Biography
Everett Freeman was born in New York City. His extensive career as a short-story writer, screenwriter, and film and TV producer spanned five decades. After graduating from Columbia University, he began as a journalist and, at 18, became the youngest writer to have a short story published in the Saturday Evening Post. In the early 1930s, he wrote and produced radio comedies, including the popular show Baby Snooks starring Fanny Bryce. Hollywood adapted one of his original stories, "1,000 Dollars a Minute," into a 1935 film featuring Roger Pryor and Leila Hyams. This success led to opportunities to co-write screenplays for Married Before Breakfast (1937) and The Chaser (1938). In 1939, Freeman wrote the screenplay for You Can't Cheat an Honest Man, starring and written by W.C. Fields, who had been a childhood hero of his. He continued penning screenplays such as Larceny, Inc. (1942) starring Edward G. Robinson, and The Princess and the Pirate (1944) featuring Bob Hope.
During World War II, Freeman was drafted to produce training films for soldiers. Meanwhile, Warner Brothers planned a fundraiser film featuring numerous celebrity cameos to raise money for the war effort. Freeman was tasked with writing the plot for this project. The result was Thank Your Lucky Stars, a film where aspiring stars disrupted an all-star revue hoping to get noticed—though all performers were already established stars. The film featured Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Eddie Cantor, and Errol Flynn. All cast and crew, including Freeman, waived their fees, helping the film raise over $2 million.
Freeman was among 36 writers, including his brother Devery, contributing to the all-star production Ziegfeld Follies in 1946. In 1947, he wrote the screenplay for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Danny Kaye. Shortly after, two original stories co-written with Devery, "Cleopatra Arms" and "Miss Grant Takes Richmond," were adapted into the 1949 films A Kiss in the Dark, starring David Niven, and Miss Grant Takes Richmond, starring Lucille Ball. In 1951, Freeman produced his first film, Jim Thorpe - All American, also co-writing its screenplay. Soon after, Too Young to Kiss, starring June Allyson and based on an original story by Freeman, was released. Another of his original stories became the movie Million Dollar Mermaid, starring Esther Williams, followed by Kelly and Me, also based on his story. In 1958, he wrote the screenplay for Marjorie Morningstar featuring Natalie Wood and Gene Kelly. In the mid-1950s, Freeman ventured into television, debuting as producer of the Bachelor Father series starring John Forsythe. He also wrote and produced episodes for Schlitz Playhouse of Stars and scripted General Electric Theater. Freeman returned to film in 1962 with the screenplay for Sunday in New York, starring Rod Taylor, Jane Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Robert Culp. In 1966, he wrote the screenplay for The Glass Bottom Boat, starring Doris Day and Rod Taylor, and co-wrote Where Were You When the Lights Went Out, also starring Doris Day.
Over his career, Freeman wrote, adapted, or produced more than three dozen films. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his 1947 screenplay It Happened on Fifth Avenue, featuring Victor Moore and Charles Ruggles.
After retiring from the entertainment industry due to health reasons, Freeman taught writing classes at UCLA for several years. He was a founding member of the Writers Guild of America and served as founder and president emeritus of the Producers Guild of America.
In 1947, Freeman fell in love with the striking red-haired actress and model Roseanne Murray. They married in early 1948 and had three children: two daughters, Elizabeth and Andrea, and a son, Michael. They divorced in 1966. Freeman later married Helena Matthews, originally from England, and they had a son named Jaik.
An avid chess player, Freeman was highly skilled and often played against chess masters. He also enjoyed playing golf. His other interests included geology, astronomy, philosophy, and he was a devoted fan of science fiction.
