Gerald Ayres was born in San Diego, California on February 3, 1936.

He attended Yale University, during his time at Yale he wrote a number of plays which were produced at Yale. He dropped out a few months short of graduation to take up a career as a theatre writer in New York.

Between writing jobs in New York he worked in a zipper factory in the garment district and as a story analyst for the New York office of Columbia Pictures.

In 1964 he was brought to Columbia’s Hollywood studio as assistant to new studio chief, Mike Frankovich. When Frankovich left in 1971 Ayres was made creative head of the studio.

In 1970 Ayres served as producer of The Model Shop directed by French author Jaques Demy and starring Anouk Aimee and Gary Lockwood, but was not credited because of his position as studio executive.

Ayres next produced for Columbia the small film, Cisco Pike in 1972, starring Kris Kristofferson, Gene Hackman and Karen Black. In 1973, he produced The Last Detail, which was nominated for three Academy Awards: Jack Nicholson as actor, Robert Towne as screenwriter and Randy Quaid as supporting actor. The film won BAFTA’s best picture award and Nicholson won best actor laurels at Cannes. Columbia executives considered the film "un-American", and Ayres took the production to Toronto.

In 1979 Ayres wrote the script for Foxes (film), starring Jodie Foster which he co-produced with David Puttnam. He wrote the screenplay for Rich and Famous, which as released in 1981, starring starred Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen. He was awarded the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.]

He wrote a television adaptation of The Last Detail in 1981. The pilot was directed by Jackie Cooper, but it did not get picked up.

Gerald Ayres wrote the shooting draft of the 1992 ABC film Stormy Weathers, starring Cybill Shepherd.

For TNT Ayres wrote in 1993 Crazy in Love, starring Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, Bill Pullman and Julian Sands. He received nominations for Artois, Golden Globe and CableAce awards.

As is the case with screenwriting Gerald Ayres developed some material which was never produced, including a pilot for Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, a pilot for Paul Witt & Tony Thomas, a screenplay for Richard Dreyfuss, John Avildson and Mike Medavoy. He developed another original for David Field and Stephen Bach at United Artist; a long-form HBO script for Rick Rosenberg and Robert Christiansen on the life of Dorothy Parker.

In 1995 Ayres wrote a four-hour mini-series for NBC on the life of Elizabeth Taylor, which was released as Destiny. The producer, Lester Persky, radically changed the script during production and Ayres elected to use a pseudonym on the produced work.

Personal life:

Married at 21 to Anne Bartlett Ayres. They have two children and two grandchildren. His marriage ended in 1971 having in great part to do with Ayres’ growing acceptance of his preference for a gay life.

He now lives with his spouse the artist Nicola Filippo (m. 2013). They share their time between Palm Springs, California and Upstate New York.

Credits:

Writer

Film

1981 Rich and Famous

1980 Foxes

Television

1995 Destiny (TV mini-series on the life of Elizabeth Taylor) written under the pseudonym of Burr Douglas

1992 Crazy in Love (TV movie) (teleplay)

1992 Stormy Weathers (TV movie) (teleplay)

1982 Rumpelstiltskin (1982) (teleplay)

Producer

1980 Foxes

1973 The Last Detail

1972 Cisco Pike

Actor

1973 The Last Detail - Skater at Ice Rink (uncredited)

2002 How to Draw a Bunny (documentary) Himself

Awards

Rich and Famous- 1980 Writer's Guild award Best Adapted Comedy of the Year