Mildred Cram ✝

Mildred Cram (October 17, 1889 – April 4, 1985) was an American writer. Her short story "Stranger Things" was included in the O. Henry Award story collection for 1921. A number of her stories and novels were made into films. She was also nominated, along with Leo McCarey, for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story for Love Affair (1939). Gerald Clarke wrote in his biography Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland that Cram was Tyrone Power's favorite author. Power introduced Garland to Cram's novella Forever, which Garland could eventually "quote word for word". Over the years, several attempts were made to adapt the story, but without success. In the 1930s, Cram sold it for $15,000. It changed hands a few more times. In 1942, movie columnist Louella Parsons announced that Hedy Lamarr and Robert Taylor had been cast for a film adaptation of the story. In 1955, it was reported that Bill Bacher, co-producer of the Broadway play Seventh Heaven, had bought the play rights and would be making it into a Broadway musical.