Sada Louise Cowan (1882–1943)
was an American writer who began her career as a playwright. She soon switched to writing feature films and is best known for her work on the films ''
Don't Change Your Husband
''Don't Change Your Husband'' is a 1919 American Silent film, silent comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gloria Swanson. The film was the third of six "marriage films" directed by DeMille and the first DeMille film starring Gl ...
'' and ''
Why Change Your Wife?
''Why Change Your Wife?'' is a 1920 American Silent film, silent comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gloria Swanson.
Plot
Frumpy wife Beth devotes herself to bettering her husband's mind and expanding his appreciation for the ...
''. Cowan worked closely with director
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
throughout her career.
Early life
Sada Louise Cowan was born on September 8, 1882 in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
. She attended a private boarding school in the Boston area.
However, as a teenager Cowan moved to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to study music. After finding that writing music was not fulfilling enough for her she switched to writing plays.
In
Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
she wrote her first hit play from start to finish in two hours titled, ''Sintram of Skagerrak''. Cowan's inspiration for writing this play was hearing
Frederick Lamond’s piano recital of
Chopin.
She started to write plays that got her name on the map. These were titled ''The State Forbids'', ''In the Morgue'', ''Playing the Game'', ''The Moonlit Way'', ''The Wonder of the Age'', ''The Honor of America'' and ''Pomp,'' respectively.
Silent film
After success writing plays, Cowan switched over to writing full length silent films. In 1919, at thirty-six years old, her first film, ''
The Woman Under Cover
''The Woman Under Cover'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film directed by George Siegmann and starring Fritzi Brunette. It was based on a play by Sada Cowan and produced and distributed by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company.
Plot
As ...
'', starring
Fritzi Brunette
Fritzi Brunette (born Florence Brunet; May 27, 1890 – September 28, 1943) was an American actress.
Early years
Fritzi Brunette was born Florence Brunet in Savannah, Georgia, or in Boston although some sources list her birthname as Florence Si ...
, was completed. The film was described by the ''
Exhibitors Herald'' as heavily dramatic but with frequent and smartly placed bits of humor dispersed within it.
This successful film led to Cowan’s writing of numerous others, in which she worked with directors such as
Harry Garson
Harry Garson (1882 – September 21, 1938) was an American film director and producer. He directed 29 films between 1920 and 1934, and produced 11 films before that. He was born in Rochester, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.
...
and Cecil B. DeMille.
Some of Cowan’s most popular films include ''
The Reckless Lady
''The Reckless Lady'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Howard Higgin and starring Belle Bennett, Lois Moran, James Kirkwood, and Lowell Sherman.
Plot
As described in a film magazine review, the attentions of Feodor, a Russian ...
'' and ''
The Charmer''.
''Why Change Your Wife?''
''Why Change Your Wife?'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, was one of Cowan’s most successful films. This film blazed a trail of “light and merry” films to follow it and included the wealth, clothing, and romance for which the 1920s are remembered.
The film starred
Gloria Swanson
Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...
and
Bebe Daniels
Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer.
She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals such ...
and depicted the story of a man's marriage trials and tribulations between his first and second wives.
The film cost $130,000 to produce and made $1,000,000.
This was Cowan's first film that she wrote under director Cecil B. DeMille. At the time she was making only $25 a week, which was eventually raised to $60 per week.
At first, DeMille dismissed her as a “failed writer” and believed her to be not capable of success. However, after the success of this film, and the many others she worked on with DeMille, she became one of his top writers and highest-paid staff members.
Impact on the industry
The majority of Cowan's films revolve around the themes of marriage, divorce, love and infidelity.
Cowan was a pioneer for women's writers in film. She was joined in her time by two other prominent women writers in the industry,
Frances Marion
Frances Marion (born Marion Benson Owens, November 18, 1888 – May 12, 1973) was an American screenwriter, director, journalist and author often cited as one of the most renowned female screenwriters of the 20th century alongside June Mathis a ...
and
June Mathis
June Mathis (born June Beulah Hughes, January 30, 1887 – July 26, 1927) was an American screenwriter. Mathis was the first female executive for Metro/MGM and at only 35, she was the highest paid executive in Hollywood. In 1926 she was voted ...
. Cowan was one of the first American writers to travel abroad to Europe and work with foreign directors.
She has written and received writing credit on numerous famous films from the 1920s and '30s.
Personal life
Cowan was married two times, with both marriages resulting in divorce. Her first marriage was to Frederick James Pitt.
In 1929, Cowan remarried to Dr. Ernest L. Commons. After her second marriage, Cowan's whereabouts were relatively unknown, with many speculating she was traveling around Europe or the Orient. However, in 1932 that she came back into the picture of American writers.
Death
Cowan died on July 31, 1943, at the age of 60, in
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' ...
.
The final film that she worked on was ''
Samson and Delilah
Samson and Delilah are Biblical
figures.
Samson and Delilah may also refer to:
In music
* ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns
* ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown
* "Samson and Delilah" (t ...
'' was released in 1950, seven years after her passing.
Filmography
* ''
The Woman Under Cover
''The Woman Under Cover'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film directed by George Siegmann and starring Fritzi Brunette. It was based on a play by Sada Cowan and produced and distributed by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company.
