Ken Englund Dashboard Dashboard

Ken Englund’s writing career began in his early 20s, when he submitted a joke about King Kong that landed him a job as a writer for The Phil Baker Hour, a Chicago radio show. His Hollywood career began with The Big Broadcast of 1938, starring Bob Hope, W.C. Fields, and Dorothy Lamour. He went on to write and co-write a number of other popular films, including No, No Nanette (1940), Sweet Rosie O’Grady (1943), starring Betty Grable, an adaptation of The Unseen (1945), and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947). The latter proved to be one of Englund’s greatest successes, despite author James Thurber’s protests over the changes to his classic short story. Englund also worked in television, serving as head writer for Dr. Joyce Brothers’ television series, and contributing scripts for The Jackie Gleason Show, My Three Sons, Bewitched, That Girl, and The Loretta Young Show.

Englund was born in Chicago on May 6, 1914. Following his service as the president of the WGAw’s screen branch, Englund was first vice president for the Guild’s council in 1961. He died in Woodland Hills on August 10, 1993.