Herman Raucher, whose Oscar-nominated Summer time of ’42 screenplay turned one among Hollywood’s best-loved coming-of-age tales, has died of pure causes at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT. He was 95.
His December 28 loss of life was introduced by daughter Jenny Raucher, who was by his aspect when he handed.
Subsequently tailored by Raucher into a world best-selling novel, 1971’s Summer time of ’42 was nominated for 4 Academy Awards together with Finest Authentic Screenplay. It informed the nostalgic and bittersweet story of teenager Hermie — performed by Gary Grimes and primarily based on Raucher himself — who, throughout a summertime trip on Nantucket Island, turns into infatuated with a good looking (and shortly grieving) older girl (Jennifer O’Neill) whose husband has gone off to combat in World Struggle II.
The movie, directed by Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird), was a essential success and a serious hit for Warner Bros. Michel Legrand’s rating gained an Oscar and shortly turned one of the vital recognizable film themes of the last decade.
Born April 13, 1928, in Brooklyn, Raucher bought his begin in present enterprise writing for such Golden Age TV dramas as Studio One, Goodyear Playhouse and The Alcoa Hour. On the similar time, he served as Promoting Copy Director for Walt Disney, whose new firm, Buena Vista, was increasing from animated movies into stay motion productions. Raucher continued as Artistic Director and Board Member of a number of main New York promoting businesses earlier than leaving the advert world to give attention to his personal writing.
Previous to Summer time Of ’42, Raucher wrote the screenplay for the 1969 cult movie Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Neglect Mercy Humppe and Discover True Happiness?, co-written by and starring Anthony Newley, who the earlier yr had co-starred with Sandy Dennis in Raucher’s Candy November.
In 1970, Raucher wrote the screenplay for the groundbreaking movie Watermelon Man, a racially-charged satire a few racist white man who wakes up one morning to find he has develop into a Black man. The movie was directed by Melvin Van Peebles and starred Godfrey Cambridge within the lead function, with Estelle Parsons, who had not too long ago gained an Oscar for her supporting efficiency in Bonnie and Clyde, co-starring.
Raucher went on to pen screenplays for different in style movies – Ode To Billy Joe in 1976, The Different Facet of Midnight in 1977 and, in an uncredited, script-doctoring function, 1979’s The Nice Santini – however Summer time of ’42 would stay his signature work. The unique screenplay got here from a heartbreaking supply: the loss of life within the Korean Struggle of his finest pal Oscy Seltzer, who turned a central character in each the film and novel (performed by Jerry Houser within the movie).
Seltzer was killed on April 13, 1952, an occasion that, in line with Raucher’s daughter Jenny, left Raucher with a lifelong issue celebrating his personal birthday.
Raucher wrote a sequel to the movie in 1973 – Class of ’44, reuniting Grime, Houser and Oliver Conant from the unique – however it didn’t recapture the primary movie’s success, both critically or commercially. The sequel is maybe most famous right now for a quick, uncredited look by a youthful John Sweet.
Amongst these counted as followers of each motion pictures is Quentin Tarantino, who final yr mentioned on a podcast, “I feel Summer time of ’42 is definitely among the best motion pictures of the ’70s and one of the vital devastating endings of any film I’ve ever seen. It’s only a nice film. I’m a giant fan of the sequel, too, The Class of ’44.“
Regardless of his movie and stage endeavors – Summer time of ’42 was tailored as an Off Broadway musical in 2001 – Raucher, in line with his household, “felt most at house with novels—the one medium during which nobody might change as a lot as a comma with out his approval—a situation to which each and every author aspires however only a few obtain.” Along with the best-selling Summer time of ’42, Raucher’s books embrace A Glimpse of Tiger, There Ought to Have Been Castles and Maynard’s Home. In recent times, the novels have been re-issued, together with new overseas editions and audiobooks.
Raucher was predeceased by his spouse of 42 years Mary Kathryn Raucher, a scholar of the College of American Ballet with George Balanchine and likewise a dancer on Broadway, who died in 2002. Along with Jenny Raucher, he’s survived by daughter Jacqueline Raucher-Salkin, her husband William Salkin, and granddaughters Samantha Salkin and Jamie Salkin.
In lieu of flowers, the household requests donations in Herman Raucher’s title to the Michael J. Fox Basis at give.michaeljfox.org.
