Dalene Young
Writing
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).
Notable Works
Prominent titles featuring Dalene Young
Cross Creek
1983
Sonny Boy
1989
Filmography
Acting (6)
2021
Pigas Jezebel
6.6
2000
Baby Luvas Elizabeth
9.0
1989
Sonny Boyas Doc Wallace
5.1
1983
Will There Really Be a Morning?as Hairdresser
7.0
1978
Teen Lustas Mother
4.1
1960
Juke Box Racketas Betty
6.5
Production & Directing (42)
2000
Baby LuvWriter
9.0
2000
Baby LuvTheatre Play
9.0
2000
The Last DanceWriter
7.7
2000
Going HomeCo-Producer
6.5
2000
Going HomeTeleplay
6.5
1999
Silk HopeTeleplay
7.0
1999
Silk HopeCo-Producer
7.0
1999
Locked in SilenceWriter
6.1
1998
Cab to CanadaTeleplay
6.3
1998
Cab to CanadaCo-Producer
6.3
1998
Evidence of BloodTeleplay
6.6
1997
Journey of the HeartWriter
5.2
1997
Journey of the HeartCo-Producer
5.2
1995
The Baby-Sitters ClubScreenplay
5.5
1994
Is There Life Out There?Writer
6.0
1994
The Yarn PrincessWriter
6.3
1994
The Yarn PrincessCo-Producer
6.3
1992
A Message from HollyTeleplay
7.3
1992
A Message from HollyCo-Producer
7.3
1992
1991
Living a LieTeleplay
10.0
1991
Living a LieStory
10.0
1991
Living a LieCo-Producer
10.0
1989
I Love You PerfectWriter
10.0
1989
I Love You PerfectCo-Producer
10.0
1988
6.0
1988
The People Across the LakeCo-Producer
6.0
1988
The People Across the LakeTeleplay
6.0
1984
Why Me?Writer
5.6
1983
Cross CreekScreenplay
6.6
1983
7.0
1982
Little DarlingsCharacters
1981
Pale Horse Pale RiderWriter
1980
Marilyn: The Untold StoryTeleplay
6.9
1980
Little DarlingsScreenplay
6.5
1980
The Plutonium IncidentScreenplay
6.5
6.0
1978
Deadman's CurveScreenplay
5.4
1977
6.3
1977
Panic in Echo ParkWriter
5.4
1977
5.5
1976
5.4