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Sydney Stone (S.S.) Field

Sydney Stone (S.S.) Field was an author, playwright, journalist and essayist, best known for his book The American Drink Book, which was published in 1953 by Farrar Straus & Young and for the short story "Pete's Dragon and the USA (Forever After)" upon which was based the Disney animated musical film Pete's Dragon (1977 film) as well as the re-release of a live action, non-musical film Pete's Dragon (2016 film). He was a member of the Author's League and the Dramatists Guild.

Early Life and Family of Origin

Sydney Stone Field was born in Winston-Salem, NC in 1906 and moved as a very young child to New Orleans, Louisiana.

He was the only child of Flora "Flo" Field (May 21, 1876 - September 30, 1972), who was herself a writer. Flo was married, but there is little record of the father. Family lore hinted that Sydney may have been the illegitimate child of the writer William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, for whom he was named and with whom Flo had been acquainted.

Flo Field was the daughter of Martha R. Field, who wrote under the pen name Catherine Cole, and was the first female journalist in New Orleans and one of the first in the American South.