Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American newspaperman and author.He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the Brooklyn or Midtown demi-monde. The adjective "Runyonesque" refers to this type of character as well as to the type of situations and dialog that Runyon depicted. He spun humorous and sentimental tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters, few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead colorful monikers such as "Nathan Detroit," "Benny Southstreet," "Big Jule," "Harry the Horse," "Good Time Charley," "Dave the Dude," or "The Seldom Seen Kid." His distinctive vernacular style is known as "Runyonese": a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions. He is credited with coining the phrase "Hooray Henry", a term now used in British English to describe an upper-class, loud-mouthed, arrogant twit.Runyon's fictional world is also known to the general public through the musical Guys and Dolls based on two of his stories, "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure". The musical additionally borrows characters and story elements from a few other Runyon stories, most notably "Pick The Winner." The film Little Miss Marker (and its two remakes, Sorrowful Jones and the 1980 Little Miss Marker) grew from his short story of the same name.Runyon was also a newspaperman. He wrote the lead article for UP on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Presidential inauguration in 1933.
The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong -- but that's the way to bet.
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Fact
1
Shortly after his death from throat cancer, his old friend and former assistant Walter Winchell established the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund in his memory. As the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Institute, the foundation continues to fund research into finding a cure for cancer.
2
After his death, as requested in his will, he was cremated and his ashes scattered over Manhattan by his son from a plane piloted by his old friend, legendary flier Eddie Rickenbacker.
3
Recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award (presented to a writer for meritorious contributions to baseball writing) in 1963.
4
Suffered from throat cancer (which left him speechless) and died broke.
5
Author of the short stories "Guys and Dolls," "Little Miss Marker," "The Old Doll's House," "The Big Mitten," "The Lemon Drop Kid," and "Lady for a Day." With the exception of "Guys and Dolls" (which was made as a film for the first time in 1955, nine years after his death), all of these stories were adapted as feature films during his lifetime, and remade or re-adapted after his death.
6
Reporter, sports columnist, and popular short story writer.
7
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 2002.
8
Orignial last name "Runyan" was changed to "Runyon" by a careless copy editor at the paper where Damon worked; Runyon decided to keep the new spelling.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Three Wise Guys
2005
TV Movie story "Three Wise Guys" - special recognition
Broadway Stories
1994
TV Series story - 5 episodes
Qi ji
1989
1933 screenplay "Lady for a Day"
Bloodhounds of Broadway
1989
short stories
Little Miss Marker
1980
story
Butch Minds the Baby
1979
Short story
Arm, aber ehrlich
1964
Short story
40 Pounds of Trouble
1962
story "Little Miss Marker" - uncredited
Pocketful of Miracles
1961
story
Butch passt aufs Baby auf
1961
TV Movie play
Guys and Dolls
1955
from a story
Damon Runyon Theater
1955
TV Series story - 3 episodes
Money from Home
1953
story
Stop, You're Killing Me
1952
play "A Slight Case of Murder"
Bloodhounds of Broadway
1952
The Lemon Drop Kid
1951
story
Suspense
1950
TV Series story - 1 episode
Johnny One-Eye
1950
story
Sorrowful Jones
1949
adapted from a story by
It Ain't Hay
1943
story "Princess O'Hara"
The Big Street
1942
from the Collier's Magazine story "Little Pinks"
The Pride of the Yankees
1942
prologue
Butch Minds the Baby
1942
story
At the Stroke of Twelve
1941
Short story "The Old Doll's House"
Tight Shoes
1941
story
Just a Cute Kid
1940
Short from a story by
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
1939
story "A Call on the President"
Straight Place and Show
1938
play "Saratoga Chips" / story "That Ever-Loving Wife of Hymie" - uncredited
A Slight Case of Murder
1938
from a play by
Racing Lady
1937
based on: "All Scarlet" by
The 3 Wise Guys
1936
Professional Soldier
1935
story
Hold 'Em Yale
1935
story
Princess O'Hara
1935
story
George White's 1935 Scandals
1935
contributing writer - uncredited
No Ransom
1934
story "The Big Mitten"
The Lemon Drop Kid
1934
story
Million Dollar Ransom
1934
story "Ransom... $1, 000, 000"
Midnight Alibi
1934
story "The Old Doll's House"
Little Miss Marker
1934
story
A Very Honorable Guy
1934
by
Lady for a Day
1933
from the story by
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Madison Sq. Garden
1932
Damon Runyon - Writer
At the Round Table
1930
Short
Oh, Baby!
1926
Man at ringside
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Irish Eyes Are Smiling
1944
producer
The Big Street
1942
producer
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Ed Sullivan Show
1953
TV Series
Himself
Daisy Kenyon
1947
Himself - Cameo appearance (bar in Stork Club) (uncredited)