Lukas Heller

Lukas Heller
Born21 July 1930
Kiel, Germany
Died2 November 1988 (age 58)
OccupationScreenwriter
SpouseCaroline Carter
Children
ParentHermann Heller
RelativesCordelia Edvardson (half-sister)

Lukas Heller (21 July 1930 – 2 November 1988) was a German-born British screenwriter. He was known for writing the screen adaptions for several Robert Aldrich films such as What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte and The Dirty Dozen. He won an Edgar Award for Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

Biography

Heller was born to a Jewish family[1] in Kiel, West Germany.[2] His father was political philosopher Hermann Heller.[3] His first screen credit was for writing additional dialogue for the 1959 British film Sapphire, directed by Basil Dearden and produced by Michael Relph.[2] They hired him again to be co-writer on Victim (1961) but he was uncredited.[2] He started working for Robert Aldrich, writing the screen adaption for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), which was a big success.[2] They worked together again on Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) for which he won an Edgar Award with Henry Farrell, who also wrote the source text. He also worked with Aldrich on The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Killing of Sister George (1968) and Too Late the Hero (1970).[2]

He later worked for Walter Hill co-writing Blue City (1986) with the director and working uncredited on Extreme Prejudice (1987). He also worked uncredited on Force 10 from Navarone (1978).[2]

He wrote for television with NBC's Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil (1985).[2]

Grave of Lukas Heller in Highgate Cemetery

Heller was married to Caroline (née Carter) who was an English Quaker.[4][5] They had four children: British writers Bruno and Zoë Heller, Lucy Heller, and Emily Heller.[1] His half-sister was the Swedish journalist Cordelia Edvardson.

He died on 2 November 1988 of a heart attack and was buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery in London, England.[2]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b "The Believer". The Guardian. 29 September 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Obituaries". Variety. 9 November 1988. p. 64.
  3. ^ "WEDDINGS; Miranda Cowley And Bruno Heller". The New York Times. 20 June 1993.
  4. ^ Nathan, John (24 June 2009). "Two giants of literature — and one big question". The Jewish Chronicle. London. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  5. ^ Cohen, Patricia (25 February 2009). "Not Much Sympathy for Zoë Heller's Characters, but a Little Understanding". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 March 2020.


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