William Hanley facts for kids

William Hanley (born October 22, 1931 – died May 25, 2012) was an American writer. He wrote plays for the theater, radio, and television. He also published three novels in the 1970s. William Hanley was born in Lorain, Ohio. He was related to the famous British writers James and Gerald Hanley. His sister, Ellen Hanley, was also a well-known actress.

William Hanley's Early Life

William G. Hanley was born on October 22, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio. He was one of three children. His father, William Gerald Hanley, was born in Liverpool, England. He worked as a seaman before moving to the United States. Later, he became a housepainter.

Soon after William Hanley was born, his family moved to Queens, New York. He went to Cornell University for one year. In the early 1950s, he served in the Army. After that, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Even though he studied acting, he decided not to become an actor.

While he was writing his first scripts, William Hanley worked many different jobs. He was a bank clerk, a mail clerk, a factory worker, and a book salesman. He married Shelley Post in 1956, and they later divorced. He then married Pat Stanley in 1962. They also divorced, but they had two children together.

His Talented Family

William Hanley came from a very talented family. His sister was the actress Ellen Hanley (1926–2007). She was famous for playing Fiorello La Guardia's first wife in a Broadway musical called "Fiorello!" in 1959.

His uncle, James Hanley (1897–1985), was a British novelist and playwright. He wrote many novels and plays for the theater, radio, and television. Another uncle, Gerald Hanley (1916–1992), was also a novelist and scriptwriter.

William Hanley passed away on May 25, 2012. He was 80 years old. He died after a fall at his home in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He was buried in his family's plot at Mapleshade Cemetery.

William Hanley's Writing Career

William Hanley became a successful playwright in the 1960s. His plays were shown both on Broadway and in Off-Broadway theaters. In 1962, a writer for The New York Times newspaper, Howard Taubman, said that Hanley was "an uncommonly gifted writer." This means he was a very talented writer.

Even with good reviews, his plays did not always become big hits. For example, his play Slow Dance on the Killing Ground was performed 88 times. His Off-Broadway plays usually closed within a month.

However, William Hanley found great success in television. He started with a play called Flesh and Blood. He sold this play to NBC in 1966 for a lot of money. At that time, it was the most money a TV network had ever paid an author for one work. Over 30 years, William Hanley wrote more than 24 TV scripts. He also published three novels in the 1970s.

He was even the first writer for the famous movie The Graduate (1967). But he left the project because he disagreed with the director, Mike Nichols, about how the story should go.

Awards and Recognition

William Hanley was nominated for the Emmys five times. The Emmy Awards are very important awards for television shows. He won two Emmy Awards:

• In 1984, for an ABC movie called Something About Amelia.
• In 1988, for the mini-series The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank. This series starred famous actors like Paul Scofield and Mary Steenburgen.

Something About Amelia also won a Golden Globe Award in 1984. This award was for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television.

He also won other awards for his writing:

• 1963 Vernon Rice Award
• 1965 John Gassner Award
• 1988 Edgar Award for Best Mystery TV Episode for Nutcracker: Money, Murder, and Madness.

William Hanley's Novels

• Blue Dreams. Published in New York, 1971.
• Mixed Feelings. Published in Garden City, 1972.
• Leaving Mount Venus. Published in 1977.

Plays for the Stage

• Whisper into My Good Ear. First performed in New York, October 1, 1962.
• Mrs. Dally Has a Lover and Other Plays. First performed October 1, 1962.
• Conversations in the Dark. First performed in Philadelphia, December 23, 1963.
• Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. First performed on Broadway, November 30, 1964.
• Today Is Independence Day. First performed in Berlin, Germany, 1963.

Plays for Television

William Hanley wrote many plays and scripts for television. Here are some of them:

• 1968 Flesh and Blood (TV movie)
• 1973 Mrs. Dally Has a Lover (TV movie)
• 1975 Whisper into My Good Ear (TV movie)
• 1977 Testimony of Two Men (TV mini-series)
• 1978 Who'll Save Our Children? (TV movie)
• 1979 Too Far to Go (TV movie)
• 1980 Father Figure (TV movie)
• 1980 The Silent Lovers (TV movie)
• 1980 The Scarlett O'Hara War (TV movie)
• 1982 Little Gloria... Happy at Last
• 1984 Something About Amelia (Won an Emmy Award)
• 1984 Celebrity
• 1987 When the Time Comes (TV movie)
• 1987 Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (TV mini-series)
• 1988 Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Golden Land (TV movie)
• 1988 The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (TV movie)
• 1990 The Kennedys of Massachusetts (TV mini-series)
• 1991 Our Sons (TV movie)
• 1991 In Broad Daylight (TV movie)
• 1991 The Last to Go (TV movie)
• 1994 Scarlett (TV mini-series)
• 1997 Ellen Foster (TV movie)
• 1997 Passion's Way
• 1998 The Long Way Home (TV movie)
• 1999 The Reef (TV movie)

Other Works

• Screenplay: The Gypsy Moths (1969)
• Radio Play: A Country without Rain (1970)