(July 2, 1886 – December 27, 1953) was an American actor, director,

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

, and writer of the

Silent film era A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

. Wells was a -year old actor who earned his first credited role in the 1915

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

short film — Wells worked his way up the ranks at Universal, ultimately being promoted from

Assistant Director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

to full-time Director in 1917. In 1919, Wells worked on the Universal movie serial — The Lion Man. After directing the first two chapters of the production, he quit his job. Wells booked passage and departed for

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, hoping to participate in their burgeoning movie industry. In 1921, Wells hit his high water mark when he wrote, produced, and directed the Australian film — Wells and his wife,

Agnes Vernon Agnes Vernon (18951948) was an American film actress of the silent era. While still in her teens, she experienced a meteoric ascent from obscurity to box-office sensation. After turning twenty-three and a movie career fading away, she abandoned ...

, returned to America in 1922. Wells partnered in a real estate brokerage firm in

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

. He briefly emerged in the publishing world when he published his novel — in 1932. In 1933, RKO picked up the rights to and made it the basis for two films produced in the 1930s — Rafter Romance and Living on Love. John and Judith Wells continued to live in both California and Arizona until his wife died in 1948. Wells would die five years later in 1953. He was when he died.

Early years

John Wells's father, John Q. Wells, ( – 1889) was born in New York. His mother, Josephine (1855 – 1934) was born in Chicago. Josephine and John Q were married in Chicago on November 24, 1875. The 1880 census shows John Q Wells and Josephine living in Riverside, Illinois along with their two daughters Gracie, born in 1876, and Alice, born in 1879. The census lists John's occupation as "Real Estate." Coddington Wells was born in 1884 and John Kenneth Wells was born on July 2, 1886, in Evanston, Illinois. John Wells was one when his sister, Alice, died in 1887. Wells was when his father died in 1889. The 1900 census shows 44-year-old Josephine Wells is the widowed head of Household. The family consists of Josephine, her -year-old son Coddington and -year-old son John K. They have a live-in servant while continuing to reside in Riverside, Illinois. Little is known of Wells's personal life after 1900 until he appears on a Universal lot.

Career

Hollywood

It is unknown if Wells appeared in movies as an extra or in any uncredited roles before September 1915. John K. Wells first surfaced in the media with a credited role in the " William Worthington" short film - released on September 14, 1915. The Universal production starring Herbert Rawlinson and Anna Little. This first movie role also initiates a relationship with William Worthington, which will bear fruit in the future. Finishing out 1915, Wells landed roles as a supporting actor in three more films, including the December production of . This Worthington-directed project starred Herbert Rawlingson and Agnes Vernon. This film is the first time Wells appears in a movie with Agnes Vernon. His last supporting role is in the 1916 production ( Working title of "Bloodhounds of North,") released on May 16, 1916. This last film was another Worthington-directed film starred Herbert Rawlingson and Agnes Vernon. June 16, 1916, sees the release of the short film — starring Herbert Rawlinson and Agnes Vernon. Universal promotes Wells to an assistant director and writer. He continues his relationship with the William Worthington company. In July 1917, Wells was promoted from William Worthington's assistant to the full-fledged Director. An article in the "Motion Picture News" dated July 7, 1917, states, "Universal City has a new director in the person of Jack Wells, a former assistant of William Worthington. Mr Wells will make a number of additional releases to the series, "The Perils of the Secret Service . . ." The August 9, 1919 issue of The Moving Picture World contained an article headlined "Mrs. Baker Selects Staff." The article states Mrs. Baker "has selected a staff of five film experts" to take to Australia to make films. Her selections included

Howard Gaye Howard Gaye (23 May 1878 – 26 December 1955) was a British actor who worked mainly in the United States. He acted in 27 silent films, including D. W. Griffith's epics ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915) as Robert E. Lee and ''Intolerance'' (1916 ...

as an assistant director. However, Gaye had several contractual obligations to Universal which he would have to abandon if he left. He postponed his decision until a few days before the group was to sail for Australia. He informed the American contingent he had decided to honor his universal contract. Who could replace Gayne on this short notice? John K. Wells was working on a Universal serial featuring Kathleen O'Connor. He had two episodes finished and was working on the third. Wells somehow catches wind of Gayle's backing out of the Australian adventure and volunteers to replace him. John K. Wells became a last-minute replacement for Gaye, which explained Well's late application for a passport. Wells was an upgrade over Gaye since he was an experienced director and assistant director. Besides his qualifications, the opportunity to be close to Agnus while gaining exposure to the Australian film market greatly influenced his decision. Given these opportunities, Wells decided to forgo contractual obligations to Universal, quit his Director's job, and set sail for Australia on September 9, 1919.

Australia

John K. Wells set sail for Sydney, Australia, and arrived on September 29, 1919. He would become involved in producing four films. The Australian adventure would be the directorial last hurrah for John Wells. The first American contingent of film experts included Director Wilfred Lucas, his wife screenwriter Bess Meredyth Lucas, actress

Brownie Vernon Agnes Vernon (18951948) was an American film actress of the silent era. While still in her teens, she experienced a meteoric ascent from obscurity to box-office sensation. After turning twenty-three and a movie career fading away, she abandoned ...

and Cinematographer John Doerrer and had arrived in Sydney on September 2, 1919. These professionals were personally recruited by

Snowy Baker Reginald Leslie "Snowy" Baker (8 February 18842 December 1953) was an Australian athlete, sports promoter, and actor. Born in Surry Hills, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Baker excelled at a number of sports, winning New Sout ...

and approved by

E. J. Carroll Edward John Carroll (28 June 1874 - 28 July 1931), better known as E.J. Carroll, was an Australian theatre and film entrepreneur. He produced several films of Snowy Baker and Raymond Longford and helped establish Birch, Carroll and Coyle. Difficu ...

. They went to work immediately, beginning with Research and Location scouting. *The Man from Kangaroo (Jan 1920) ManFromKangarooOpeningTitle1920

The fruits of the Lucas contingent resulted in a trio of films. The first film was

The Man from Kangaroo The Man from Kangaroo is a 1920 Australian silent film starring renowned Australian sportsman Snowy Baker. It was the first of several films he made with the husband and wife team of director Wilfred Lucas and writer Bess Meredyth, both of whom ...

, released in Australia on January 24, 1920. The film featured

, directed by Wilfred Lucas and written by Bess Meredyth. The film's leading lady was

. They list John Wells as one of the Assistant Directors and a film editor. The 73-minute feature film was produced by

and

. The film was shot on location in

Kangaroo Valley Kangaroo Valley is a river valley along the Kangaroo River in the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, Australia, located west of the seaside in the City of Shoalhaven. It is also the name of the small suburb within it, formerly known as Osbor ...

during September and October 1919. The film was a success at the box office. The movie was repackaged for the American market, renamed to and premiered in New York on November 1, 1921. This was the only movie of the trio of Lucas films to survive. *The Shadow of Lightning Ridge (Apr 1920) The second film of the American troupe was "

The Shadow of Lightning Ridge ''The Shadow of Lightning Ridge'' is a 1920 Australian silent film starring renowned Australian sportsman Snowy Baker. It has been called the most "Western"-like of the films Baker made in Australia. It is now considered a lost film. Charles ...

," released in Australia on April 3, 1920. The feature was directed by Wilfred Lucas and written by Bess Meredyth. The film's featured leads were

and

. John Wells is listed as the Assistant Director. The seven-reel feature film was produced by

and

and their production company, Carroll-Baker Australian Productions. Filming started in early 1920 in the bush near Sydney, and at a studio built by

E.J. Carroll Edward John Carroll (28 June 1874 - 28 July 1931), better known as E.J. Carroll, was an Australian theatre and film entrepreneur. He produced several films of Snowy Baker and Raymond Longford and helped establish Birch, Carroll and Coyle. Difficu ...

. The film was well received in Australia and successful at the box office. The film was released in the U.S. under the same name on September 13, 1921, by William Selig and

Aywon Film Corporation Aywon Film Corporation was an American film distribution company of the silent era. Founded in New York by Nathan Hirsh it was active between 1919 and 1929.Slide p.17 The company mainly released western and action films but also handled several fo ...

. It is considered a lost film. The Carrolls folded their production company after completing this film. They said *The Jackeroo of Coolabong (Oct 1920) On October 16, 1920, Wilfred Lucas released his last Australian film. Brownie Vernon departed Australia on April 17, 1920, and John Wells was not involved in the project. During filming, E. J. Carroll clashed with Lucas over the cost of films. Wilfred Lucas and crew returned to Hollywood, arriving in San Francisco on April 5, 1920 Wells remained in Australia to work on other projects. *The Man from Snowy River (Aug 1920) Since the Lucas collaboration had ended abruptly, Wells was searching for a project. He found an opportunity with the Australian company of Beaumont Smith's Productions. They were about to start production on a new film to be produced, directed, and written by

Beaumont Smith Frank Beaumont "Beau" Smith (15 August 1885 – 2 January 1950), was an Australian film director, producer and exhibitor, best known for making low-budget comedies. Smith made his first film in 1917, '' Our Friends, the Hayseeds''. He went on t ...

