Dan Bessie is the son of screen writer, Alvah Bessie. Dan Bessie wrote, produced and directed films, television shows, and advertisements for Bandelier Films (circa 1975-1998), the Learning Garden (circa 1971-1979), and Shire Films (circa 1979-1993). His films include Hard Traveling (Shire Films, 1985), based on the book, Bread and a Stone, written by his father; the award winning children’s film Peter and the Wolf (Shire Films, 1983); and Turnabout (Shire Films 1992), a documentary on his uncle and life partner’s puppet theater. He frequently collaborated with Alvah Bessie, Helen Garvey, Ann Vracin, and Ellen Geer, among others. Dan Bessie published his autobiography Reeling through Hollywood: How I Spent 40 Fabulous Years in Film and Never Made a Nickel in 2006. This book contextualizes much of the collection and provides details about Bessie’s collaborations and personal relationships.
