Bill Hare

After advertising in the 60's at Leo Burnett, I hand-made an art house feature, FINNEY, that received a lot of publicity and Siskel & Ebert liked. Next, despite kind reviews from John Simon and Jerry Tallmer and a "remarkable company" (below), my first play, GOD SAYS THERE IS NO PETER OTT, was done in by Clive Barnes, then of The New York Times. A hot screenplay, ROBBER BARON BLISS, began a 12-year frontal assault on Hollywood as a hyphenate, all of which led to an industrials career making business theatre and videos that were much better than they had to be (which isn’t saying much). Finally, with access to executive suites, I mostly quit production in 1993 to specialize in speechwriting for Fortune 50 CEOs and senior execs––easy work that left time for serious writing (and drinking).

JCPenney was in trouble and I knew why, so a clever agent got me an advance that finally resulted in a narrative nonfiction expose, CELEBRATION OF FOOLS (AMACOM), about the rise and near-collapse of that once-great organization. Out in June of 2004, the book received really nice reviews.

Presently, I have finished a narrative nonfiction article that adapts a section of the book Publishers Weekly called "thrilling." Dealing with women in business, the title is THE FALSE GLASS CEILING. The piece asks this question, "Have things changed that much since 1993?" It's quite a story. 15,000 words.

I am also nearing completion of a historical thriller, THE SOLDIER about a vast conspiracy to kill Hitler that is centered in the great Stalingrad battle of WWII. This is an epic tragedy developed from the play that has "almost" made it several times (Sir Patrick Stewart "attached" once). So I turned to prose, and God knows there are standout characters and more than enough story. IF it's the great read I'm trying for and the book sells, maybe then I can "adapt" it for the stage and someone will put it on!

There are four other novels in various stages of development awaiting my full-time commitment (and probably to be completed in the following order): (1) THE SEDUCTION OF BOB SMITH - backwards and forwards from an extraordinary mistake in 1963 Connecticut that reverberates on Madison Avenue and involves some remarkable (if not famous) people; a remembrance of a haunted self-made woman; (2) ROBBER BARON BLISS - 1875 action-adventure-empire-railroads-financial skullduggery surround a funny and tempestuous love story involving two unforgettable characters (yes!); (3) MURDER IN U-TOWN - a coming-of-age literary murder mystery set in 1950 Ann Arbor (as "U-Town") involving town and gown in a fixed high school football game; (4) WISH I MAY - a four handkerchief love story about real people in desperate circumstances (this needs a better blurb writer); but I like what I've got so far and think it will evolve into something regarded as literary (or at least well done).

There is a 48-page Proposal for a narrative nonfiction memoir, REMARKABLE COMPANY, about writing and production adventures and the many company members who went on to great success (including Rue McClanahan) after my 1972 Off Broadway flop. Even the 2nd and 3rd choices for our leading man became rich and famous!

Recently finished is THE BOY SCOUT, a play with a cast of four and three simple settings. A two act drama of high personal and professional stakes, it involves strategic sex, ruthless ambition and business morality (no less). Despite only four (visible) characters, the play feels bigger because of the accurate big agency atmosphere and combat, and because of four unseen "characters" including a ghost hovering over all. A unique and intense take on 1960's advertising and suburbia - and a distillation of the novel in progress, THE SEDUCTION OF BOB SMITH (above).

I don't know what exactly to say about MISSION, a long term project that is either an easy going, good hearted Broadway comedy, or the basis for a Broadway musical––or both––or nothing. We'll see. Involves some really unusual people at a skid row complex of Catholic mission, bar-liquor store, and successful small Equity theatre (homeless men from the mission keep it safe at night with Louisville Sluggers).

Finally, my first stand-alone screenplays in a long time. I started with scripts in the 1970's, and two of the novels above develop from scripts that were optioned more than once. New are: CRITICAL STRAIN about a young black doctor who integrates South Carolina's Memorial Hospital after Title VI (1964), with a red neck benefactor, rampant racism and a deadly bacteria threatening all (working with my relatively young screenwriter partner Mark Fickert); and SUPER GEEK, whose characters light up a frantic intersection of two Northern California business booms of the late 1970's––personal computers and fine wine.