Ion Băieșu

Ion Băieşu, pen name of Ion Mihalache (2 January 1933, Aldeni, Buzău County–21 September 1992, United States) was a Romanian playwright, novelist and movie and television writer, best known for his novel Balanţa and his play Preşul.

Biography

Son of a poor hunter from a village near Buzău, young Ion graduated from the Commercial High-School in Buzău in 1951. Upon graduation, he worked for a rural commercial state enterprise. In 1957 he left for Bucharest to attend the "Mihai Eminescu" Literary School, and subsequently, he worked for several newspapers in Bucharest and Petroşani.

His literary debut took place in 1956 with a series of short stories under the title "Necazuri şi bucurii" (Troubles and Joy). He wrote under the pen name of Ion Băieşu, because Ion Mihalache had also been a prominent conservative Romanian politician, undesirable to the communists.

His works include many satirical and humoristic short stories, including his most successful plays "Tanţa şi Costel" and "Preşul" ("The Doormat"). In 1985, he also became successful with his novel "Balanţa", the story of a psychologist, Nela, and a doctor, Mitică Bostan. He also wrote the script for the 1992 movie directed by Lucian Pintilie based on the same novel.

Works

Plays

• Preşul (The Doormat)
• Tanţa şi Costel (Tanţa and Costel)
• Desu şi Kant (Desu and Kant)
• Tristeţea vânzătorului de sticle goale (The Saddness of an Empty Bottle Salesman)
• Iertarea (Forgiveness)
• Reclamaţie (Complaint)

Novels

• Balanţa (The Scales)
• Acceleratorul (The Accelerator)

Movie scripts

• Balanţa (1992) (after his novel), movie directed by Lucian Pintilie
• Vinovatul (The Culprit - 1991)
• Harababura (1990)
• De ce are vulpea coadă? (Why The Fox Has A Tail - 1988)
• Miracolul (The Miracle - 1988)
• Omul din Buzău (The Man from Buzău - 1988 - TV)
• Duminica în familie (Sunday in the Family - 1987)
• Sper să ne mai vedem (I Hope to See You Again - 1985)
• Aventura sub pământ (The Underground Adventure - 1982 - teleplay TV)
• Grăbeşte-te încet (Hasten Slowly - 1981)
• Omul care ne trebuie (The Man We Need - 1979)
• Rătăcire (1978)
• Avocatul (The Attorney - 1976 - TV)
• Un text cu bucluc (1976 - TV film)
• Astă-seară dansăm în familie (Tonight We Dance In The Family - 1972)
• Maiorul şi moartea (The Major and Death - 1967)
• Camera albă (The White Chamber - 1964)
• Iubirea e un lucru foarte mare (Love Is A Very Big Thing - 1962)