“B” is for Barrett, James Lee [1929-1989]. Screenwriter. After a stint in the Marines, Barrett moved to New York. Failing to place any of his short stories, he decided to try his hand at writing material for television. Soon he was writing for Kraft Theatre, Playhouse 90, and Armstrong Circle Theatre. His work attracted the attention of Hollywood and he moved there in the mid-1950s. During the next thirty years Barrett wrote the scripts for some of Hollywood's most successful film and TV productions including: The Greatest Story Ever Told, Smokey and the Bandit, and In the Heat of the Night. One of his most enduring works has been the film Shenandoah and his musical book for the stage version won him a Tony Award. James Lee Barrett was once described as “the most prolific writer-producer in Hollywood.”
“B” is for Barrett, James Lee [1929-1989]
