Pat Falken Smith
Patricia Falken Smith (January 21, 1926 – May 19, 2001) was a television writer, most famous for her stints as head writer of several soap operas, including General Hospital and Days of Our Lives.
Positions Held
- Head Writer: May 1975 - April 19, 1977, October 21, 1981 - April 16, 1982
- Script Writer: 1966, 1968-1971, 1972-1975
- Story Consultant: 1987-1988
- Head Writer: 1979-1981, 1985-1986, 1988-1989
- Head Writer: 1982-1983
- Co-Head Writer: 1983-1985
Career
Smith served as the Head Writer for Days of our Lives from 1975 - 1977, where she earned a salary of $285,000 a year, considered very high for that time, which included $35,000 just for "thinking creatively."[1] She won the "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series" Daytime Emmy Award for Days of our Lives in 1976 and 1977. She returned to Days of our Lives in 1981 where she introduced the Brady and DiMera families.
Smith was hired by Gloria Monty to head write ABC Daytime's General Hospital from 1979 - 1981 and she is credited with taking the show to the top of the soap ratings. Smith was reported to be the highest paid writer in broadcasting history when she left General Hospital in 1981, at $1 million per year.[2]
Then Smith went to Guiding Light in 1982, where she served as Head Writer for less than 13 weeks.[3] She went on to serve as Head Writer of Ryan's Hope before returning as Head Writer of General Hospital two more times in the 1980s. (1985-1986, 1988-1989). She died in Los Angeles, on May 19th, 2001, aged 75.
Awards and nominations
WINS
- (1976; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)
NOMINATIONS
- (1975, 1977 & 1978; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)
- (1981 & 1986; Best Writing; General Hospital)
Writers Guild of America Award
NOMINATIONS
- (1975, 1976, 1977 & 1978 seasons; Days of Our Lives)
