Charles K. Freeman

Charles K. Freeman (1900-1980) was a writer, director and theatre critic whose career spanned five decades.

Born in England and educated in Boston with graduate studies at Oxford, England and the Sorbonne, Paris, Freeman remained consistently busy with the theatre, film and television, both as director and writer.

He directed the original production of Song of Norway, which had a two-year Broadway run and a successful national tour. His other Broadway directing credits included: Diamond Lil, starring Mae West; I Like it Here with Oscar Karlweiss and Bert Lytell; Morning Star with Joseph Buloff and Molly Picon; Life and Death of an American; and numerous productions for the famous Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix. He also co-wrote the 1944 Broadway thriller Hand in Glove.

For four years, Charles K. Freeman was under contract to MGM and Universal in Hollywood, where he was associated with Meet Me in St. Louis, Gaslight, The Clock, Ziegfeld Follies and the Deanna Durbin films. For radio, he wrote for the Cavalcade of America series. For television, he directed Burlesque and Nothing but the Truth.

A frequent script doctor on for theatre and film, Freeman created the enormously successful stage adaptation of the 1954 film musical Calamity Jane. In 1964, the production was presented as a television special starring Carol Burnett.

As a critic, Charles K. Freeman wrote for several publications, including The New York Times and Variety. He served as president of the Outer Critics Circle and, from 1954 to 1964, as director of the musical theatre division of the American Theatre Wing. For his contributions to the theatre, he was awarded a special Rockefeller Prize.