Jay Presson Allen (March 3, 1922 – May 1, 2006) was an American screenwriter, television producer and novelist. She was one of few women making a living as a screenwriter at a time when women were a rarity in the profession. She was born as Jacqueline Presson, the only child of Willie Mae, a buyer, and Albert Jack Presson, a department store merchant. She wrote the screenplay for Lord of the Flies (1990) under the pseudonym Sara Schiff.
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 3, 1922
- May 1, 2006 (aged 84)
- San Angelo, Texas, USA
- Writer and producer
- 13 on MovieCove · 19 credits in all
What are Jay Presson Allen's films like?
Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 10
A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 5
A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2
Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 5
Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 4
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 2
Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 5 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 4
A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 5
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet9
- Ambiguous3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Jay Presson Allen's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Jay Presson Allen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
19 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Screenwriters on Screenwriting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Lord of the Flies(1990)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Hothouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Deathtrap(1982)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Verdict(1982)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Prince of the City(1981)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
It's My Turn(1980)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Funny Lady(1975)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Borrowers(1973)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
40 Carats(1973)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Travels with My Aunt(1972)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Cabaret(1972)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Marnie(1964)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Wives and Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Career shape
A full career of 18 titles from 1963 to 2008.
Biggest box office
The Verdict (1982)
Highest rated
The Verdict (1982)
Most popular right now
Marnie (1964)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Jay Presson Allen's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up6
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
None of their 13 titles divides audiences: 7 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Crowd Pleaser7
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 61/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Jay Presson Allen's work okay for kids?
Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Jay Presson Allen work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jay Presson Allen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sidney Lumet shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Sidney LumetShared titles: Deathtrap (1982), The Verdict (1982), Prince of the City (1981), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)See all 4 shared titles with Sidney Lumet
Actors
- Maggie SmithShared titles: Travels with My Aunt (1972), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Maggie Smith
- Robert StephensShared titles: Travels with My Aunt (1972), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Stephens
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Andrzej BartkowiakShared titles: Deathtrap (1982), The Verdict (1982), Prince of the City (1981)See all 3 shared titles with Andrzej Bartkowiak
- Jack FitzstephensShared titles: Deathtrap (1982), Prince of the City (1981), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)See all 3 shared titles with Jack Fitzstephens
- Johnny MandelShared titles: Deathtrap (1982), The Verdict (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Johnny Mandel
- David BrethertonShared titles: It's My Turn (1980), Cabaret (1972)See all 2 shared titles with David Bretherton
Producers
- Burtt HarrisShared titles: Deathtrap (1982), The Verdict (1982), Prince of the City (1981), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)See all 4 shared titles with Burtt Harris
- James CressonShared titles: Travels with My Aunt (1972), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)See all 2 shared titles with James Cresson
- Robert FryerShared titles: Travels with My Aunt (1972), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Fryer