Paul Monash (June 14, 1917 – January 14, 2003) was an American television and film producer and screenwriter.

Life and career

Paul Monash was born in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, New York, in 1917, and grew up in

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. His mother, Rhoda Melrose, acted in silent films. Monash earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

and a master's degree in education from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. An aspiring novelist, he rode the rails across the United States, served as a merchant marine, lived as an expatriate in Paris, and studied art.North, Gary
Paul Monash: Writer, producer
'' Variety'', January 15, 2003 Monash won early acclaim for his writing for television, including his work on the pioneer anthology series '' Studio One'', ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'' and ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

''. He received an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for "The Lonely Wizard," a 1957 episode of ''

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playh ...

'' that starred

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger ( ; April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Ranked as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars", he is closely associ ...

. Monash wrote and produced the pilot for the TV series '' The Untouchables'' (1959), shown in two parts on Desilu Playhouse and edited as a feature film for distribution in Europe. He also wrote some episodes of the 1958–1959

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

about the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, '' Behind Closed Doors'', hosted by and starring Bruce Gordon. After the success of ''The Untouchables'', Monash was asked to create '' Peyton Place'' (1964–1969), an ABC-TV series that was the first prime-time serialized drama on American television. His film production credits include ''

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' is a 1969 American Western (genre), Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Based loosely on fact, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, k ...

'' (1969), ''

Slaughterhouse-Five ''Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death'' is a 1969 semi-autobiographic science fiction-infused anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows the life experiences of Billy Pilgrim, from his early years, to his ...

'' (1972), ''

The Front Page ''The Front Page'' is a Broadway theatre, Broadway comedy about newspaper reporters on the police beat. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, it was first produced in 1928 and has been adapted for the cinema severa ...

'' (1974) and '' Carrie'' (1976). Monash produced the feature film ''

The Friends of Eddie Coyle ''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 American neo-noir crime film starring Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle and directed by Peter Yates. The screenplay by Paul Monash was adapted from the 1970 novel '' The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' by G ...

'' (1973), a dark, critically acclaimed crime drama starring

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

, and also adapted the George V. Higgins

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

for the screen. Monash wrote the 1979

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

-TV adaption of '' All Quiet on the Western Front'', a

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

production that received a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

for Best Motion Picture Made for Television. His screenplay for the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

film ''

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

'' (1992) was nominated for an Emmy Award; and Monash received the

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

for his teleplay for the

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

film ''

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was the 45th and longest-serving governor of Alabama (1963–1967; 1971–1979; 1983–1987), and the List of longest-serving governors of U.S. s ...

'' (1997). His final credit was the

A&E Network A&E (an initialism of its original name, the Arts & Entertainment Network) is an American cable and satellite television network and the flagship property of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Walt Disney Company ...

original film, '' The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery'' (2000), a critically praised adaption of the

Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886–October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...

. The TV movie first aired March 5, 2000, the same day that the

Writers Guild of America, west The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. It was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, including the Screen Writers Guild. It has around 20,000 m ...

, presented the 83-year-old Monash with the Paddy Chayefsky award for lifetime achievement. It is the guild's highest award, given to writers who have "advanced the literature of television through the years."WGAW fetes Monash with Chayefsky award
'' Variety'', January 10, 2000 Paul Monash died of pancreatic cancer January 14, 2003, in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Writer

*''

Foreign Intrigue ''Foreign Intrigue'' (also known as ''Foreign Assignment'') is a syndicated espionage drama television series produced in Europe by Sheldon Reynolds. The 30-minute series ran for four seasons from 1951 to 1955, producing 156 episodes. It was ...

'' (TV) :"Berlin to Frankfurt" (1952) :"The Radio Message" (1952) :"Sun Lamp" (1952) :" The Living Corpse" (1952) :"The Perfect Plan" (1952) *'' Atom Squad'' (1953) *''

'' (TV) :"Needle in a Haystack" (1953) :"The Man Who Wouldn't Talk" (1954) *''Operation Manhunt'' (1954) *''Danger'' (TV) :"Last Stop Before Albany" (1953) :"Return Flight" (1953) :"Five Minutes to Die" (1953) :"Cornered" (1954) :"Menace from the East (1954) *'' Studio One'' (TV) :"Stan, the Killer" (1952) :"Blow Up at Cortland" (1955) *''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'' (TV) :"Sailor on Horseback" (1955) :"Bailout at 43,000 Feet" (1955) *''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had p ...

'' (TV) :"Hung Jury" (1956) *''

Colonel March of Scotland Yard ''Colonel March of Scotland Yard'' is a British television series consisting of a single series of 26 episodes first broadcast in the United States from December 1954 to Spring of 1955. The series premiered on British television on 24 September ...

'' (TV) :"The Sorcerer" (1956) :"The Strange Event at Roman Fall" (1956) :"The Deadly Gift" (1956) *''Studio 57'' (TV) :" Outpost" (1956) *''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (TV) :"The Shadow Outside" (1956) *''Assignment Foreign Legion'' (TV) :"The Stripes of Sergeant Schweiger" (1956) :"The Sword of Truth" (1956) :"The White Kepi" (1957) :"The Testimonial of a Soldier" (1957) *''

Kraft Television Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947, on NBC, airing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Impe ...

'' (TV) :"Boy in a Cage" (1956) :"The Singin' Idol" (1957) *''Bailout at 43,000'' (1957) *''

'' (TV) :"The Lonely Wizard" (1957) (

) *''Sing, Boy, Sing'' (1958) (story "The Singin' Idol") *'' The Safecracker'' (1958) *''

Touch of Evil ''Touch of Evil'' is a 1958 American film noir written and directed by Orson Welles, who also stars. The screenplay was loosely based on Whit Masterson's novel '' Badge of Evil'' (1956). The cast included Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Jose ...

'' (1958) (uncredited) *''

'' (TV) :"The Country Husband" (1956) :"The Helen Morgan Story" (1957) :"The Death of Manolete" (1957) :"Nightmare at Ground Zero" (1958) *'' The Gun Runners'' (1958) *''Behind Closed Doors'' (TV) :"The Cape Canaveral Story" (1958) *''Pursuit'' (TV) :"The Silent Night" (1958) *'' Goodyear Theatre'' (TV) :"The Guy in Ward 4" (1958) :"Afternoon of the Beast" (1959) *''The Scarface Mob'' (TV) (1959) (pilot for '' The Untouchables'') *'' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' (TV) :Debut (1958) :"The Untouchables: Part 1" (1959) :"The Untouchables: Part 2" (1959) *''The Crimebusters'' (1961) *''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American heist film noir directed and cowritten by John Huston and starring Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, Sam Jaffe, John McIntire and Marilyn Monroe in one of her earliest role ...

'' (TV) :"The Lady and the Lawyer" (1961) :"The Fighter" (1961) :"The Kidnapping" (1961) *'' The Lawbreakers'' (1961) *'' Cain's Hundred'' (TV) (1961–1962) *'' Twelve O'Clock High'' (TV) :"Follow the Leader" (1964) (uncredited) *''Braddock'' (TV) (1968) *''

Judd, for the Defense ''Judd, for the Defense'' is an American legal drama originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967, to March 21, 1969. Judd was a shortened surname from Juddinski. Synopsis The show stars Carl Betz, who had pr ...

'' (TV) (1967–1969) *'' Peyton Place'' (TV) (1964–1969) *''

'' (1973) *'' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (TV) (1979) *'' Salem's Lot'' (TV) (1979) *'' V'' (TV) :" Liberation Day" (1984) *''

'' (TV) (1992) *''Killer Rules'' (TV) (1993) *''Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long'' (TV) (1995) *''

'' (TV) (1997) *''Rescuers: Stories of Courage – Two Couples'' (TV) (1998) (segment "Aart and Johtje Vos") *'' The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery'' (TV) (2000)

Producer

*'' Cain's Hundred'' (TV) (1961–1962) (executive producer) *''Braddock'' (TV) (1968) *'' Deadfall'' (1968) *''

'' (TV) (1967–1969) (executive producer) *'' Peyton Place'' (TV) (1964–1969) (executive producer) *''

'' (1969) (executive producer) *''

'' (1972) *''

'' (1973) *''

'' (1974) *''The Trial of Chaplain Jensen'' (TV) (1975) (executive producer) *'' Carrie'' (1976) *''The Day the Loving Stopped'' (TV) (1981) (executive producer) *'' Child Bride of Short Creek'' (TV) (1981) *''

Big Trouble in Little China ''Big Trouble in Little China'' (also known as ''John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China'') is a 1986 American fantasy action-comedy film directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong. The ...

'' (1986) (executive producer) *'' The Rage: Carrie 2'' (1999) *'' Carrie'' (TV) (2002) (consulting producer)

Awards

*1958, Winner,

'' (episode "The Lonely Wizard")
Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the Television in the United States, television industry in the United S ...

*1980, Nominee,

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...

'' Salem's Lot''
Best Television Feature or Miniseries

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is a professional organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the E ...

*1993, Nominee,

''
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries or a Special

*1997, Nominee, CableACE Award
''

''
Writing a Movie or Miniseries
Shared with Marshall Frady
National Cable Television Association *1998, Winner,

''
PBS/Cable Category
Shared with Marshall Frady *1998, Nominee, WGA Award
''

''
Adapted Long Form
Shared with Marshall Frady

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...

*1999, Nominee,

''Rescuers: Stories of Courage – Two Couples'' (segment "Aart and Johtje Vos")
60 Minute Category
Shared with Cy Chermak and Francine Carroll *2000, Winner, Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Lifetime Achievement

References

External links

*
Paul Monash, Writer, producer
(obituary); '' Variety'', January 15, 2003
Paul Monash, 85, Television Screenwriter
(obituary); ''

The 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 ...

'', January 16, 2003
Paul Monash, Film Producer and Screenwriter
(obituary); ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' (London), January 17, 2003 {{DEFAULTSORT:Monash, Paul 1917 births 2003 deaths American male screenwriters American television writers American film producers American television producers Primetime Emmy Award winners University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication alumni American male television writers Teachers College, Columbia University alumni 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters Deaths from pancreatic cancer in California