James Elward (

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, November 22, 1928 – August 30, 1996) was an American author, actor, screenwriter, and playwright.

Personal life and education

He was born in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

to Daisyann Lenert Elward and Joseph Francis Elward. He was the brother to

Paul Elward Paul Francis Elward (April 19, 1926August 9, 2009) was an American politician. Paul Elward was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Daisyann Lenert Elward and Joseph Francis Elward. His brother James J. Elward was a writer and performer. Paul Elward at ...

. A native of Chicago, he received a bachelor's degree in 1950 from

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily ...

in Washington. James Elward resided in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He was most noted for writing

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

s in the 1960s and 1970s such as ''

The Secret Storm ''The Secret Storm'' is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas '' Search for Tomorrow'' and '' Love of Life''. ...

'', ''

The Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'', and ''

Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare is a fictional American medical doctor, originally created in the 1930s by the author Frederick Schiller Faust under the pen name Max Brand. Shortly after the character's first appearance in a magazine story, Paramount Pictur ...

''. He also wrote and produced a soap opera called ''

The Young Marrieds ''The Young Marrieds'' is an American daytime soap opera which aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 5, 1964 to March 25, 1966. The program was created by James Elward and written by Elward with Frances Rickett. Authors John ...

''. Additionally, he wrote several plays for theaters in New York and

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. He was active in summer stock with the

Barnstormers Barnstormer, Barnstorm or Barnstorming may refer to: __NOTOC__ Sports * Barnstorming, aerial stunts performed for entertainment, popular in the 1920s * Barnstorming (sports), athletic practice of traveling and playing exhibition matches outside of ...

Tamworth, New Hampshire Tamworth is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,812 at the 2020 census. Tamworth includes the villages of Chocorua, South Tamworth, Wonalancet, and Whittier. The White Mountain National Forest is to th ...

. He published three novels for

Doubleday Doubleday may refer to: * Doubleday (surname), including a list of people with the name Publishing imprints * Doubleday (publisher), imprint of Knopf Doubleday, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House * Doubleday Canada, imprint of Penguin Random ...

under the name of "Rebecca James": ''

Storm's End The fictional world in which the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents, known collectively as The Known World. Most of the story takes place on the continent of Westeros and i ...

'' (1974), '' The House Is Dark'' (1976), and '' Tomorrow Is Mine'' (1979). He also published under his own name, including '' Ask For Nothing More'' (1984), '' Monday's Child Is Dead'' (1995), and ''Public Smiles, Private Tears'' (1982) with Helen Van Slyke, a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' bestseller. In 1991 he helped to organize Mystery Stage, Inc. a group that worked to foster stage performances in the mystery genre in New York City. He died in 1996.

Novels

* ''Public Smiles, Private Tears'' - with Helen Van Slyke * ''Monday's Child Is Dead'' * ''Ask for Nothing More'' * As Rebecca James: ** ''Storm's End'' ** ''The House Is Dark'' ** ''Tomorrow Is Mine'' The New York Times Book Section covered his death in

The book ''Public Smiles, Private Tears'' was about a woman's rise in the world of retail fashion. One reviewer wrote, "James Elward has done his assigned (and subservient) job commendably -- perhaps even with a bit more style and vitality than the author who was dying as she wrote." The novel was on the ''New York Times'' hard-cover fiction best-seller list for 14 weeks in 1982, rising to seventh place. In 1983 its paperback edition reached fifth place on the ''Times'' best-seller list of mass-market paperback books.

Elward's most critically acclaimed play, ''

Best of Friends ''Best of Friends'' was a British children's game show that ran from 7 March 2004 to 13 August 2008. It first aired on CBBC for series 1, then on BBC One from series 2-3 and then back on CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service ...

'', was first produced in

in 1970. Elward performed for 40 years at the

Barnstormers Theatre The Barnstormers Theatre is located in Tamworth, New Hampshire, and is the oldest ongoing professional summer theatre in the United States. It was founded in 1931 by Francis Cleveland, the son of 22nd president Grover Cleveland. It is one of ...

. Photos of his work can be viewe
here
Other plays include: * ''Mary Agnes Is Thirty Five'' * ''Passport'' * ''The River'' Before he was an author and playwright, Elward was a screenwriter; notably for ''

'' and '' Strange Paradise''.

References

External links

*
Family Web site

Archives of James Elward's work at University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elward, James American male screenwriters American soap opera writers Writers from Chicago Screenwriters from New York (state) Writers from New York City Male actors from Chicago 1928 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male television writers American male dramatists and playwrights Screenwriters from Illinois 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters