Robert Bolt

Overview

Son of a small shopkeeper, he attended Manchester Grammar School. He later said that he made poor uses of his opportunities there. He went to work in an insurance office, but later entered Manchester University, taking a degree in History. A post-graduate year at Exeter University led to a schoolmaster's position, first at a village school in Devon, then for seven years at Millfield. During this time he wrote a dozen radio plays, which were broadcast. Encouraged by the London success of his stage play "Flowering Cherry" he left teaching for full-time writing. 1960 saw two of his plays ("The Tiger And The Horse" and "A Man For All Seasons") running concurrently in the West End.
- IMDb mini biography by: David Ferstat (dferstat@iinet.net.au>

Bolt suffered a severe stroke in 1979, which resulted in some loss of speech and partial paralysis. Forced to quit his 80 cigarette-a-day smoking habit, he became sufficiently rehabilitated to resume his writing career in the early 1980's.
Served in the RAF during World War II.
Two of his characters contemplate on fishing upon the completion of a conflict. General Allenby from "Lawrence of Arabia" tries out a fishing rod near the ending, saying that he might take up this activity after the war. In "A Man for All Seasons" Thomas More recently resigned from his post as Chancellor of England, telling his wife, Alice, that he might try to fish, among other activities, now that he's out of politics.
During the filming of Ryan's Daughter he was asked to rehearse a class of 25 children in their multiplication tables.
Won two Tony Awards in 1962, as Best Author (Dramatic) and as author of Best Play winner "A Man for All Seasons." He was also nominated in 1972 as author of Best Play nominee "Vivat! Vivat Regina!"

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