How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

David Eugene “Dave” Swift (July 27, 1919 – December 31, 2001) was an American screenwriter, animator, director, and producer. He is best known for his 1967 film, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and the Parent Trap franchise.

Career

Born in Minneapolis, Swift’s father owned a factory that made sausage skins. As a child, Swift loved to draw. After his family went broke during the depression, he dropped out of school and boarded a freight train to California to pursue his goal of working for Walt Disney. He worked as an usher at a Hollywood theatre to pay for night classes where he studied art at Hollywood High School. Swift started work with Disney as an assistant animator under Ward Kimball in 1938.

After World War II service with the 8th Air Force, Swift became a radio and television writer. He attracted acclaim as the creator of Mr. Peepers. Swift rejoined Disney as the writer, director and producer of Polyanna, followed by The Parent Trap. After making Love Is a Ball, Swift was then contracted to Columbia Pictures for The Interns, Under the Yum Yum Tree and Good Neighbor Sam, the latter two with Jack Lemmon. He also created the show Camp Runamuck. Swift returned to Disney to write Candleshoe in 1977.

During the 1980s, he worked as a writer for television. His final project was the screenplay for the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, starring Lindsay Lohan, Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid.

Personal life

In 1951, Swift married actress Maggie McNamara. They later divorced. He married model Micheline Swift in 1957. They had two daughters and remained married until Swift’s death.

Death

On December 31, 2001, Swift died of heart failure at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California at the age of 82.⁴ He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills Cemetery. —Wikipedia