Jack Fincher (screenwriter)
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Howard Kelly "Jack" Fincher (December 6, 1930 – April 10, 2003) was an American
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. ...
and journalist who had written for various magazines and periodicals, notably serving as
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
Bureau Chief of ''Life'' magazine. He is the father of film director
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
.


Life and work

Fincher was born in
Bonham, Texas Bonham is a city and the county seat of Fannin County, Texas. The population was 10,408 at the 2020 census. James Bonham (the city's namesake) sought the aid of James Fannin (the county's namesake) at the Battle of the Alamo. Bonham is part of the ...
, the son of Grace Mae (Hutcheson) and Murlin Jackson Fincher, and was raised in Oklahoma. After graduating from high school in 1949, Fincher spent two years attending the
University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...
, also writing for the ''
Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. Tulsa World Media Company is part of Lee Enterprises. The new owners announced in January 202 ...
''. He then enlisted in the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
. In 1960, he married Claire Mae Boettcher, a
mental health nurse A Mental Health Nurse (MHN) refers to a ''psychiatric nurse'' in the UK, who specialises in the care of patients with mental health issues. Background MHNs comprise approximately 12% of the total NHS Nursing workforce. In order to qualify as a MH ...
from South Dakota who worked in drug addiction programs; their son is acclaimed film director
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
. In 1964, when David was two, the family moved from
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado to
San Anselmo, California San Anselmo () is an List of cities in California, incorporated town in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, California, San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It ...
, where filmmaker
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
was one of their neighbors. Fincher once wrote a
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...
before his script was ultimately merged into the project that became '' The Aviator'' instead. He also wrote ''The Brain: Mystery of Matter and Mind''Shprintz, Janet. "Evan Sues Over Hughes Pic." ''Variety.'' February 28, 2001. He wrote the screenplay for ''
Mank ''Mank'' is a 2020 American black-and-white Biographical film, biographical Drama (film and television), drama film about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his Screenplay for Citizen Kane, development of the screenplay for ''Citizen Kane' ...
'', a biographical film about screenwriter
Herman J. Mankiewicz Herman Jacob Mankiewicz (; November 7, 1897 – March 5, 1953) was an American screenwriter who, with Orson Welles, wrote the screenplay for ''Citizen Kane'' (1941). Both Mankiewicz and Welles would go on to receive the Academy Award for Best Or ...
, which earned him a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination. Originally set to be filmed in the late 1990s, the script was not produced until his son David began filming in 2019. Starring
Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy Fi ...
in the title role, the film was released by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in 2020, to positive reception. The screenplay earned Fincher a posthumous nomination for the
BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for Best Original Screenplay has been presented to its winners since 1984, when the original category (BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay) was split into two awards, the other being the B ...
, 16 years after his death. Jack Fincher died in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on April 10, 2003 at the age of 72, following a year-long battle with cancer.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fincher, Jack 1930 births 2003 deaths People from Bonham, Texas 20th-century American journalists American male journalists 20th-century American screenwriters