Harlan Thompson (24 September 1890 – 29 October 1966) was an American
theatre director
A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
,
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
,
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income ...
,
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
, and
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and
television producer
A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television net ...
. He wrote the
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
hit ''
Little Jessie James
''Little Jessie James'' was a musical farce that was the biggest hit of the 1923-24 Broadway season.
Production
''Little Jessie James'' was written by Harlan Thompson, the author of the book and the lyrics. The music was by Harry Archer.
It wa ...
'' (1923–24), and several other Broadway musicals. He moved to Hollywood, where he was in turn a writer, director and producer.
Career
Harlan Thompson was born in
Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,312, making it the largest city in Marion County. The bulk of the city is in Mario ...
, on 24 September 1890.
He went to high school in
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
, and then attended the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
.
He studied chemical engineering.
Thompson became a reporter and editor for ''
The Kansas City Star
''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and as ...
'' and ''
Kansas City Post''.
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914–18) he was in the 167th Aero Squadron of the
American Expeditionary Forces
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
.
After the war he worked for the ''
New York World
The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publi ...
''.
Broadway
In 1923 Harlan Thompson wrote the book and lyrics for the musical comedy ''Little Jessie James'', with music by Harry Archer. It was staged by Walter Brooks and produced by
L. Lawrence Weber
L. Lawrence Weber (c. 1872 – 22 February 1940) was an American sports promoter, stage show producer and theater manager. He was active in arranging Vaudville, vaudeville shows, legitimate theater and films. He once tried to bypass laws against im ...
. The musical played at the
Longacre Theatre
The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 220 West 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. Opened in 1913, it was desi ...
on Broadway from 15 August 1923 to 27 January 1924, then moved to the
Little Theatre where it played until 19 July 1924. The show played for a total of 385 performances on Broadway.
Nan Halperin played Jessie Jamieson, in pursuit of
Jay Velie as Paul Revere. Supporting roles were played by
Miriam Hopkins
Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930.
Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...
and
Allen Kearns
Allen Kearns (14 August 1894 – 20 April 1956) was a Canadian-born singer and actor. He was born in Brockville, Ontario, Canada and died in Albany, New York. He played the romantic lead role in several Broadway musicals and is especially rememb ...
. The show was low-cost, with a single set and only eight chorus girls. Halperin and Jay Velie introduced the song ''I Love You'' by Thompson and Archer. ''Little Jessie James'' was the biggest hit of the season and ''I Love You'' was the biggest hit of all the songs from that season's musicals.
After their success with ''Little Jessie James'', Thompson and Archer created the musical farce ''My Girl'' that opened at the
Vanderbilt Theatre
The Vanderbilt Theatre was a New York City Broadway theatre, designed by architect Eugene De Rosa for producer Lyle Andrews. It opened in 1918,[Liberty Theatre
The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant and built for Klaw and Erlanger, the partnership ...]
on 16 November 1926. Thompson wrote the libretto while Archer wrote the score, with help from
Bert Kalmar
Bert Kalmar (February 10, 1884 – September 18, 1947) was an American songwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also a screenwriter.
Biography
Kalmar, a native of New York City, left school at an early age ...
and
Harry Ruby
Harry Rubenstein (January 27, 1895 – February 23, 1974), known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American actor, pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.[Ona Munson
Ona Munson (born Owena Elizabeth Wolcott; June 16, 1903 – February 11, 1955) was an American film and stage actress. She starred in nine Broadway productions and 20 feature films in her career, which spanned over 30 years.
Born and raised in ...]
and Alan Edwards, while
Joe E. Brown
Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...
played a comic detective. ''Twinkle Twinkle'' ran for twenty one weeks.
Hollywood writer
Thompson began to work for
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
as a writer. He combined and adapted the operettas ''Married in Hollywood'' (1928) and ''Ein Waltzertraum'' (1907) to create the dialog for the film ''
Married in Hollywood
''Married in Hollywood'' (1929) is an American musical film. The only footage known to survive is the final reel, filmed in Multicolor, held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The film is based on two Oscar Straus operettas.
Plot
A show ...
'' (Fox, 21 September 1929) directed by Marcel Silver.
The stars were
J. Harold Murray
J. Harold Murray (born Harry Rulten, February 17, 1891 – December 11, 1940) was an American baritone singer and actor. For more than a decade, during the Roaring Twenties and the Depression Thirties, he contributed to the development of musi ...
and
Norma Terris Norma may refer to:
* Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Astronomy
*Norma (constellation)
* 555 Norma, a minor asteroid
*Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy
Geography
*Norma, Lazi ...
. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said the film was "adroitly interspersed with joviality and extremely clever photographic embellishments". However, it was a box office failure. Only twelve minutes from the last reel have survived.
In 1929 the German director
F. W. Murnau
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer and screenwriter.
He was greatly influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ibsen plays he had seen at t ...
began filming ''Our Daily Bread'' for Fox, one of studio's the last silent movies. He aimed for great realism in depicting the transition from the fields where wheat was harvested to the dark rooms in Chicago where the bread was consumed. Filming started late, and on 2 August Murnau came down with appendicitis. With a deadline set by the harvest season, filming on location in Oregon began without him. The rushes looked unpromising. Thompson was sent to Oregon early in September to try to add some comedy to the scenario. Eventually a mutilated version of the film was released as ''
City Girl'' (Fox, 16 February 1930).
Thompson wrote the scenario and dialog for the romantic drama ''
Women Everywhere
''Women Everywhere'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring J. Harold Murray, Fifi D'Orsay, and George Grossmith, Jr. It is set amongst the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.
The fi ...
'' (Fox, 1 June 1930) starring
J. Harold Murray
J. Harold Murray (born Harry Rulten, February 17, 1891 – December 11, 1940) was an American baritone singer and actor. For more than a decade, during the Roaring Twenties and the Depression Thirties, he contributed to the development of musi ...
and directed by
Alexander Korda
Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)[Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...](_blank)
'' it was "one of those gems occasionally found in the herd of program pictures". The film was quickly forgotten. Thompson wrote the dialog for the musical ''
Are You There?'' (Fox, 30 November 1930) directed by
Hamilton MacFadden
Hamilton MacFadden (April 26, 1901 – January 1, 1977) was an American actor, screenwriter and film director.
MacFadden's parents were Rev. Robert A. MacFadden and Edith Hamilton MacFadden. His father died in 1909, leaving his mother to suppor ...
and starring
Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989), known as Bea Lillie, was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedic performer.
She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debu ...
. The film was unusual as a musical about a female detective. Release was delayed from the end of 1930 to early summer of 1931. The film received mixed reviews. ''Variety'' panned it, but ''Exhibitors Herald-World'' described Lillie as "smart-looking, clever and mirth-provoking... Her personality and grace are registered superbly upon the screen." Thompson wrote the screenplay for ''
Girls Demand Excitement
''Girls Demand Excitement'' is a 1931 film starring Virginia Cherrill, John Wayne, and Marguerite Churchill. Wayne and Churchill had starred in the widescreen Western epic ''The Big Trail'' the previous year. The movie was written by Harlan Th ...
'' (Fox, 1931) directed by Seymour Felix and starring
Virginia Cherrill
Virginia Cherrill (April 12, 1908 – November 14, 1996) was an American actress best known for her role as the blind flower girl in Charlie Chaplin's ''City Lights'' (1931).
Early life
Virginia Cherrill was born on a farm in rural Carthag ...
,
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
and
Marguerite Churchill
Marguerite Churchill (December 26, 1910 – January 9, 2000) was an American stage and film actress whose career lasted 30 years, from 1922 to 1952. She was John Wayne's first leading lady, in ''The Big Trail'' (1930).
Early years
She was th ...
.
After moving to
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
, Thompson collaborated with Walter de Leon on the screenplay for the musical ''The Phantom President'' (Paramount, 25 September 1932) directed by
Norman Taurog
Norman Rae Taurog (February 23, 1899 – April 7, 1981) was an American film director and screenwriter. From 1920 to 1968, Taurog directed 180 films. At the age of 32, he received the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Skippy'' (1931). He i ...
. In 1933,
David O. Selznick, a producer at
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
, was negotiating with
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
for co-production of a cartoon version of
Baron Munchausen
Baron Munchausen (; ) is a fictional German nobleman created by the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe in his 1785 book '' Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia''. The character is loosely based on a real ...
starring
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
. Thompson and
Victor Heerman
Victor Eugene Heerman (August 27, 1893 – November 3, 1977) was an English-American film director, screenwriter, and film producer.Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001). ''Silent Film Necrology.'' McFarland, After writing and directing short comedies ...
prepared a script for the film, to be called ''Vas You Dere, Sharlie'', but the project was abandoned.
![Mae West in I'm No Angel 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Mae_West_in_I%27m_No_Angel_2.jpg)
Thompson was assigned as "
continuity writer
In fiction, continuity is a consistency of the characteristics of people, plot, objects, and places seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time. It is relevant to several media.
Continuity is particularly a concern in the production of ...
" to the
Mae West
Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...
vehicle that became ''
I'm No Angel
''I'm No Angel'' is a 1933 pre-Code film directed by Wesley Ruggles, and starring Mae West and Cary Grant. West received sole story and screenplay credit. It is one of her films that was not subjected to heavy censorship.
Plot
Tira (Mae West ...
'' (Paramount, 6 October 1933). She had fired two writers who had been assigned by Paramount, but accepted help from Thompson, who wrote a lot of the script and some of Mae West's dialog. According to Thompson's wife, "How much she contributed I don't know, but she moved in, as she always moved in on anything, and got credit for the story, the screenplay and the dialogue." Thompson was the main scriptwriter for ''
Here is My Heart
''Here Is My Heart'' is a 1934 American musical comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, and Roland Young. Based on the play ''La Grande-duchesse et le garçon d'étage'' by Alfred Savoir, the film is about a ...
'' (Paramount, 28 December 1934), adapted from
Alfred Savoir
Alfred Poznański (23 January 1883 – 26 June 1934), better known by his alias Alfred Savoir, was a Polish-born French comedy playwright of Jewish background.
Career
Alfred Poznański was born into a Jewish family in the Polish city of Łódź ...
's play ''
The Grand Duchess and the Waiter
''The Grand Duchess and the Waiter'' is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Mal St. Clair and starring Florence Vidor and Adolphe Menjou. The film is based on a 1925 Broadway play of the same name starring stage actress Elsie ...
'' and starring
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
and
Kitty Carlisle
Kitty Carlisle Hart (born Catherine Conn; September 3, 1910 – April 17, 2007) was an American actress, singer, and spokeswoman for the arts. She was the leading lady of the Marx Brothers movie '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) and was a regular ...
. The film was highly praised by the critics, who noted Crosby's performance as a talented comedian, not just a crooner.
Hollywood director and producer
Harlan Thompson and
George Marion, Jr. wrote the scenario for ''
Kiss and Make-Up
''Kiss and Make-Up'' is a 1934 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant as a doctor who specializes in making women beautiful. Genevieve Tobin and Helen Mack play his romantic entanglements. The film was based on the play ''Kozmetika'' by (credi ...
'' (Paramount, 13 July 1934). Thompson directed the film, which starred
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...
,
Helen Mack
Helen Mack (born Helen McDougall; November 13, 1913 – August 13, 1986) was an American actress. She started her career as a child actress in silent films, moving to Broadway plays and touring one of the vaudeville circuits. Her greater succ ...
and
Genevieve Tobin. In 1938 Thompson produced ''
The Big Broadcast of 1938
''The Big Broadcast of 1938'' is a Paramount Pictures musical comedy film starring W. C. Fields and featuring Bob Hope. Directed by Mitchell Leisen, the film is the last in a series of ''Big Broadcast'' movies that were variety show anthologies. ...
'', a comedy with
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
and
W.C. Fields
WC or wc may refer to:
* Water closet or flush toilet
Arts and entertainment
* ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film
* WC (band), a Polish punk rock band
* WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California
* Westside Connection, former hi ...
. Thompson was associate producer of ''
Kisses for Breakfast'' (Warner Bros. 5 July 1941), a romantic comedy. He was associate producer of ''Bad Men of Missouri'' (Warner Bros, 26 July 1941), a western.
Jack L. Warner
Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned some ...
was executive producer and
Ray Enright
Ray Enright (March 25, 1896 – April 3, 1965) was an American film director. He directed 73 films between 1927–53, many of them for Warner Bros. He oversaw comedy films like Joe E. Brown vehicles, five of the six informal pairings of Joa ...
was director.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
(1939-1945) Thompson was made a major in 1942 after the United States entered the combat and given the direction of the Training Film Division of the
US Army Signal Corps
)
, colors = Orange and white
, colors_label = Corps colors
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
...
. The unit turned out instructional films for the huge numbers of newly recruited officers and enlisted men in the expanded army. They covered subjects like ''Conservation of Clothing and Equipment'', ''The Internal Combustion Engine'' and ''Trench Feet''.
Harlan Thompson died at New York University Hospital in New York on 29 October 1966. He was aged 76.
Work
Broadway
From 1923 through 1932 Thompson was active on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in the following productions:
* ''
Little Jessie James
''Little Jessie James'' was a musical farce that was the biggest hit of the 1923-24 Broadway season.
Production
''Little Jessie James'' was written by Harlan Thompson, the author of the book and the lyrics. The music was by Harry Archer.
It wa ...
'' (1923)
* ''My Girl'' (1924)
::music by Harry Archer, directed by Walter Brooks, (291 performances November 1924 – August 1925)
* ''Merry, Merry'' (1925)
* ''Twinkle, Twinkle'' (1926)
::music by Harry Archer, directed by
Frank Craven
Frank Craven (August 24, 1875September 1, 1945) was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's ''Our Town''.
Early years
Craven's parents, John T ...
, (167 performances, November 1925 – April 1927)
::Cast: Elise Bonwit,
Joe E. Brown
Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...
, Frank Bryan, Perqueta Courtney, Diana Day, Alan Edwards, Anita Firman, John Gray, Patty Hastings, Phyllis Hooper, Wanda Jarzy, Buddy Jenkins,
Dorothy Jordan, Douglas Keaton, Ann Kelly, Therese Kelly, Myrtle Le Roy, Joseph Lertora, Flo Lewis, Allyn Loring, Alice MacDonald, Dorothy Martin, William J. McCarthy, Ned McGarn, Helen Mirtel,
Ona Munson
Ona Munson (born Owena Elizabeth Wolcott; June 16, 1903 – February 11, 1955) was an American film and stage actress. She starred in nine Broadway productions and 20 feature films in her career, which spanned over 30 years.
Born and raised in ...
, Henry Nelthropp, Frances Nevins, Marion Nevins, Ana Nito, John O'Neil, John Sheehan, Betty Sheldon, Nerene Swinton,
Frances Upton
Frances Upton (April 15, 1904 – November 27, 1975) was an American Broadway theatre actress and comedian.
Early life
Upton attended a business college after she finished high school.
Her father, Francis, was a decorated New York City d ...
, Hazel Vee, Betty Veronica, Diana White, and Wanda Wood. Produced by Louis F. Werba
* ''
Blessed Event
''Blessed Event'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Lee Tracy as a newspaper gossip columnist who becomes entangled with a gangster. The Tracy character (Alvin Roberts) was reportedly patterned a ...
'' (1932)
::written by Manuel Seff and
Forrest Wilson, directed by Harlan Thompson, (115 performances February 1932 – May 1932)
::Cast:
Jean Adair
Jean Adair (born Violet McNaughton; June 13, 1873 – May 11, 1953) was a Canadian actress. She was also known as Jennet Adair.
Career
Born Violet McNaughton in Hamilton, Ontario, Her work as Jennet Adair in vaudeville included performing as a ...
, Robert Allen, Matt Briiggs,
Charles D. Brown
Charles D. Brown (July 1, 1887 – November 25, 1948) was an American stage and film actor.
Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Brown wrote and directed a single short film in 1914. As an actor, he appeared in more than 100 films, stretching fro ...
, Ollie Burgoyne, Kenneth Dana, Herbert Duffy, George Greenberg,
Allen Jenkins
Allen Curtis Jenkins (born Alfred McGonegal; April 9, 1900 – July 20, 1974) was an American character actor and singer who worked on stage, film, and television.
Life and career
Jenkins was born on Staten Island, New York, on April 9, 190 ...
,
Isabel Jewell
Isabel Jewell (July 19, 1907 – April 5, 1972) was an American actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s and early 1940s. Some of her more famous films were '' Ceiling Zero'', ''Marked Woman'', ''A Tale of Two Cities'', and ''Gone with t ...
, Herman Jones,
Walter Kinsella, David Leonard, Ralph Locke, Eddie Lynch, Herman J. Mankiewicz, John Morrissey,
Lee Patrick, Dorothea Petgen, Roger Pryor, John Robb, Lynn Root, Frank Rowan, Henry Shelvey, Thelma Tipson, Mildred Wall, Milton Wallace, Produced by Sidney Phillips and Harlan Thompson.
Film writer
Thompson was credited as writer on the following films:
* ''
Hot News
''Hot News'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film produced and distributed by Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, an amalgamation of Famous Players-Lasky and Paramount Pictures. Clarence Badger directed and Bebe Daniels starred.
Cast
* Bebe ...
'' (1928)
* ''
Take Me Home'' (1928)
* ''
The Ghost Talks'' (1929)
* ''
Married in Hollywood
''Married in Hollywood'' (1929) is an American musical film. The only footage known to survive is the final reel, filmed in Multicolor, held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The film is based on two Oscar Straus operettas.
