MELVILLE SHAVELSON - DIRECTOR SHAVELSON DIES

DIRECTOR SHAVELSON DIES

Film director MELVILLE SHAVELSON has died at the age of 90. The filmmaker died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on Thursday (09Aug07). Shavelson was most famous for his direction of the 1958 movie Houseboat, starring Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. The film was nominated for an Oscar as was his 1956 film, The Seven Little Foys. Shavelson worked as a writer for Bob Hope's comedy radio show in the 1930s before going on to write or co-write more than 35 films. His autobiography, How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Trying, PS - You Can't! was published on his 90th birthday earlier this year (07). Shavelson also penned two novels and four non-fiction books and served three terms as president of the Writers Guild of America, West.