Suzanne Clauser

Suzanne Phillips Clauser (August 25, 1929 - April 11, 2016) was an American television writer. She wrote several award-winning television movies, including The Pride of Jesse Hallam and A Girl Named Sooner which was based on her novel of the same name. Clauser also wrote 11 episodes of the television series, Bonanza and was the only woman to regularly write for the show.

Biography

Clauser was born on August 25, 1929 and grew up in Long Island.[1][2][3] Clauser studied literature at Indiana University and graduated in 1951.[2][4] She married Charles Clauser in 1951 and in 1954, when her husband earned a Fulbright Grant to study in Burma and Rangoon, she went with him.[2]

Clauser moved to Yellow Springs, Ohio when her husband got a job at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.[5] Once in Yellow Springs, Clauser began to write and soon published a story about her and her husband's experiences in Asia.[5] Clauser became interested in a class taught at Antioch College that was taught by Rod Serling, a visiting faculty member.[5] Serling sent one of her scripts to Hollywood and her script was picked up by producers of Bonanza.[5] The first episode that she wrote and was produced was titled "Woman of Fire" and released in 1964.[6] She went on to write 11 Bonanza episodes.[4] Clauser was the only woman to regularly write for Bonanza.[7]

Clauser's television movie, Pioneer Woman, won a 1973 Western Heritage Award from the Cowboy Hall of Fame.[4] Clauser's screen adaptation of her novel of the same name, A Girl Named Sooner, premiered in 1975 at Vevay.[8] It was nominated for a Writers Guild Award.[4] Her adaptation of Little Women showed on NBC in 1978.[4] Her script for the television movie, The Pride of Jesse Hallam won an award for the best original television play in 1981.[2] Christmas Snow (1986) earned the title of best children's program at the 1987 Golden Gate Awards.[2]

While Clauser wrote, she continued to work as a housewife in Yellow Springs.[4][6] She was part of a writer's group in Yellow Springs that she joined in 1962, and which she felt had strong influence on her writing.[9] She retired from scriptwriting in the 1990s.[9]

Clauser died April 11, 2016 in her home in Yellow Springs.[7]

Selected filmography

Selected bibliography
  • A Girl Named Sooner. New York: Avon Books. 1972. ISBN 9780380002160.
  • East of Mandalay: A Novel. Sarasota, Florida: Disc-Us Books. 2000. ISBN 9781584441175.

References
  1. "Suzanne P. Clauser". Dayton Daily News. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Suzanne Clauser Papers" (PDF). Wright. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  3. "Ideas People: Talking With Suzanne Clauser". Dayton Daily News. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Bowman, Bob (1 October 1978). "Script Ohio". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 7 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Winters, Rita (12 November 1972). "Author Credits Ohio Folks for Her Writing Success". The Star Press. Retrieved 7 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Suzanne Clauser Writes Scripts". The News Leader. 7 May 1972. Retrieved 7 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Sage, Alyssa (2016-04-15). "Suzanne Clauser, 'Bonanza' Writer, Dies at 86". Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  8. Munson, Anita (14 June 1975). "'Sooner' Premiere Draws Stars, Tears". Muncie Evening Press. Retrieved 7 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Dempsey, Laura (8 April 2001). "Veteran Writer Adopts Novel Approach". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 7 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com. and "Clauser: She Learned the Hard Way That 'Form Matters'". Dayton Daily News. 8 April 2001. Retrieved 7 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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