Plot
A show ...
'' (1929)
* ''
The Big Party
''The Big Party'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and written by Harlan Thompson. The film stars Sue Carol, Dixie Lee, Walter Catlett, Frank Albertson, Richard Keene, and Douglas Gilmore. The film was relea ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Women Everywhere
''Women Everywhere'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring J. Harold Murray, Fifi D'Orsay, and George Grossmith, Jr. It is set amongst the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.
The fi ...
'' (1930)
* ''Are You There?'' (1930)
* ''
Girls Demand Excitement
''Girls Demand Excitement'' is a 1931 film starring Virginia Cherrill, John Wayne, and Marguerite Churchill. Wayne and Churchill had starred in the widescreen Western epic ''The Big Trail'' the previous year. The movie was written by Harlan Th ...
'' (1931)
* ''
Annabelle's Affairs
''Annabelle's Affairs'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Victor McLaglen, Jeanette MacDonald and Roland Young. The film is based on the 1916-17 play ''Good Gracious Annabelle'' by Clare K ...
'' (1931)
* ''
The Phantom President
''The Phantom President'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy and political satire film. It was directed by Norman Taurog, starred George M. Cohan, Claudette Colbert, and Jimmy Durante, with songs by Richard Rodgers (music) and Lorenz Har ...
'' (1932)
* ''He Learned About Women'' (1933)
* ''
Kiss and Make-Up
''Kiss and Make-Up'' is a 1934 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant as a doctor who specializes in making women beautiful. Genevieve Tobin and Helen Mack play his romantic entanglements. The film was based on the play ''Kozmetika'' by (credi ...
'' (1934)
* ''
Here Is My Heart
''Here Is My Heart'' is a 1934 American musical comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, and Roland Young. Based on the play ''La Grande-duchesse et le garçon d'étage'' by Alfred Savoir, the film is about a ...
'' (1934)
* ''
Ruggles of Red Gap
''Ruggles of Red Gap'' is a 1935 American comedy western film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Charles Laughton, Mary Boland, Charlie Ruggles, and ZaSu Pitts and featuring Roland Young and Leila Hyams. It was based on the best-selling 1915 ...
'' (1935)
* ''It's a Great Life'' (1935)
* ''
Ship Cafe
''Ship Cafe'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Robert Florey.
Cast
* Carl Brisson as Chris Anderson
* Arline Judge as Ruby
* Mady Christians as Countess Boranoff
* William Frawley as Briney O'Brien
* Eddie Davis as Eddie Davis
* I ...
'' (1935)
* ''Rose of the Rancho'' (1936)
* ''
How to Be Very, Very Popular
''How to Be Very, Very Popular'' is a 1955 comedy film written, produced and directed by Nunnally Johnson. The film starred Betty Grable in her final film role and Sheree North in her first leading role.
Johnson later said "I don't much like to ...
'' (1955)
Lyricist
Thompson was credited as lyricist on the following films:
* ''
Words and Music'' (1929) "The Hunting Song", "Take a Little Tip", "Too Wonderful for Words"
* ''
Married in Hollywood
''Married in Hollywood'' (1929) is an American musical film. The only footage known to survive is the final reel, filmed in Multicolor, held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The film is based on two Oscar Straus operettas.
Plot
A show ...
'' (1929) "Dance Away the Night", "Peasant Love Song", "A Man, A Maid", "Deep In Love", "Bridal Chorus", "National Anthem"
* ''Melody in Spring'' (1934) "Ending With A Kiss", "Melody in Spring", "It's Psychological", "The Open Road"
* ''
Ship Cafe
''Ship Cafe'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Robert Florey.
Cast
* Carl Brisson as Chris Anderson
* Arline Judge as Ruby
* Mady Christians as Countess Boranoff
* William Frawley as Briney O'Brien
* Eddie Davis as Eddie Davis
* I ...
'' (1935) "Fatal Fascination", "I Won't Take No for an Answer", "It's a Great Life"
* ''
Stalag 17
''Stalag 17'' is a 1953 American war film which tells the story of a group of American airmen confined with 40,000 prisoners in a World War II German prisoner of war camp "somewhere on the Danube". Their compound holds 630 Sergeants representi ...
'' (1953) "I Love You" (Je t'aime)
Film director
Thompson directed the following films:
* ''
The Past of Mary Holmes
''The Past of Mary Holmes'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film, directed by Harlan Thompson and Slavko Vorkapich, and released by RKO. The film is a remake of the silent film ''The Goose Woman'' (1925), which is based on a short story by Re ...
