Frank Perry
Director

Frank Perry Net Worth

Frank Perry was an American director, producer, and actor born on August 21, 1930 in New York City, New York. He was best known for his work on Mommie Dearest (1981), Last Summer (1969), and David and Lisa (1962). He was married three times, to Virginia Brush Ford, Barbara Goldsmith, and Eleanor Perry. He passed away on August 29, 1995 in New York City.
Frank Perry is a member of Director

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Director, Producer, Actor
Birth Day August 21, 1930
Birth Place  New York City, New York, United States
Age 90 YEARS OLD
Died On August 29, 1995(1995-08-29) (aged 65)\nManhattan, New York, U.S.
Birth Sign Virgo
Cause of death Prostate cancer
Alma mater The Actors Studio University of Miami
Occupation Director, filmmaker
Years active 1955–1992
Employer Westport Country Playhouse
Spouse(s) Eleanor Rosenfeld (m. 1958; div. 1971) Barbara Goldsmith (m. 1977; div. 1992) Virginia Brush Ford (m. 1992)
Parent(s) Frank Joseph Perry Sr. Pauline E. Schwab
Relatives Katy Perry (niece) Charles M. Schwab (great uncle)

💰 Net worth: $100K - $1M

Biography/Timeline

1905

Frank Joseph Perry Jr. was born in New York City, to stockbroker Frank Joseph Perry Sr. (March 21, 1905 — December 9, 1969) and Pauline E. Schwab, who worked at Alcoholics Anonymous. Pauline was also a niece of Charles M. Schwab, who founded the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. As a teenager, Frank Jr. began pursuing his interest in the theater with a job as a parking lot attendant for the Westport Country Playhouse in nearby Westport, Connecticut. He attended the University of Miami. Frank also studied under Lee Strasberg in New York. He produced several plays at Westport Country Playhouse and then turned for a time to producing television documentaries.

1962

A veteran of the Korean War, he returned to the entertainment industry after being discharged and made his directorial debut in 1962 with the low-budget drama film David and Lisa. Based on the novel by Theodore Isaac Rubin, the screenplay was written by his wife, Eleanor Rosenfeld, who received a nomination for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay. A character study of two emotionally disturbed teenagers, the film was successful at the box office and met with much critical acclaim, earning him a nomination for an Academy Award for Directing. Both Perrys would eventually join the select group of non-actors awarded membership in Actors Studio. Perry went on to direct and produce a number of films, including The Swimmer (1968) based on a John Cheever story, Last Summer (1969), and Trilogy (1969), written by Truman Capote.

1970

Perry is known for his character studies involving a dysfunctional family, such as that in his wife's script of the Sue Kaufman novel Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970). That film earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Carrie Snodgress, and Play It As It Lays (1972), starring Tuesday Weld, brought her a Golden Globe Best Actress nomination. Both of these films Perry produced and directed, though he is probably best remembered for directing the notorious 1981 low-budget biographical drama Mommie Dearest, an adaptation of a biography by Actress Joan Crawford's adoptive daughter, which portrayed the famous movie star as a crazed, sadistic tyrant who cared more about her acting career than her adopted children. The film became a cult classic despite mixed reviews from critics; it also won the razzie award for worst picture and Frank Perry was nominated for worst Director.

1992

In 1958, Frank married his first wife Eleanor, who was 15 years his senior. Perry and Eleanor collaborated on many screen projects, including screenwriting the Academy Award-nominated 1962 "David & Lisa". They divorced in 1971 on grounds of incompatibility. She later wrote the book Blue Pages about her relationship with Frank. The union produced no children. Eleanor Perry died of cancer a decade later, at age 66. In 1977, Perry married his second wife, Barbara Goldsmith, founding Editor of New York magazine and book author (Little Gloria … Happy at Last), whom he divorced in 1992. Soon after, he married his Aspen ski instructor, 22-year-younger Virginia Brush Ford, on June 15, 1992. His sister is pastor Mary Christine Perry, the wife of pastor Maurice Keith Hudson and mother of Singers Katy Perry and David Hudson.

1995

Perry died of prostate cancer on August 29, 1995, eight days after his 65th birthday, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. His final film, 1992's On the Bridge, is an autobiographical documentary dealing with the illness. His ashes were scattered on the mountains of Aspen, Colorado, where he lived the last three years of his life.

Some Frank Perry images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.