Lillian Case Russell (born Lulu E. Case; April 3, 1876 – June 2, 1947), often credited as L. Case Russell, 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. ...

during Hollywood's silent era. She was married to actor John Lowell Russell.

Biography

Lulu E. Case was born in Yankton,

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...

on April 3, 1876. She graduated from Yankton High School in 1893. She worked as a

schoolteacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...

in her hometown before moving to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

to pursue a career as a

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

; she wrote for a number of newspapers and magazines around the turn of the century. She married actor John Lowell Russell in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

in 1901; they had two children, future

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

John L. Russell and future actress

Evangeline Russell Evangeline Frances Russell (August 18, 1902 – February 22, 1966) was an American actress known for her work in silent Westerns of the 1920s. She was the daughter of actor John Lowell Russell and screenwriter Lillian Case Russell. Her brot ...

. By 1925, they had relocated to

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' ...

, where she wrote

scripts Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...

for

Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

and he worked as an actor. She wrote more than 30 scripts between 1914 and 1926. Many of her films were for Blazed Trail Productions, which specialized in

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

. She enjoyed fostering young talent in the industry, and wrote two of the earliest books on

screenwriting Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession. Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, devel ...

. She was found dead in the pool at her son John's house in

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North H ...

, in 1947; the cause of death was listed as drowning.

Partial filmography

*'' All for a Girl'' (1915) *''

The Two Edged Sword ''The Two Edged Sword'' is a 1916 silent Vitagraph drama directed by George D. Baker. The film was written by Eugene V. Brewster and Lillian Case Russell, and it starred Edith Storey and Evart Overton. Plot A bored married woman (Josephine E ...

'' (1915) *''

The Black Butterfly ''The Black Butterfly'' is a lost 1916 American silent drama film starring Olga Petrova and released by Metro Pictures. The last known copy was destroyed in the 1965 MGM vault fire. Extant footage was posted online in 2019. Cast *Olga Petrova ...

'' (1916) *''

The Soul of a Magdalen ''The Soul of a Magdalen'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Burton L. King and starring Olga Petrova, Wyndham Standing and Mahlon Hamilton.Lowe p.425 Cast * Olga Petrova as Heloise Broulette * Wyndham Standing as Leland Norton * ...

'' (1917) *'' Somewhere in Georgia'' (1917) (short) *'' To the Death'' (1917) *'' The Light Within'' (1918) *''

The Life Mask ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1918) *''

Tempered Steel Tempering is a process of heat treating, which is used to increase the toughness of iron-based alloys. Tempering is usually performed after hardening, to reduce some of the excess hardness, and is done by heating the metal to some temperature be ...

'' (1918) *'' Merely Players'' (1918) *''

The Water Lily ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1919) *''

Fruits of Passion ''Fruits of Passion'' (french: Les fruits de la passion; ja, 上海異人娼館／チャイナ・ドール, ) is a 1981 French-Japanese co-production directed by Shūji Terayama and starring Klaus Kinski. The film is loosely based on the novel ...

'' (1919) *'' The Clouded Name'' (1919) *'' The Heart of Big Dan'' (1920) *'' Cousin Kate'' (1921) *''

The Wakefield Case ''The Wakefield Case'' is a 1921 American silent mystery film directed by George Irving, produced by Lois Weber and starring Herbert Rawlinson. It was released through World Film Company. Cast *Herbert Rawlinson as Wakefield Jr. *John P. Wade a ...

'' (1921) *'' Ten Nights in a Bar Room'' (1921) *''

Lost in a Big City ''Lost in a Big City'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by George Irving and starring John Lowell, Charles Byer and Jane Thomas.Munden p.452 Cast * John Lowell as Harry Farley * Baby Ivy Ward as Florence * Jane Thomas as Helen * ...

'' (1923) *'' The Broken Violin'' (1923) *''

Floodgates Floodgates, also called stop gates, are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and ...

'' (1924) *'' Red Love'' (1925) *'' The Big Show'' (1926)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Case Russell, Lillian 1876 births 1947 deaths Screenwriters from South Dakota American women screenwriters 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters