William Luce facts for kids

William Aubert Luce (born October 16, 1931 – died December 9, 2019) was an American writer. He was well-known for writing plays and television shows. He often wrote special plays where only one actor performed all the parts. Many of his plays starred the famous actress Julie Harris.

Early Life and Learning

William Luce was born in Portland, Oregon, on October 16, 1931. His parents were Chauncey Darrel Luce and Eleanor Marie (Kuul) Luce. When he went to college, he studied piano.

Awards and Honors

William Luce was a member of important groups like the Dramatists Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America. He received many awards for his writing.

Major Awards

• 1979 Peabody Award: For a radio show called Currer Bell, Esquire. Act 1.
• 1979 Edwin Howard Armstrong award: Also for Currer Bell, Esquire. Act 1.
• 1979 Ohio State award: Another award for Currer Bell, Esquire. Act 1.
• 1987 International Emmy Award: For his play The Belle of Amherst, produced by Thames Television in London.

Award Nominations

• Writers Guild Award nominee: For the TV movie The Last Days of Patton.
• Writers Guild Award nominee: For the TV movie The Woman He Loved.

His Works

William Luce was known for choosing his main characters carefully. This is because they were usually the only ones in his plays!

Plays for the Stage

Luce wrote a famous one-person play called The Belle of Amherst. It first opened on Broadway in 1976. Julie Harris starred in it, playing the poet Emily Dickinson. The play ran for 116 shows. After that, Julie Harris traveled around the country performing it.

He also wrote a play called Bronte about Charlotte Brontë. This play also starred Julie Harris. It was filmed in Ireland in 1982 and shown on Public Television in 1985.

His play Zelda was about Zelda Fitzgerald. It first showed in 1984. Later, Luce changed it into The Last Flapper. This play was performed by Piper Laurie in 1987.

Other plays he wrote include:

• Lillian: About Lillian Hellman, shown on Broadway in 1986.
• Lucifer's Child: Based on writings by Karen Blixen, starring Julie Harris in 1991.
• Barrymore: About John Barrymore, starring Christopher Plummer in 1997.

Opera Writing

William Luce wrote the story, called a libretto, for an opera. The opera was named Gabriel's Daughter. Henry Mollicone wrote the music. It first showed in Colorado in 2003.

Television Work

Luce adapted The Belle of Amherst for a TV special. Julie Harris starred in it again. This TV movie was nominated for an Emmy Award. The recording of the play also won a Grammy Award.

He wrote the screenplays for three TV movies for CBS:

• The Last Days of Patton (1986): Starred George C. Scott.
• The Woman He Loved (1988): Starred Jane Seymour and Julie Harris.
• Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991): Starred Frances Fisher as Lucille Ball and Maurice Benard as Desi Arnaz.

His Literary Legacy

After William Luce passed away, author Grant Hayter-Menzies became his literary executor. This means he helps manage Luce's written works and legacy.

Personal Life and Passing

William Luce shared his life with his partner, Ray Lewis, for 50 years. Ray Lewis was a furniture designer. He created special chairs with animal shapes.

In the early 1950s, Luce and Lewis moved from Oregon to Southern California. They later lived in Mariposa. From 1991 to 2001, they lived on the Pacific Coast in Depoe Bay. Ray Lewis passed away in 2001 at age 83.

William Luce stayed in their home until 2015. He then moved to Arizona. He passed away from Alzheimer's disease in Green Valley on December 9, 2019. He was 88 years old. He is buried in the Green Valley Cemetery.

See also

• List of LGBT people from Portland, Oregon