13 Facts About Melville Shavelson

Melville Shavelson was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author.

Melville Shavelson was President of the Writers Guild of America, West from 1969 to 1971,1979 to 1981, and 1985 to 1987.

Melville Shavelson worked as a writer on comedian Bob Hope's radio show, The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope.

Melville Shavelson came to Hollywood in 1938 as one of Hope's joke writers, a job he held for the next five years.

Melville Shavelson was responsible for the screenplays of such Hope films as The Princess and the Pirate, Where There's Life, The Great Lover, and Sorrowful Jones, which starred Lucille Ball.

Melville Shavelson created two Emmy Award-winning television series, Make Room for Daddy and My World and Welcome to It, and wrote for a dozen Academy Award shows.

Melville Shavelson wrote, produced, and co-directed the six-hour 1979 ABC miniseries Ike, based on the World War II exploits of General Dwight Eisenhower.

Melville Shavelson wrote several other books, including, with Mr Hope, Don't Shoot, It's Only Me: Bob Hope's Comedy History of the United States, and How to Make a Jewish Movie, a memoir of his experiences while producing and directing Cast a Giant Shadow, and the Hollywood-themed novel Lualda.

Melville Shavelson was a noted instructor at USC's Master of Professional Writing Program from 1998 to 2006.

Melville Shavelson was an amateur radio operator and held the callsign W6VLH.

Melville Shavelson was married to his second wife, Ruth Florea, from 2001 until he died in 2007; they resided in Studio City, California.

Melville Shavelson died of natural causes on August 8,2007, at his home, he was 90 years old.

Melville Shavelson was survived by a sister, Geraldine Youcha of Manhattan and New City, New York; two children from his first marriage, Richard of Menlo Park, California, and Lynne Joiner of Washington; and three grandchildren.