Gloria Rose "Barbara" Turner (July 14, 1936 – April 5, 2016) was an American screenwriter and actress. One of her daughters is the actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough as Stacy Hamilton in '' Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). Sh ...

Early life

Turner was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York to Pearl Pauline (née Zises) and Alexander Turner. Her father was an Austrian Jewish immigrant, and her mother was born in New York, to Austrian Jewish parents. Turner attended the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...

, where she studied acting. After a year of college, Turner moved back to New York, studying at Erwin Piscator's

Dramatic Workshop Dramatic Workshop was the name of a drama and acting school associated with the New School for Social Research in New York City. It was launched in 1940 by German expatriate stage director Erwin Piscator. Among the faculty were Lee Strasberg and Ste ...

and then with acting coach

Paul Mann Paul Mann (December 2, 1913 – September 24, 1985) was a Canadian film and theater actor, as well as founder of the Paul Mann Actor's Workshop. His brother was the actor Larry D. Mann. Biography Mann was influential in developing the concept of ...

, where she met fellow actor

Vic Morrow Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series '' Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstand ...

Career

Turner moved to Los Angeles after Morrow was cast in the 1955 film ''

Blackboard Jungle ''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. I ...

.'' During the 1950s and 1960s, Turner acted in many film and television productions, some of which included '' Playhouse 90'', '' Mike Hammer'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' and '' The Breaking Point.'' Turner said that she began writing to fund her work as an actor. She and Morrow wrote a TV movie called ''Willie Loved Everybody''; they adapted it into a musical that they tried pitching with Elmer Bernstein, but were not successful in selling the concept. The two separated and divorced in 1964. During the early 1960s, Turner met and became friends with director Robert Altman, first meeting while working on an episode of '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' and then on his 1964 ''

Kraft Suspense Theatre The ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced and broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's '' Kraft ...

'' episode "Once Upon a Savage Night", which was expanded and broadcast as the TV movie '' Nightmare in Chicago''. During filming, Turner met her second husband, producer and director Reza Badiyi, who encouraged her to write an adaptation of a Mira Michal short story from ''The New Yorker'' called "At Lake Laguna", which she brought to Altman to possibly make, but that fell apart right before production was scheduled to begin. Altman thought of Turner when he read John Haase's book ''Me and the Arch Kook Petulia''. Turner wrote the original adaptation, which became the film ''

Petulia ''Petulia'' is a 1968 British-American drama film directed by Richard Lester and starring Julie Christie, George C. Scott and Richard Chamberlain. The film has a screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus from a story by Barbara Turner and is based on ...

''. Turner, Vic Morrow and Reza Badiyi were close friends and collaborators with the director Robert Altman, who later directed Leigh in ''

Short Cuts ''Short Cuts'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The film has a Los Angeles setting, whic ...

'' (1993) and '' Kansas City'' (1996). Morrow directed his and Turner's 1965 screen adaptation of the Jean Genet play '' Deathwatch''. In 1973, she wrote the screenplay for the TV movie ''The Affair'', starring

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

and

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

. Her teleplay for the TV movie '' Freedom'' (1981) was based on her daughter Carrie's experiences in the 1970s as a teen runaway, played by family friend

Mare Winningham A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

. In 1983, Turner co-wrote an adaption of the Stephen King novel ''

Cujo ''Cujo'' () is a 1981 psychological horror novel by American writer Stephen King about a rabid Saint Bernard. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982 and was made into a film in 1983. Background Cujo's name was based on the alias of ...

'' under the name Lauren Currier. Turner wrote an unproduced screenplay about two friends of

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

named

Gerald and Sara Murphy Gerald Clery Murphy and Sara Sherman Wiborg were wealthy, expatriate Americans who moved to the French Riviera in the early 20th century and who, with their generous hospitality and flair for parties, created a vibrant social circle, particular ...

. This work led to her daughter, Leigh, being cast in the 1994 film '' Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.'' In 1995, she teamed up with daughter

to write and produce the screenplay for ''

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

'', a film depicting the troubled relationship between two singing sisters played by Leigh and Mare Winningham, who both won praise for their performances. The idea reportedly came from Leigh, who was on location shooting the 1991 film '' Rush'', and pitched the idea of two sisters who have varying degrees of skill as singer-songwriters. Turner created the script from that idea. It was financed by the French film production company Ciby 2000, and Turner's daughter, Morrow, served as a technical consultant. Turner spent three years doing research, using the Seattle music scene as a source for the material. In 2000, Turner's screenplay adaption of the book '' Jackson Pollock: An American Saga'' by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith for the

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

biopic ''

Pollock Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. '' Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Kingd ...

