Biography

Dalene Young (June 29, 1939 — May 9, 2025) was an American screenwriter, producer, and occasional actor. She was best known for writing the coming-of-age comedy-drama Little Darlings (1980), featuring Tatum O’Neal and Kristy McNichol, and the Mary Steenburgen-starring drama Cross Creek (1983). Young received a Daytime Emmy nomination for co-writing the Showtime children’s special Locked in Silence (1999) and landed a Christopher Award and a Humanitas Prize nomination for her work on the NBC telefilm Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (1992).

Most Famous Work

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5

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The Baby-Sitters Club

(1995) Screenplay

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7

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Little Darlings

(1980) Screenplay

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7

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Cross Creek

(1983) Screenplay

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7

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Will There Really Be a Morning?

(1983) Writer

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6

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Can You Hear the Laughter? The Freddie Prinze Story

(1979) Teleplay

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6

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Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn

(1977) Story

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8

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Marilyn: The Untold Story

(1980) Teleplay

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6

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The People Across the Lake

(1988) Story

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Acting

Year	Character	Movie/Tv
2021	Jezebel	Pig 2021-07-16 Movie
2011	Charlotte	Grimm 2011-10-28 TV Show
2000	Mrs. Newburgh	Baby Luv 2000-11-01 Movie
1989	Doc Wallace	Sonny Boy 1989-03-22 Movie
1983	Hairdresser	Will There Really Be a Morning? 1983-02-22 Movie
1978	Mother	Teen Lust 1978-09-01 Movie
1960	Betty	Juke Box Racket 1960-05-01 Movie
Year	Character	Movie/Tv

Writing

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
2000	Writer	Baby Luv 2000-11-01 Movie
	Writer	The Last Dance 2000-10-29 Movie
	Teleplay	Going Home 2000-03-12 Movie
1999	Teleplay	Silk Hope 1999-10-17 Movie
	Writer	Locked in Silence 1999-01-01 Movie
1998	Teleplay	Cab to Canada 1998-11-29 Movie
	Teleplay	Evidence of Blood 1998-04-13 Movie
1997	Writer	Journey of the Heart 1997-03-02 Movie
1995	Screenplay	The Baby-Sitters Club 1995-08-18 Movie
1994	Writer	Is There Life Out There? 1994-10-09 Movie
	Writer	The Yarn Princess 1994-03-27 Movie
1992	Teleplay	A Message from Holly 1992-12-13 Movie
	Writer	Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted 1992-10-16 Movie
1991	Teleplay	Living a Lie 1991-09-16 Movie
	Story	Living a Lie 1991-09-16 Movie
1989	Writer	I Love You Perfect 1989-10-08 Movie
1988	Story	The People Across the Lake 1988-10-03 Movie
1984	Writer	Why Me? 1984-03-12 Movie
1983	Screenplay	Cross Creek 1983-09-21 Movie
	Writer	Will There Really Be a Morning? 1983-02-22 Movie
1982	Characters	Little Darlings 1982-01-01 Movie
1980	Teleplay	Marilyn: The Untold Story 1980-11-10 Movie
	Screenplay	Little Darlings 1980-03-21 Movie
	Screenplay	The Plutonium Incident 1980-03-11 Movie
1979	Teleplay	Can You Hear the Laughter? The Freddie Prinze Story 1979-09-11 Movie
1978	Screenplay	Deadman's Curve 1978-02-03 Movie
1977	Writer	Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. 1977-12-26 Movie
	Writer	Panic in Echo Park 1977-06-23 Movie
	Story	Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn 1977-05-16 Movie
1976	Writer	Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway 1976-09-27 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Production

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
2000	Co-Producer	Going Home 2000-03-12 Movie
1999	Co-Producer	Silk Hope 1999-10-17 Movie
1998	Co-Producer	Cab to Canada 1998-11-29 Movie
1997	Co-Producer	Journey of the Heart 1997-03-02 Movie
1994	Co-Producer	The Yarn Princess 1994-03-27 Movie
1992	Co-Producer	A Message from Holly 1992-12-13 Movie
1991	Co-Producer	Living a Lie 1991-09-16 Movie
1989	Co-Producer	I Love You Perfect 1989-10-08 Movie
1988	Co-Producer	The People Across the Lake 1988-10-03 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv