Paul Monash

Scriptwriter Paul Monash, the son of silent film actress Rhoda Melrose, was born in New York on June 14, 1917. Although he was more interested in writing the Great American Novel, he wrote scripts for the early days of television, including the pilot for 'The Untouchables', which he also produced, and the hit soap Peyton Place (1964), which starred Ryan O'Neal and Mia Farrow. He later graduated to films and scripts for classics such as Carrie (1976) and Slaughterhouse-Five (1972). In addition, he scripted the television movie All Quiet on the Western Front (1979), which won a Golden Globe Award for the best television film of 1980. In 2000, the Writers' Guild of America gave him a lifetime achievement award. Accepting the award, he lamented: "I have not written the Great American Novel. It is in its first draft." He died in Los Angeles January 14, 2003, aged 85.