. Smith offered Wells a chance to be a co-director, and Wells accepted.

had purchased the rights to a poem — The Man from Snowy River by Australian

bush poet The bush ballad, bush song or bush poem is a style of poetry and folk music that depicts the life, character and scenery of the Australian bush. The typical bush ballad employs a straightforward rhyme structure to narrate a story, often one of a ...

Banjo Paterson. He then spent two years developing a

Screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...

for a film based on the poem. Shooting began in June 1920 in the Blue Mountains. The final result was the release of The Man from Snowy River on August 28, 1920. The film would feature Australia's own and

Stella Southern Stella Southern was an Australian actress best known for her performances in the silent films ''A Girl of the Bush'' (1921) and ''The Bushwhackers (film), The Bushwhackers'' (1925). Originally from Sydney, she was working for a milliner when disc ...

.''The Man from Snowy River''
at

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

It is considered a lost film. *Silks and Saddles (1921) SilksSaddlesOpeningTitle

Silks and Saddles was John K. Wells's big chance to reach for the . Wells wrote, directed, co-edited, and produced Silks and Saddles The movie featured Wells's wife

and They set the film in the world of

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. Newly formed Australian company, Commonwealth Pictures, and The Carroll Brothers provided funding of £5,600 (approximately $250,000 in today's money). The film was released on March 5, 1921, and garnered good reviews. The film would eventually gross £50,000 (over two million in today's U.S. money). The Americanized version of the movie was renamed or and released in the United States on April 16, 1922. The film is one of the rare Australian silent movies to survive today. This film was the final production for Wells. He would never direct another film. An item in the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

dated November 21, 1921, reads:

1922-1953

John Wells and his wife booked passage on the S.S. Sonoma, arriving in San Francisco, California, on March 28, 1922. The incorporated in 1919. They started actively recruited talent for their new company including John K. Wells in 1922. A piece of news in the Exhibitors Trade Review dated May 6, 1922, stated: There no record of another trip to Australia in April 1922 or any Wells movies produced for Producers Security. Wells decided to follow in his father's footsteps. In January 1925, the "California Directory of Brokers and Salesmen" posted John K. Wells establishing a corporation — Lathrop-Wells Inc. They become a Real Estate brokerage firm headquartered in

with the following officials: The 1930 census shows John Wells is living in San Diego, working as a realtor.

Writer

John Wells completed his novel and the book was published by Brentano's in 1932.

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

purchased the rights to the book and decided to produce a film based on the book. Production began in mid-June 1933, and Rafter Romance was released on September 1, 1933. This first iteration of Rafter Romance was directed by

William A. Seiter William Alfred Seiter (June 10, 1890 – July 26, 1964) was an American film director. Life and career Seiter was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Senne ...

with a cast consisting of Ginger Rogers, Norman Foster, and George Sidney. Four years after the release of Rafter Romance, RKO producer

Merian C. Cooper Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American filmmaker and Academy Award winner, as well as a former aviator who served as an officer in the United States Air Force and Polish Air Force. In film, he is credited a ...

decided to reissue the film. The new movie was renamed Living on Love and featured a cast of James Dunn,

Whitney Bourne Whitney Bourne (May 6, 1914 – December 24, 1988) was an American stage and film actress. She was a leading lady in several B films of the 1930s, with occasional appearances in more prestigious films such as the British musical '' Head over Heel ...

, and Joan Woodbury. Shooting started in August 1937, and the second iteration, directed by

Lew Landers Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director. Biography Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...

, was released on November 12, 1937.

Marriage

A news article in Billboard, dated November 19, 1921, stated he was married to Brownie Vernon. The 1930 and 1940 Censuses bear this out. also verifies marriage. John Wells was married to Judith Vernon Wells for 27 years. There were no children.

Deaths

John and Judith (Agnes Vernon) Wells were living in Phoenix, Arizona when she became ill. Due to her health condition, Judith relocated to her parents' residence in La Jolla, California. She died on Saturday, February 21, 1948, due to heart complications. She was . Her obituary does not make any reference to an acting career. On Sunday, December 27, 1953, John K. Wells, died of a heart attack in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

. He was years old. Wells had formerly been in charge of publications for the

Church of Christ, Scientist The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of '' Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,'' and founder of Christian Science. The church was founded "to commemorate the word an ...

s in Arizona and currently worked as a sales representative for the Arizona radio station KTAR. There was no mention of any Hollywood connections in his obituary. John Wells was entombed in San Diego, California's Greenwood Memorial Park Mausoleum. His mausoleum plaque reads: John K. Wells 1895 - 1953.