'' (1933)
* ''
Kiss and Make-Up
''Kiss and Make-Up'' is a 1934 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant as a doctor who specializes in making women beautiful. Genevieve Tobin and Helen Mack play his romantic entanglements. The film was based on the play ''Kozmetika'' by (credi ...
'' (1934)
Film producer
Thompson was credited as producer on the following films:
* ''Early to Bed'' (1936)
* ''
Wives Never Know
''Wives Never Know'' is a 1936 American black-and-white comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent. Written by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, Edwin Justus Mayer and Keene Thompson, the film stars Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, and Adolphe Menjou, and wa ...
'' (1936)
* ''
College Holiday
''College Holiday'' is a 1936 Paramount comedy. The film stars Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Martha Raye. It was directed by Frank Tuttle.
Plot
A woman hotelier with an interest in eugenics invites some young men to spend the sum ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Champagne Waltz
''Champagne Waltz'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Gladys Swarthout, Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. It is one of five movies produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Swarthout, a very popular Met ...
'' (1937)
* ''
The Big Broadcast of 1938
''The Big Broadcast of 1938'' is a Paramount Pictures musical comedy film starring W. C. Fields and featuring Bob Hope. Directed by Mitchell Leisen, the film is the last in a series of ''Big Broadcast'' movies that were variety show anthologies. ...
'' (1938)
* ''
Romance in the Dark
''Romance in the Dark'' is a 1938 American comedy musical film directed by H. C. Potter and starring Gladys Swarthout, John Boles, John Barrymore, and Claire Dodd. It is one of five films produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Gladys Swa ...
'' (1938)
* ''
Paris Honeymoon
''Paris Honeymoon'' is a 1939 American musical film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by Frank Butler and Don Hartman. The film stars Bing Crosby, Franciska Gaal, Akim Tamiroff, Shirley Ross, Edward Everett Horton and Ben Blue. Filming took p ...
'' (1939)
* ''
The Magnificent Fraud
''The Magnificent Fraud'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Robert Florey and starring Akim Tamiroff, Lloyd Nolan, Mary Boland and Patricia Morison.
Plot
Akim Tamiroff plays an actor performing in a nameless Latin American country w ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Disputed Passage
''Disputed Passage'' is a 1939 American drama war film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Dorothy Lamour, Akim Tamiroff, John Howard, Judith Barrett and William Collier, Sr. Set in war-torn China, the film was described by ''The New York ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Road to Singapore
''Road to Singapore'' is a 1940 American semi- musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope. Based on a story by Harry Hervey, the film is about two playboys trying to forget previo ...
'' (1940)
* ''East of the River'' (1940)
* ''
The Wagons Roll at Night
''The Wagons Roll at Night'' is a 1941 circus film directed by Ray Enright and starring Humphrey Bogart as traveling carnival owner Nick Coster, Sylvia Sidney as his girlfriend, and Eddie Albert as a newcomer who falls in love with Nick's siste ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Singapore Woman
''Singapore Woman'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Brenda Marshall and David Bruce.
The Warner Bros. B picture is a remake of ''Dangerous'' (1935) using leftover sets from '' The Letter'' (1940). The story ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Kisses for Breakfast'' (1941)
* ''
Bad Men of Missouri
''Bad Men of Missouri'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Ray Enright and written by Charles Grayson. The film stars Dennis Morgan, Jane Wyman, Wayne Morris and Arthur Kennedy. The film was released by Warner Bros. on July 26, 1941.
...
'' (1941)
TV producer
Thompson is credited with two TV shows:
* ''
The Ed Wynn Show
''The Ed Wynn Show'' was an American variety show originally broadcast from September 22, 1949 to July 4, 1950, on the CBS Television Network. Comedian and former vaudevillian Ed Wynn was the star of the program's 39 episodes, which were the firs ...
'' (5 episodes, 1949–1950) (TV)
* ''
The Cases of Eddie Drake
''The Cases of Eddie Drake'' is an American crime drama series which initially was shown in syndication in 1951, before airing on the DuMont Television Network during 1952. It was a crime drama originally filmed for CBS Television by Imppro, a s ...
'' (1 episode, 1952) (TV)
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* .
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Harlan
1890 births
1966 deaths
American theatre managers and producers
American male screenwriters
People from Hannibal, Missouri
Screenwriters from Missouri
Film directors from Missouri
Film producers from Missouri
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters