Oliver H. P. Garrett (May 6, 1894 – February 22, 1952) was an American film director, writer, newspaperman, and rifleman.
Biography
Oliver H. P. Garrett was born in
Laurens County, South Carolina.
By the fall of 1917 he was a rifleman who fought against the Germans, but he was wounded and won the
Distinguished Service Cross. He interviewed
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
and
Adolf Hitler in 1923 after the failed Pusch and in the early 1930s. He was a
newspaperman
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
for ''
The Sun'' in the 1920s, and he was the only on board of the
SS ''Morro Castle'' until his burning and sinking. He was hired by
David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture.
E ...
after writing the final script of ''
Gone with the Wind'' (1939) because
Scott Fitzgerald wanted a film of conventional length.
Garrett was a close friend and next-door neighbour to Hollywood producer
Irving Thalberg. When Thalberg married movie star
Norma Shearer, Oliver was the usher of the wedding.
Career
He directed and wrote the screenplay for ''
Careful, Soft Shoulder
''Careful, Soft Shoulders'' is a 1942 American comedy film written and directed by Oliver H. P. Garrett. The film stars Virginia Bruce, James Ellison, Aubrey Mather, Sheila Ryan, Ralph Byrd and Sigfrid Tor. It was released on September 18, ...
'' (1942).
The script employs a
first-person narrative and his direction is not imaginative and uses a first-person camera.
He wrote the story and dialogue for ''
Street of Chance'' (1942), based on the life of the gangster
Arthur Rothstein and it is a remake of the
1930 film. According to
Louella O. Parsons
Louella Parsons (born Louella Rose Oettinger; August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American movie columnist and a screenwriter. She was retained by William Randolph Hearst because she had championed Hearst's mistress Marion Davies and su ...
, "Oliver H. P. Garrett has written a thriling story, but even so, much of the credit must go to
John Cromwell, who directed the story with finesse and with a fine regard for detail.
He wrote the story for the crime drama ''
Her Husband Lies'' (1937), which was adapted and was also a remake of ''Street of Chance'', starring
William Powell and
Kay Francis. He wrote the screenplay and the dialogue of ''
For the Defense'' (1930), and ''
Scandal Sheet'' (1931). ''
The Texan'' (1930) was based on an adaption of the story ''The Double-Eyed Deceiver''. ''
City Streets'' (1931), directed by
Rouben Mamoulian, was adapted by
Max Marcin and Garrett wrote the script. He wrote the screenplay for ''
The Man I Married'' (1940).
Filmography
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garrett, Oliver H.P.
1894 births
1952 deaths
American film directors
American newspaper writers
American male screenwriters
American television writers
Screenwriters from South Carolina
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American journalists
American male journalists
United States Army personnel of World War II
American male non-fiction writers
American male television writers
20th-century American screenwriters