Everett Freeman was born on February 2, 1911 in New York, New York. His contribution to books, movies, radio and television programs spanned more than 50 years.
Freeman was involved in writing and producing radio dramas and comedies in the 1930s when he produced and wrote for hit shows like snook baby. During this time, Hollywood had picked up one of his stories, $1,000 per minute, and was made into a film in 1935 starring Roger Pryor and Leila Hyams. This certainly opened doors for Everett, as he was asked to co-write the script for married before breakfast in 1937 and The pursuer in 1938.
Around this time, Everett’s brother Devery thought he too would try writing. Soon, his careers would follow very similar and intertwined paths on the Hollywood scene. The only difference was that Everett’s production background meant that, in addition to writing prolifically, he occasionally produced television shows and movies. Devery, on the other hand, was content to stick with the writing alone. Both brothers proved to be a successful and sought after Hollywood property.
In addition to creating his own original stories, Everett Freeman was often given the job of writing the script based on an established story. Being a screenwriter is never an easy job, especially if the original author is still alive and worst of all, the main star of the show. So it was, in 1939, when Freeman was asked to write the script for the film You can’t fool an honest man starring and written by WC Fields. It helped that Fields was a childhood hero to Everett. His respect for the man got him through a difficult production in which WC Fields continually changed the plot to the point where the film was almost scrapped.
World War II required all Americans to do their part in the war effort. Warner Brothers decided to make the film to raise funds. Thanks to your lucky stars, cramming as many stars as they could find into cameos. Everett Freeman was asked to write the plot which, theoretically, was about a nobody (Eddie Cantor) being used to stand in for celebrity Eddie Cantor and a bunch of starlets who crash a star magazine with the hoping to get attention. . The irony of the story, of course, was that the artists were already stars. Freeman didn’t have much of a job as the plot was incidental to the actual purpose, which was to parade stars like Cantor, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Bette Davis to raise as much money as possible for the war effort. All artists and backroom staff, including Everett Freeman, waived their fees for this cause, and the project raised over $2 million.
Freeman continued to write screenplays, including shoplifting, inc. in 1942, starring Edward G. Robinson and Bob Hope’s The princess and the pirate in 1944. He was also one of 36 writers, one of whom was his brother Devery, who contributed to Ziegfeld follies in 1946. Then things turned around like two books, Cleopatra’s arms Y Miss Grant takes Richmondboth written by Everett and Devery were the subject of 1949 movie scripts a kiss in the dark starring David Niven and Miss Grant takes Richmond, starring Lucille Ball. Both stories were about rich guys spending their money to help the poor through the good example of others.
The year 1951 marked another milestone in Everett Freeman’s career when he produced his first film and turned one of his stories into another film. Jim Thorpe-All-American it was the film he produced (and co-wrote the script). then the movie too young to kiss was released, based on a story written by Everett alone. It was about Cynthia, a talented 22-year-old pianist who, determined to attract attention, participates in a children’s piano competition. Everything is going well, in fact too well. She wins the competition and a New York agent decides to sign her up for a 5-year contract and book the child prodigy for a concert at the New Symphony Hall. Cynthia’s dilemma worsens when she falls in love with the agent. The film starred June Allyson. A year later, another of Everett Freeman’s stories was published, a biography of swimmer Annette Kellerman. Just as she had presented a fictional heroine in too young to kiss, this time told the story of the real-life heroine Kellerman. The film that resulted was million dollar mermaid Starring Esther Williams. This was followed in 1957 by another film from an original story by Everett Freeman, kelly and me.
In the mid-1950s, Freeman began to take an interest in television. In its early days, television was a mere novelty for artists and writers alike. Its audience was small and production techniques limited. In the early to mid-1950s, improved technology and mass-produced television receivers made the medium more attractive as audiences multiplied. Freeman already had a lot of experience in radio production and had as much experience on a film set as anyone. He used these talents and got going with his debut as a television producer with single fathera sitcom starring John Forsythe.
This was the beginning of a 10-year period in which the majority of Freeman’s work was for television. Among the shows she produced was Schlitz Star Theater, for which he also wrote. He also wrote scripts for other shows like General Electric Theatre. He returned to movies in 1966 when he wrote the screenplay for Doris Day and Rod Taylor in The glass bottom boat. She returned to work with Doris Day as co-writer of Where were you when the lights went out?, which he also produced. Now established as a producer and screenwriter, he ended the decade with the maltese bippy (a Rowan & Martin film that Freeman wrote) and As I love you? The last film credited to him is Zig Zaga rarity in that it was not of the comedy genre that had always been his specialty.
Everett Freeman retired from show business in 1970, having spent 40 years at the top of his profession. He lived in Westwood, California until his death from kidney failure on January 27, 1991, at age 79.