Lois Zellner (born Lois Grier; January 24, 1883 – January 14, 1937) was an American screenwriter active during Hollywood's
silent era
A silent film is a film with no synchronized 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) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...
. She also went by the name Lois Leeson later in her career.
Biography
Beginnings
Born Lois Grier to Clark Grier and Minnie Walthour, Zellner was raised in Macon, Georgia, where she met and married her first husband, John Wyncoup Murray Sr., in 1899 at age 15. The pair had three children before divorcing around 1911. Zellner moved to New York and got into advertising before finding her way as a journalist and writing scenarios on the side, pitching them but struggling to sell them.
Hollywood career
In 1913, she married
Arthur J. Zellner, future studio publicity man, in New York. The two would collaborate on a number of plays together before taking their savings and moving to Hollywood.
The first script Lois sold was 1916's ''The Innocent Lie'' (
Famous Players–Lasky
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...
). From 1916 through 1926, Lois worked steadily, writing scripts and scenarios for directors like
Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott, September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter.
Biography
Born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great direc ...
and
Victor Schertzinger
Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include ''Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930 in film, 1930), ''Something to Sing About (1937 fil ...
.
In 1921, she and Arthur Zellner divorced; a friend of hers testified that Lois had always been the breadwinner, and that it caused contention in the marriage. A few years after their marriage ended—around the time she signed a contract to work with
Edwin Carewe
Edwin Carewe (March 3, 1883 – January 22, 1940) was an American motion picture director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. His birth name was Jay John Fox; he was born in Gainesville, Texas.
Career
After brief studies at the Universities of ...
at
First National—she began going by the name Lois Leeson professionally.
She and Carewe worked on a number of films together in the 1920s. In 1928, her script from ''The Woman from Hell'' was made into a stage play performed at the Hollywood Playhouse before being turned into
a 1929 film of the same name.
In 1935 her script for
Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley (born Berkeley William Enos; November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berke ...
's ''
Bright Lights'' was acclaimed. She died in California in 1937.
Personal life
Lois was married three times. Two of her sons with John Murray forged careers for themselves in Hollywood: Clark Murray became an assistant director and a publicity man, and
Jack Murray became a film editor noted for his long collaboration with the director
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
.
Selected filmography
*''
Bright Lights'' (1935)
*''
The Woman from Hell
''The Woman from Hell'' newly renamed as ''The Woman from Luna'' was a 1929 American silent film drama produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation and starring Mary Astor. This film had a Movietone sound system, Movietone sound track of musi ...
'' (1929)
*''
Molly and Me
''Molly and Me'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Monty Woolley, Gracie Fields, Reginald Gardiner and Roddy McDowall and released by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay was based on the novel written by Frances ...
'' (1929)
*''
Pals First
''Pals First'' is a lost 1926 American silent drama film produced and directed by Edwin Carewe. It stars Dolores del Río and Lloyd Hughes. Edwin Carewe directed the earlier 1918 version for Yorke Film Corporation. It was also called ''Pals ...
'' (1926)
*''
High Steppers
''High Steppers'' is a 1926 American silent drama film produced and directed by Edwin Carewe and distributed by First National Pictures. The film is based on the novel ''Heirs Apparent'' by Philip Gibbs.
Plot
Julian Perryam ( Lloyd Hughes) ...
'' (1926)
*''
Law or Loyalty
''Law or Loyalty'' is a 1926 silent film
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, vari ...
'' (1926) (adaptation)
*''
Joanna
Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan (given name), Joan, Joann, Joanne (given name), Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in ...
'' (1925)
*''
Why Women Love
''Why Women Love'' (also known as ''Sea Woman'') is a 1925 American silent drama film produced and directed by Edwin Carewe and distributed by First National Pictures. Blanche Sweet starred in the film which was based on the Broadway play ''Th ...
'' (1925)
* ''
The Lady Who Lied'' (1925)
* ''
Drusilla with a Million
''Drusilla with a Million'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by F. Harmon Weight and written by Lois Zellner. It is based on the 1916 novel ''Drusilla With a Million'' by Elizabeth Cooper. The film stars Mary Carr, Priscilla Bonne ...
'' (1925) (scenario)
* ''
Speed
In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...
'' (1925) (adaptation)
* ''
Flaming Love
''Flaming Love'', also known as ''Frivolous Sal'', is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Victor Schertzinger for First National Pictures. The film involves a female saloon owner in the Old West, her weak-willed new actor husband, a ...
'' (1925)
* ''
The Family Secret'' (1924) (scenario)
* ''
The Foolish Virgin
''For the earlier silent.film of the same name see The Foolish Virgin (1916 film)''
''The Foolish Virgin'' is a lost 1924 American silent romantic drama film released by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by George W. Hill and stars Elaine H ...
'' (1924)
* ''
The Law Forbids'' (1924)
* ''
The Whispered Name'' (1924)
* ''
Bag and Baggage
''Bag and Baggage'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Finis Fox and starring Gloria Grey, John Roche and Carmelita Geraghty.Munden p.36
Cast
* Gloria Grey as Hope Anthony
* John Roche as Hal Tracy
* Carmelita Geraghty as ...
'' (1923)
* ''
The Man Between
''The Man Between'' (also known as ''Berlin Story'') is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason, Claire Bloom and Hildegard Knef. The screenplay concerns a British woman on a visit to post-war Berlin, who is ...
'' (1923)
* ''
The Scarlet Lily'' (1923)
* ''
The Lonely Road'' (1923) (adaptation)
* ''
Her Accidental Husband'' (1923)
* ''
Refuge'' (1923)
* ''
White Shoulders
''White Shoulders'' is a lost 1931 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Melville W. Brown and starring Mary Astor and Jack Holt, with major supporting roles by Ricardo Cortez and Sidney Toler. The film was produced and distributed b ...
'' (1922) (adaptation)
* ''
Rich Men's Wives
''Rich Men's Wives'' is a lost 1922 American silent drama film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and starring House Peters, Claire Windsor and Gaston Glass.
Synopsis
A bored wife of a wealthy man is irritated by his neglect, and is drawn into a flirt ...
'' (1922) (scenario)
* ''
Should a Wife Work?'' (1922)
* ''
Fine Feathers'' (1921)
* ''
Payment Guaranteed'' (1921)
* ''
The Misleading Lady'' (1920) (scenario)
* ''
The Gamesters
''The Gamesters'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by George L. Cox and starring Margarita Fischer, Hayward Mack and Lee Shumway.Darby p.466
Cast
* Margarita Fischer as Rose
* Hayward Mack as Jim Welch
* Lee Shumway as Marshall ...
'' (1920) (story)
* ''
Someone in the House
Someone may refer to:
Literature
* ''Someone'' (Edwards novel), a 2014 novel by A.M. Edwards
* ''Someone'' (McDermott novel), a 2013 novel by Alice McDermott
Songs
* "Someone" (Lee Greenwood song), 1987
* "Someone" (The Rembrandts song), 19 ...
'' (1920) (scenario)
* ''
The Misfit Wife
''The Misfit Wife'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Edmund Mortimer and starring Alice Lake, Forrest Stanley and William Steele.Goble p.220 It is based on the 1916 play ''The Outsider'' by Julie Herne.
Cast
* Alice Lake as K ...
'' (1920) (scenario)
* ''
The Cheater'' (1920)
* ''
The Dangerous Talent
''The Dangerous Talent'' is a lost 1920 silent film directed by George L. Cox and starring Margarita Fischer and Harry Hilliard. It was released by Pathé Exchange.
Cast
*Margarita Fischer - Leila Mead
* Harry Hilliard - Gilbert Ellis
*Beatrice ...
'' (1920)
* ''
Eve in Exile
''Eve in Exile'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Burton George based upon a novel by Cosmo Hamilton. It stars stage actress Charlotte Wallker and was distributed by Pathe Exchange.
The film is preserved in the Library of Congre ...
'' (1919) (scenario)
* ''
Turning the Tables'' (1919) (scenario)
* ''
Nobody Home'' (1919) (scenario)
* ''
Bill Henry'' (1919) (scenario)
* ''
Happy Though Married'' (1919) (scenario)
* ''
His Bonded Wife
''His Bonded Wife'' is a lost 1918 silent film comedy drama directed by Charles Brabin and starring Emmy Wehlen. It was produced by Maxwell Karger and distributed through Metro Pictures.
Cast
*Emmy Wehlen as Doris Morse
*Frank Currier as Digby ...
'' (1918) (story)
* ''
The Silent Woman'' (1918) (story)
* ''
Money Mad'' (1918) (scenario)
* ''
The Girl from Bohemia'' (1918) (story)
* ''
Friend Husband
''Friend Husband'' is a 1918 American silent comedy drama directed by Clarence G. Badger and starring Madge Kennedy and Rockliffe Fellowes. It was released by Goldwyn Pictures and features a plot about a will requiring that the heir be married.
P ...
'' (1918) (story)
* ''
A Mother's Secret'' (1918) (story)
* ''
Over the Hill'' (1917)
* ''
Giving Becky a Chance
''Giving Becky a Chance'' is a 1917 American drama silent film directed by Howard Estabrook, and written by Lois Zellner and Edith Kennedy. The film stars Vivian Martin, Jack Holt, Jack Richardson, Pietro Sosso and Alice Knowland. The film was ...
'' (1917) (story)
* ''
As Men Love
''As Men Love'' is a lost film, lost 1917 American Drama film, drama silent film directed by E. Mason Hopper, and written by Adele Harris and Lois Zellner. The film stars House Peters, Sr., Myrtle Stedman, Jack W. Johnston, and Helen Jerome Eddy. ...
'' (1917) (story)
* ''
The Little Brother
''The Little Brother'' is a 1917 American silent drama directed by Charles Miller and starring William Garwood and Australian actress Enid Bennett. The scenario was written by Lambert Hillyer based on a story by Lois Zellner.
Cast
*Enid Bennett ...
'' (1917) (story)
* ''
The Innocent Lie
''The Innocent Lie'' is a 1916 American silent film produced by Famous Players Film Company and distributed by Paramount. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Valentine Grant as leading woman.
Plot
Cast
* Valentine Grant as Nora O'Brie ...
'' (1916) (scenario)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zellner, Lois
1883 births
1937 deaths
American women screenwriters
Screenwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
Women film pioneers
Writers from Macon, Georgia
Silent film screenwriters