Oliver Hailey

Hailey wrote for various television series including episodes of Bracken's World,[1] McMillan & Wife, Family, and The Cosby Show.[2][3] He also co-wrote the screenplay for the 1979 theatrical film Just You and Me, Kid, and wrote the 1981 television films Isabel's Choice and Sidney Shorr: A Girl's Best Friend,[1] the latter of which featured one of the earliest depictions of a gay man on American prime time television.[4] Sidney Shorr earned Hailey the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Comedy Anthology,[5][6] as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special.[7]

While writing for television and film was Hailey's main livelihood, his preference was for writing stage plays.[8] Hailey wrote over 20 plays, many of which were produced regionally or Off-Broadway.[2] Three of his plays were produced on Broadway:[2] First One Asleep, Whistle opened and closed at the Belasco Theatre on February 26, 1966;[9] Father's Day opened and closed at the John Golden Theatre on March 16, 1971;[10] and I Won't Dance opened and closed at the Helen Hayes Theatre on May 10, 1981.[11] All three of his Broadway plays closed after playing just one regular performance each,[2][12] with one reviewer describing Hailey as the "most produced, least successful" New York theater playwright.[2] Despite only running for one performance, the Broadway production of Father's Day received nominations for Best Actress in a Play (Marian Seldes) and Best Scenic Design (Jo Mielziner) at the 25th Tony Awards.[10][12]

Many of Hailey's works fall under the "black comedy" genre, with a common theme of exploring familial and personal relationships.[2] Hailey said his plays are mainly the result of him trying to find humorous takes on a serious subject matter. He added: "I try not to start writing until I have found a comic point of view for the material."[3]

Hailey was born on July 7, 1932, in Pampa, Texas.[13] His parents were Oliver D. and Hallie May Hailey (née Thomas); his father worked as a butcher.[1] When he was young, Hailey was determined to move out of his hometown and used to dream about one day writing a book called Content to be Common, which was to be "all about those people who were content to stay in tiny little houses in that Godforsaken town in West Texas."[8]

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1954,[1] Hailey spent three years serving in the United States Air Force.[2] He worked as a reporter for The Dallas Morning News from 1957 to 1959,[13] and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1962.[2]

Hailey met journalist Elizabeth Forsythe while working for The Dallas Morning News. The couple were married in 1960 and have two daughters, Brooke and Kendall Hailey.[2] Hailey died from liver cancer on January 23, 1993, at the age of 60.[3]