Dalene Young, who co-wrote the 1980 comedy-drama Little Darlings starring Tatum O’Neal and Kristy McNichol, died Portland, Oregon, after complications from Alzheimer’s disease
Dalene Young has sadly died.
The acclaimed screenwriter behind the cult hit ‘Little Darlings’ and the emotive drama ‘Cross Creek’ has passed away at 85.
Her husband, director Robert Martin Carroll, shared the sad news that she died on May 9 in Portland, Oregon, after suffering from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Young won a Daytime Emmy nomination for her writing on the 1999 Showtime children’s special Locked in Silence and bagged both a Christopher Award and a Humanitas Prize nod for her efforts in the 1992 NBC flick Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted, reports the Express.
Her other works spanned the beloved The Baby-Sitters Club movie and heartwarming tales like Baby Luv’ She also crafted telefilms such as the adaptation of Frances Farmer’s autobiography in 1983’s Will There Really Be a Morning?, as well as The Last Dance from 2000 and 2002’s Miss Lettie and Me.
“In her heyday, she was arguably the top writer of made-for-television movies,” her spouse stated to The Hollywood Reporter
She also had a lengthy career on the stage and her most recent acting credit was in the indie film Pig (2021), featuring Nicolas Cage.
The film narrated the tale of a truffle hunter living solo in the Oregon forest. When his cherished pig is snatched, he returns to Portland to find her.
Her first major success came with the 1976 NBC film Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, a ratings hit that starred Eve Plumb and was critically acclaimed for its candid discussion of teenage sexuality.
Alongside her husband, who is 53 years old, Young leaves behind her daughter, Eden.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