'', also written by Susan Emswiller, became a successful film. She then collaborated with actress

Neve Campbell Neve Adrianne Campbell (born October 3, 1973; ) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her work in the drama and horror genres. She has appeared on ''People'' magazine's list of "50 Most Beautiful People" twice. Following a series of minor ...

on a screenplay titled '' The Company'' (2003) about the inner workings of the Joffrey Ballet, which was directed by Robert Altman. In an interview with

Jan Lisa Huttner Jan Lisa Huttner (born December 10, 1951) is an American film critic, journalist, activist, and independent scholar. Huttner has authored columns for prominent publications, including Women's eNews, the Huffington Post, and The Forward, and is the ...

, Turner states that "the company is the star of this movie" rather than just Campbell. It is an ensemble piece. In June 2010, it was announced that Turner and

Jerry Stahl Jerry Stahl (born September 28, 1953) is an American novelist and screenwriter. His works include the 1995 memoir of addiction ''Permanent Midnight''. A 1998 film adaptation followed with Ben Stiller in the lead role. Stahl has worked extensivel ...

had written a screenplay for an HBO film about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Martha Gellhorn. The film '' Hemingway & Gellhorn'' aired in 2012. At the time of her death, Turner had written the script to the not-yet-released

Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...

-produced film titled ''Knock Wood: Charlie McCarthy Project,'' a movie based on Bergen's 1983 memoir of the same name. The story, produced by James Francis Trezza and Pam Widener (who Turner worked with on ''Pollack''), unfolds from the perspective of Charlie McCarthy, Edgar Bergen's famous and hugely popular wooden puppet. Other long-time adaptations that were not produced but had been active in Hollywood were scripts based on

Jane Smiley Jane Smiley (born September 26, 1949) is an American novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992 for her novel ''A Thousand Acres'' (1991). Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a s ...

’s book ''Barn Blind'',

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce '' Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the M ...

's '' Headlong'', and

Jill Paton Walsh Gillian Honorine Mary Herbert, Baroness Hemingford, (née Bliss; 29 April 1937 – 18 October 2020), known professionally as Jill Paton Walsh, was an English novelist and children's writer. She may be known best for her Booker Prize-nominated n ...

's '' Knowledge of Angels''. Additional screenplays based on original work included ''Beautiful View,'' ''Once Again for Zelda'', and ''Under Heaven''.

Personal life

Turner was married twice. From 1957 to 1964, Turner was married to actor and frequent collaborator

, with whom she had two daughters, Carrie Ann Morrow (19582016) and actress

. Turner and Morrow separated when Leigh was two years old. From 1968 to 1985, Turner was married to Iranian-American television director Reza Badiyi, with whom she had a daughter, the actress Mina Badie, also known as Mina Badiyi Chassler. Barbara Turner died on April 5, 2016, in Los Angeles, aged 79, from undisclosed causes.

Selected filmography

Screenwriter

* 1966: '' Deathwatch'' (adaptation) * 1968: ''

'' (adaptation) * 1973: '' The Affair'' (TV movie) * 1976: ''The Dark Side of Innocence'' (also known as ''The Hancocks'') (NBC pilot) * 1976: ''Widow'' (TV movie) * 1976: ''The Dark Side of Innocence'' (TV movie) * 1977: ''The War Between the Tates'' (TV movie) (adaptation) * 1981: '' Freedom'' (TV movie) * 1983: ''Sessions'' (TV movie), also producer * 1983: ''

'' (credited as Lauren Currier) * 1987: ''Eye on the Sparrow'' (TV movie), also producer * 1992: '' Somebody's Daughter'' (TV movie) * 1994: '' Out of Darkness'' (TV movie) * 1995: ''

'', also producer * 2000: ''

'' (adaptation) * 2003: '' The Company'' * 2012: '' Hemingway & Gellhorn'' (HBO) (TV movie), also executive producer * Unknown: ''Knock Wood: Charlie McCarthy Project''

Actor

* 1955: ''Two-Gun Lady'' as Jenny Ivers * 1956: ''

Medic A medic is a person involved in medicine such as a medical doctor, medical student, paramedic or an emergency medical responder. Among physicians in the UK, the term "medic" indicates someone who has followed a "medical" career path in postgra ...

'' (TV series) as Joyce in "The Glorious Red Gallagher" * 1957: ''

Monster from Green Hell ''Monster from Green Hell'' is a 1957 science fiction B movie released on December 12, 1957 as a double feature with the English-dubbed, re-edited version of the Japanese tokusatsu film '' Half Human''. It was directed by Kenneth G. Crane, and s ...

