Rian James ''(né'' Julian Herbert Rothschild; October 3, 1899 – April 26, 1953) was an American screenwriter and author. He wrote for more than 30 films between 1932 and 1947.

Career

A " Jack of all trades", James was a columnist covering arts and entertainment for the '' Brooklyn Eagle'' from about 1928 to 1935. He later was a foreign correspondent, parachute jumper, stunt man, airmail pilot, Air Force lieutenant, vaudeville actor, and finally, writer, director and producer.

Selected works

* ''Dining in New York'' (2nd ed.), John Day Company (1931); * ''Love is a Racket'', Alfred H. King (1931); * ''42nd Street'' (screenplay); * ''Helldorado'' * ''Not Made In Heaven'', Julian Messner (1936) * ''

Broadway Limited The ''Broadway Limited'' was a passenger train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) between New York City and Chicago. It operated from 1912 to 1995. It was the Pennsylvania's premier train, competing directly with the New York Central ...

'' (1941)

Selected filmography

; As story writer * ''

Love Is a Racket ''Love Is a Racket'' ( UK title: ''Such Things Happen'') is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy-drama film, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Ann Dvorak. The movie was written by Courtney Terrett from the novel by Rian James Rian Jame ...

'' (1932) * '' Parachute Jumper'' (1933) * ''

Down Argentine Way ''Down Argentine Way'' is a 1940 American musical film made in Technicolor by Twentieth Century Fox. It made a star of Betty Grable in her first leading role for the studio although she had already appeared in 31 films, and it introduced American ...

'' (1940) * '' Eve Knew Her Apples'' (1945) ; As screenwriter * '' 42nd Street'' (1933) * '' Mary Stevens, M.D.'' (1933) * ''

Lawyer Man ''Lawyer Man'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Dieterle, based on the novel by Max Trell. The film stars William Powell and Joan Blondell. It was produced by Warner Bros. By the time of the release, several actors w ...

'' (1933) * '' Gift of Gab'' (1934) * ''

The Witness Chair ''The Witness Chair'' is a 1936 courtroom drama film directed by George Nicholls, Jr. and starring Ann Harding and Walter Abel. Plot Late one night, secretary Paula Young (Ann Harding) leaves the office of her boss, Stanley Whittaker (Douglas ...

'' (1936) * '' Walking on Air'' (1936) * '' Internes Can't Take Money'' (1937) * ''

The Housekeeper's Daughter ''The Housekeeper's Daughter'' is a 1939 comedy film directed and produced by Hal Roach. The film stars Joan Bennett, Adolphe Menjou and John Hubbard. The screenplay was written by Rian James, Gordon Douglas, Jack Jevne and Claude Martin, base ...

'' (1939) * '' The Gorilla'' (1939) * ''

'' (1941) * ''

Parachute Nurse ''Parachute Nurse'' is a 1942 Columbia Pictures film about the Aerial Nurse Corps. The film was directed by Charles Barton. Plot Inspired by a visit from their old friend Lieutenant Mullins, an officer in the Aerial Nurse Corps, nurses Glenda W ...

'' (1942) * ''Not a Ladies Man'' (1942) * ''

La Otra ''La Otra'' (English: ''The Other Woman'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Ernesto Alonso for Televisa in 2002. On Monday, May 20, 2002, Canal de las Estrellas started broadcasting ''La Otra'' weekdays at 8:00pm, replacing ''Salomé''. Th ...

'' (1946), remade as '' Dead Ringer'' (1964) * '' Whispering City'' (1947) * ''

La Forteresse La Forteresse () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. Geography La Forteresse is located in the valley of Rival, and is about 550 meters away from Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs. History La Forteresse belonged until 1 ...

'' (1947) ; As adaptation writer * ''

The White Parade ''The White Parade'' is a 1934 film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Loretta Young and John Boles. It was written by Rian James, Jesse Lasky Jr., Sonya Levien and Ernest Pascal, from the novel by Rian James. Dedicated to "the memory of ...

'' (1934) * '' The Dragon Murder Case'' (1934)

Family history

Several biographical sources state that James was born in

Eagle Pass, Texas Eagle Pass is a city in and the county seat of Maverick County in the U.S. state of Texas. Its population was 28,130 as of the 2020 census. Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is to the southwest and across t ...

. But he was actually born in

Manhattan, New York 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 ...

, October 3, 1899, to Alexander Walter Rothschild and Sophie Nusbaum. James died at age 53, from Leukemia, in Newport Beach, California. He was survived by wife Anne James ''(née'' Marina Alexeieff Zeitlin, known as Anne Andre; born 1919), an English actress, and children, Rian Jeffrey James and Victoria James. James' mother was a sister-in-law of songwriter Albert Von Tilzer. ; Prior marriages * Dorothy Pauline Barmon (1902–1976), married March 31, 1921 * Goldie Jane H. Taub (born 1904), married April 28, 1924, Manhattan, New York * Diane Corday, married May 5, 1930, divorced April 18, 1936

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:James, Rian 1899 births 1953 deaths American male screenwriters People from Eagle Pass, Texas Screenwriters from Texas 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters