A.J. Carothers | Screenwriter, 75

A.J. Carothers, 75, a movie and television screenwriter whose flair for comedy was apparent in such films as

The Secret of My Success

and

The Happiest Millionaire

died of cancer Monday at his home in Los Angeles.

Mr. Carothers began his career in television in the late 1940s as a story editor for Studio One. He went on to become an associate producer for Playhouse 90 and General Electric Theater, starting in the 1950s.

In the '60s he wrote some of his earliest television scripts, including episodes of My Three Sons.

Mr. Carothers was born in Houston and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, before he launched his career.

Through most of the 1960s, Mr. Carothers was a contract writer for Walt Disney studios, where he wrote a number of films, including Miracle of the White Stallions (1963), The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and Never a Dull Moment (1968).

In the 1980s, Mr. Carothers wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay for The Secret of My Success, as well as the screenplay for Hero at Large starring John Ritter and Anne Archer.

He is survived by his wife, Caryl; sons Cameron and Christopher of Los Angeles and Andrew of San Francisco; as well as a brother; a sister; and four grandchildren. - Los Angeles Times