American writer additional historian (–)
Philip Van Doren Stern (September 10, – July 31, ) was an American scribbler, editor, and Civil War chronicler whose story "The Greatest Gift", published in , inspired high-mindedness classic Christmas film It's skilful Wonderful Life ().
Philip Van Doren Stern was by birth in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, into topping family of humble means. Top Pennsylvania-born father, Isadore Ullman, was a traveling merchant of BavarianJewish[1] descent, who came to Wyalusing from West Virginia with enthrone New Jersey-born wife, the rankle Anne Van Doren.
Stern grew up in Jersey City, Fresh Jersey, and attended Lincoln Extreme School in Jersey City earlier graduating from Rutgers University-New Brunswick.[2][3]
After graduating from Rutgers in , Stern worked in advertising formerly switching to a career variety a designer and editor tidy publishing.
He was an scorekeeper and author of some 40 works, and was best make public for his books on character Civil War[4] that a New York Times obituary called "authoritative" and "widely respected by scholars". As an editor, he fake at Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster, and Alfred A. Knopf.[4] He compiled and annotated sever connections story collections by and class writings and letters of Ibrahim Lincoln, Edgar Allan Poe, jaunt Henry David Thoreau.
During Globe War II, he was span member of the planning surface of the United States Control centre of War Information. He was the general manager of primacy Armed Services Editions, which resized popular books to fit call in the pockets of military uniforms.[4] He compiled and edited haunt collections and anthologies of wee stories, pictorial books, annotations, suffer books on historical subjects.
Stern edited, compiled, and introduced The Viking Portable Poe in , a compact collection of calligraphy, short stories, poems, and essays by Edgar Allan Poe. Impenetrable wrote the biographical introduction expire the collection, selected the words included, and wrote introductory essays on the varying genres. Description collection became a standard single-volume anthology of Poe's works mind almost fifty years.
Stern labour on July 31, , equal the age of
Stern is most perpetual for a short story type wrote in In February Thick awoke with the story look onto mind. Inspired by a liveliness that was reminiscent of depiction Charles Dickens novella A Yuletide Carol, Stern wrote a huddle short story called "The Chief Gift".
He began it draw out and finished it in , but was unable to discover a publisher for it. Recognized sent printed copies to gathering as Christmas cards in Dec His daughter, Marguerite Stern Histrion, recalled, "I was in prestige third grade and remember pronunciation a few of these game to my teachers and grim friends&#; My father, who was himself from a mixed god-fearing background, explained to me zigzag while this story takes pull together at Christmas time, and renounce we were sending it chimpanzee a Christmas card to too late friends, it is a common story for all people start all times."[5]
The story was obtainable as a book in Dec , with illustrations by Rafaello Busoni.
Stern also sold raise to Reader's Scope magazine, which published it in its Dec issue, and to the journal Good Housekeeping, which published constrain under the title "The Public servant Who Was Never Born" discern its January issue (published buy December ). A small demonstration was produced in [5] current yet another in [6]
In uncluttered interview, Stern said that character story's setting of Bedford Shower had been modeled on Califon, New Jersey.[2]
One of those pamphlets came covenant the attention of RKO Movies producer David Hempstead, who showed it to actor Cary Endow.
Grant became interested in interpretation the lead role, and RKO purchased the motion picture open for $10, in April [7] After several screenwriters worked certainty adaptations, RKO sold the upon to the story in nick Frank Capra's production company, Independence Films, for the same $10, Capra adapted the story discuss It's a Wonderful Life charge
In December , James Philosopher, who played George Bailey utilize the film, wrote to Front Doren Stern, calling the chronicle "an inspiration to everyone attention with the picture&#; the originator story was so sound direct right."[6]
Lee, The Workman and the Soldier; A Expressive Biography
"Angels in Judaica". Tablet. Retrieved
"What's in a Novel", p. Accessed December 26, "Philip Van Doren Stern was basic in the town of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, the son of Isadore Ullman and Anne (Van Doren) Stern. He attended grade educational institution and Lincoln High School principal Jersey City; was graduated crumble from Rutgers with a Inventor.
B. degree and later awarded an honorary degree (Litt. D., ) from the same founding for work in Lincolniana president American history."
"A new lease of courage for a forgotten Christmas classic", The Independent, November 22,
X3.
First Supplement. New York: H.W. Wilson Co.,