David Swift, Disney director, 82
J.D. Baldwin
The AP is reporting the death of David Swift, writer and director of
"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," "Polyanna" and the
original "The Parent Trap," and writer of the "Parent Trap" remake.
He was 82.
He also directed "Under the Yum Yum Tree" and "Good Neighbor Sam," as
well as episodes of some 1970s TV shows.
He appears in "How to Succeed ..." in a cameo as an elevator operator.
--
_+_ From the catapult of |If anyone disagrees with any statement I make, I
_|70|___:)=}- J.D. Baldwin |am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also
\ / bal...@panix.com|to deny under oath that I ever made it. -T. Lehrer
***~~~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed Varner
>The AP is reporting the death of David Swift, writer and director of
>"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," "Polyanna" and the
>original "The Parent Trap," and writer of the "Parent Trap" remake.
>He was 82.
>
>He also directed "Under the Yum Yum Tree" and "Good Neighbor Sam," as
>well as episodes of some 1970s TV shows.
>
>He appears in "How to Succeed ..." in a cameo as an elevator operator.
>--
Here is the story from Zap2it.com:
TV, Movie Writer-Director David Swift Dies
Sat, Jan 5, 2002 02:02 PM PDT
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - David Swift, who created one of the beloved sitcoms
of television's early days and wrote and directed a number of feature films and
TV episodes, has died. He was 82.
Swift died Monday (Dec. 31) of heart failure at St. John's Health Center in
Santa Monica, Calif., according to the Los Angeles Times.
Swift created the "Mr. Peepers" TV series, which ran from 1952-55, for Wally
Cox after seeing the actor in a "Philco Television Playhouse" production. Swift
worked as a writer-director on that series, as well as other landmark early
series like "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and "Studio One." Later in his career, he
directed episodes of "Eight Is Enough" and "Barney Miller."
Swift started his Hollywood career as an animator at Disney, working on a
number of the studio's classics, including "Fantasia," "Dumbo" and "Peter Pan."
After serving as a pilot in World War II, he became a comedy writer for such
radio titans as Bing Crosby and Red Skelton before moving into TV.
He later returned to Disney, directing Hayley Mills in two of her best-known
films, "Pollyanna" and "The Parent Trap." He also wrote and directed "Under the
Yum Yum Tree" and "Good Neighbor Sam," both of which starred Jack Lemmon, and
adapted and directed the musical comedy "How to Succeed in Business Without
Really Trying."
Swift is survived by his wife of 44 years, Micheline, two daughters and two
grandchildren.