'' as Lorna Lorentz * 1957: ''

M Squad ''M Squad'' is an American crime drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. It was produced by Lee Marvin's Latimer Productions and Revue Studios. Its main sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's ...

'' (TV series) as Alice Snyder in "Street of Fear" * 1957: ''

Suspicion Suspicion is a feeling of mistrust. Suspicion(s), The Suspicion, or Suspicious may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Suspicion'' (1918 film), an American silent film directed by John M. Stahl * ''Suspicion'' (1941 film), an American ...

'' (TV series) as Emily in "Heartbeat" * 1957: '' Mike Hammer'' (TV series) as Madeline Pope in "Now Die in It" * 1958: ''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both Television comedy, comedies and Dramatic programming, drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The ti ...

'' (TV series) as Rose Genilli in "Heroes Never Group Up" * 1958: '' Playhouse 90'' (TV series) as Sandra in "Portrait of a Murderer" * 1958: '' The Frank Sinatra Show'' (TV series) as Shirley in "The Brownstone Incident" * 1958: ''

Wink of an Eye "Wink of an Eye" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Arthur Heinemann, based on a story by Gene L. Coon (under the pen name Lee Cronin), and directed by Jud ...

'' as Judy Carlton * 1958: '' Mike Hammer'' (TV series) as Doris in "My Son and Heir" * 1960: '' The Lineup'' (TV series) as Eleanor Larsen in "Seven Sinners" * 1961: '' Operation Eichmann'' as Sara * 1961: ''Outlaws'' (TV series) as Mary Sawyer in "No Luck on Friday" * 1962: ''

'' (TV series) as Rose Hill in "I Hear America Singing" * 1963: ''

Alcoa Premiere ''Alcoa Premiere'' (also known as ''Premiere, Presented by Fred Astaire'') is an American anthology drama series that aired from October 1961 to July 1963 on ABC. The series was hosted by Fred Astaire, who also starred in several of the episodes ...

'' (TV series) as Emma in "Lollipop Louie" * 1963: '' Channing'' (TV series) as Renate Thielman in "A Hall Full of Strangers" * 1963: '' Breaking Point'' (TV series) as Dorothy Oringer in "A Pelican in the Wilderness" * 1964: ''

'' (TV series) as Bernadette in "Once Upon a Savage Night" aka '' Nightmare in Chicago'' * 1965: ''

'' (TV series) as Fanny Birnbaum in "A Nightingale Named Nathan" * 1966: '' The Virginian'' as Louise Devers in "Harvest of Strangers" * 1967: ''La vuelta del Mexicano'' * 1969: ''The Desperate Mission'' (TV movie) as The Farmer's Wife * 1970: ''

Soldier Blue ''Soldier Blue'' is a 1970 American Revisionist Western film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Candice Bergen, Peter Strauss, and Donald Pleasence. Adapted by John Gay from the novel ''Arrow in the Sun'' by T.V. Olsen, it is inspired by even ...

'' as Mrs. Long (uncredited) * 1974: ''En busca de un muro'' * 2007: ''

Margot at the Wedding ''Margot at the Wedding'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It stars Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, John Turturro, Ciarán Hinds and Halley Feiffer. The film is about the familial storm t ...

Awards

* 1968:

WGA Awards The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility The ...

, Best Written American Drama, ''

'' to Lawrence Marcus (nominee) * 1976:

Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing, and is given to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful way. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of Paulist P ...

, ''Widow'' (TV movie) (finalist) * 1978: Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special, ''

The War Between the Tates ''The War Between the Tates'' is a campus novel by Alison Lurie that takes place at an elite university during the upheavals of the late 1960s and gently and deftly skewers all sides in the turmoils and conflicts of that era — opposition to ...

'' (nominee) * 1987:

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...

, ''Eye on the Sparrow'' * 1994:

, 90 Minute Category, '' Out of Darkness'' (nominee) * 2012: Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, '' Hemingway & Gellhorn'' (nominee) * 2013:

, Long Form – Original, '' Hemingway & Gellhorn'' (nominee)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Barbara 1936 births 2016 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American screenwriters Actresses from New York City American film actresses American people of Austrian-Jewish descent American television actresses American women screenwriters Jewish American actresses Jewish American screenwriters Screenwriters from New York (state) University of Texas at Austin alumni Writers from Brooklyn 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American screenwriters 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers