Films based on books make an average of 53% more at the box office than films with original screenplays.
John Harding has lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Singapore, Italy, Jamaica and Belgium. This includes work for the largest OPEC member, Saudi Aramco, a position as Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Inland Revenue in Singapore’s civil service, and a Wall Street investment analyst.
John has been a professor at Pratt Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering in New York City, at King Fahd University in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
He has also worked for the United Nations Development Programme as a U.N. Expert in Kingston, Jamaica, and as a consultant to the United Nations Secretariat in New York.
A native-born American, John speaks Italian, French, and Spanish, Jeddah-Street-Boy Arabic and spices his conversation with a wealth of Yiddish expressions—thanks to all his Jewish stepmothers.
John is the co-author of Escape from Paradise, Amazon’s best-selling book for Singapore. For years it was assumed the book had been banned in Singapore. Only recently, did Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) confirmed by email that Escape from Paradise had never been banned.
Escape from Paradise was not banned by Singapore, but by a lawyer, Helen Yeo. Her husband, Yeo Cheow Tong, was formerly a Singapore cabinet minister and, consequently, Helen Yeo had a lot of clout as her husband was a Singapore Cabinet Minister.
The reason for Helen Yeo’s failed attempt to get Escape from Paradise banned was that she was afraid that it might lead to expose a property transaction in which she was involved. Escape from Paradise did nothing to expose her, and mentioned her only in passing. However Helen Yeo did not want to take the risk that someone might connect the dots, which we never bothered to do.
Helen Yeo was formerly the Managing Partner of Rodyk & Davidson, a Singapore law firm. She no longer holds that position. Her husband, Yeo Cheow Tong, is no longer a Singapore Cabinet Minister, nor is he any longer a member of Singapore’s Parliament.
Escape from Paradise is about the daughter of a Singapore family—a family whose founders were referred to as the “Tiger Balm Kings,” as they built a pharmaceutical, banking, and newspaper empire from the well-known ointment called “Tiger Balm.”
C. V. Devan Nair, former President of Singapore wrote of Escape from Paradise, “It took me two and a half evenings to complete your un-put-downable book…it is a unique contribution to the appreciation of a life in Singapore. Thank you for having written it.”
Escape from Paradise is now being made into a movie, and, of all people, John Harding is doing the screenplay and is listed on IMDb.
Here is how my fantastic stepmother, Isobel Lennart, got her start as a screenwriter. She went on to write a number of films, including Love me or Leave Me & Funny Girl. (note the then unknown Ava Gardner got her start in this brief film, as well)!
About Isobel Lennart:
Isobel Lennart was born on May 18, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She was a screenwriter, known for Funny Girl (1968), Love Me or Leave Me (1955) and Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956). She was married to John Briard Harding Sr. She was killed in an automobile accent on January 25, 1971 near Hemet, California.