appeared in his plays.
In the 1950s, Michael Sayers faced a difficult time. He was "blacklisted" in the United States because of his left-wing political views. This meant he was seen as a risk and had trouble getting work, especially in Hollywood. His US passport was even threatened. To solve this, he got his Irish citizenship back and received an Irish passport with help from Irish writer Conor Cruise O'Brien.
While living in France in the 1950s, Sayers wrote plays for BBC television under the name "Michael Connor." He also wrote for popular adventure TV series like The Adventures of Robin Hood, William Tell, and Ivanhoe.
In the 1960s, Sayers worked on screenplays for movies like Zorba the Greek and Hair. He also wrote the final version of the script for the James Bond film Casino Royale.
In the 1980s, Sayers moved back to New York City. He spent the rest of his life writing poems and plays. He also taught screenwriting until shortly before he passed away.
Family and Passing
In 1938, Michael Sayers married Mentana Galleani. Her father, Luigi Galleani, was a well-known Italian anarchist. Michael and Mentana had two sons. They divorced in 1955.
In 1957, Sayers married Sylvia Thumin. She passed away in 2006. Michael adopted her son, bringing his total number of children to three.
Michael Sayers died in New York on May 2, 2010, at the age of 98.
His Legacy
After his death, a UK newspaper called Independent wrote about Michael Sayers. They said he was a "gentle, humorous man" who had a "sharp political intelligence." They noted that he paid a price for having "the wrong opinions at the wrong time" and that his career never fully recovered from the challenges he faced.
Works
- Books written with Alfred E. Kahn
- Sabotage! The Secret War Against America (1942)
- The Plot Against the Peace: A Warning to the Nation! (1945)
- The Great Conspiracy: The Secret War Against Soviet Russia (1946)
- Plays
- Kathleen (1955)
- Electra: the Legend (1997)
- The Neutrals (1998)
- Joan Saint Joan (1991)
- Screenplays
- Casino Royale (1967 film)
- Teleplays
- Der Spazierstock (1955)
See also
- Albert E. Kahn
- T. S. Eliot
- George Orwell
