Ted Allan facts for kids

Ted Allan (born Alan Herman, January 26, 1916 – June 29, 1995) was a Canadian writer, poet, and screenwriter. This means he wrote books, poems, and scripts for movies. Many of his books were even turned into films. In 1975, he was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award for his movie Lies My Father Told Me.

Ted Allan's Life Story

Ted Allan was born in Montreal, Canada. His birth name was Alan Herman.

In 1934, he met and became friends with Norman Bethune. Bethune was a famous Canadian doctor. In 1937, Ted Allan joined a group called the International Brigades. They went to fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Fascism is a type of government where one leader has total power and often controls people's lives. During the war, Ted worked as a reporter. He sent news back to America from Madrid. His first book, This Time a Better Earth, was published in 1939. It was based on his experiences in the war.

In 1952, Ted Allan and Sydney Gordon wrote a book about Norman Bethune. It was called The Scalpel, The Sword. Ted worked for almost 40 years to make a movie about Bethune. The film, Bethune: The Making of a Hero, was released in 1990. Ted wrote the screenplay for this movie. It was a special film because it was the first official movie made together by China and Canada. It was filmed in China, Montreal, and Spain. Famous actors Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren starred in it.

Ted Allan also helped write the script for the movie Love Streams. This movie was released in 1984. It won the top prize, the Golden Bear Award, at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film was based on one of Ted Allan's plays. The play was called I've Seen You Cut Lemons. It was directed by Sean Connery in London in 1969.

In 1985, Ted Allan won the Stephen Leacock Award for his book Love Is a Long Shot. This award is given for funny writing in Canada.

Ted Allan passed away on June 29, 1995, at the age of 79. He died because of breathing problems. A documentary film was made about his life in 2002. It was called Ted Allan: Minstrel Boy of the Twentieth Century.

Ted Allan's Creative Works

Ted Allan created many different types of works, including plays, films, and books.

Plays Ted Allan Wrote

• The Ghost Writers (1952)
• Double Image (1955)
• Legend of Pepito (1955)
• The Secret of the World (1958)
• I've Seen You Cut Lemons (1969)
• My Sister's Keeper (1974)
• Love Streams (1981)
• The Third Day Comes (1981)
• Willie the Squowse (1987)
• Chu Chem (1988)

Films Ted Allan Wrote For

• Lies My Father Told Me (1975)
• Love Streams (1984)
• Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990)

Books Ted Allan Published

• This Time a Better Earth (1939)
• The Scalpel, the Sword: The Story of Doctor Norman Bethune (1952)
• Willie the Squowse (1977)
• Love is a Long Shot (1984)
• Don't You Know Anybody Else (1985)
• Dr. Ah Chu & Jonah's Egg (Robert Davies Publishing)

He also wrote short stories for magazines like Harper's and The New Yorker.