Plot
As ...
'' (dir.
George Siegmann
George A. Siegmann (also credited as George Seigmann; February 8, 1882 – June 22, 1928) was an American actor and film director in the silent film era. His work includes roles in notable productions such as ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915), ' ...
, 1919)
* ''
Why Change Your Wife?
''Why Change Your Wife?'' is a 1920 American Silent film, silent comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gloria Swanson.
Plot
Frumpy wife Beth devotes herself to bettering her husband's mind and expanding his appreciation for the ...
'' (dir.
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
, 1920)
* ''
Seeds of Vengeance
''Seeds of Vengeance'' is an American film released in 1920. It was directed by Ollie Sellers. It was an adaptation of Margaret Prescott's ''The Sowing of Alderson Cree''. The film starred Bernard Durning. It was a C. R. Macauley Photoplay.
It ...
'' (dir.
Ollie Sellers
Ollie L. Sellers (born Oliver Sellers in 1885) was an American film director. Before becoming a director he was a production manager at Triangle Film Corporation. He worked with Gloria Swanson. He wrote the screenplay adapted from a novel and di ...
, 1920) - Screenplay based on a novel by
Margaret Prescott Montague
* ''
Hush
Hush may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young
* ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow
* ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi
* ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...
'' (dir.
Harry Garson
Harry Garson (1882 – September 21, 1938) was an American film director and producer. He directed 29 films between 1920 and 1934, and produced 11 films before that. He was born in Rochester, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.
...
, 1921)
* ''
Straight from Paris
''Straight from Paris'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Garson and starring Clara Kimball Young, Bertram Grassby and Betty Francisco.Connelly p.46
Cast
* Clara Kimball Young as Lucette Grenier
* Bertram Grassby as Robert ...
'' (dir.
Harry Garson
Harry Garson (1882 – September 21, 1938) was an American film director and producer. He directed 29 films between 1920 and 1934, and produced 11 films before that. He was born in Rochester, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.
...
, 1921)
* ''
Courage
Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle.
Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...
'' (dir.
Sidney Franklin, 1921) - Screenplay based on a story by
Andrew Soutar
Andrew Soutar (1879 – 1941) was a British novelist and journalist.
Biography
Born Edward Andrew Stagg, Soutar married Elspeth Soutar Swinton in 1907 at Prestwich, Lancashire adopting the name Soutar shortly after. Soutar was a correspondent, b ...
* ''
Charge It
newspaper advert
''Charge It'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Clara Kimball Young.
Cast
*Clara Kimball Young - Julia Lawrence
*Herbert Rawlinson - Philip Lawrence
* Edward M. Kimball - Tom Garreth
*Be ...
'' (dir.
Harry Garson
Harry Garson (1882 – September 21, 1938) was an American film director and producer. He directed 29 films between 1920 and 1934, and produced 11 films before that. He was born in Rochester, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.
...
, 1921)
* ''
What No Man Knows'' (dir.
Harry Garson
Harry Garson (1882 – September 21, 1938) was an American film director and producer. He directed 29 films between 1920 and 1934, and produced 11 films before that. He was born in Rochester, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.
...
, 1921)
* ''
Fool's Paradise'' (dir.
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
, 1921) - Screenplay based on a story by
Leonard Merrick
* ''
The Worldly Madonna
''The Worldly Madonna'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Clara Kimball Young and William P. Carleton..
Plot
A nun at the convent, Janet Trevor plans to save her sister Lucy, who's been framed for murd ...
'' (dir.
Harry Garson
Harry Garson (1882 – September 21, 1938) was an American film director and producer. He directed 29 films between 1920 and 1934, and produced 11 films before that. He was born in Rochester, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.
...
, 1921)
* ''Brass'' (dir.
Sidney Franklin, 1923) - Screenplay based on a novel by
Charles Gilman Norris
Charles Gilman Norris (April 23, 1881 – July 25, 1945) was an American novelist. A native of Chicago, Norris worked as a journalist for some years before finding success as a novelist and playwright. His first book was ''The Amateur'' (1916). ...
* ''
The Rustle of Silk
''The Rustle of Silk'' is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Betty Compson. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on the 1922 novel by writer ...
'' (dir.
Herbert Brenon
Herbert Brenon (born Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon; 13 January 1880 – 21 June 1958) was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through the 1930s.
Brenon was among the early film ...
, 1923) - Screenplay based on a novel by
Cosmo Hamilton
Cosmo Hamilton (29 April 1870 – 14 October 1942), born Henry Charles Hamilton Gibbs, was an English playwright and novelist. He was the brother of writers Arthur Hamilton Gibbs, Francis William Hamilton Gibbs, Helen Katherine Hamilton Gibbs an ...
* ''
Bluebeard's 8th Wife
''Bluebeard's 8th Wife'' (alternately ''Bluebeard's Eighth Wife'') is a 1923 American silent romantic comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Sam Wood and stars Gloria Swanson. The ...
'' (dir.
Sam Wood
Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...
, 1923) - Screenplay based on a play by
Alfred Savoir
Alfred Poznański (23 January 1883 – 26 June 1934), better known by his alias Alfred Savoir, was a Polish-born French comedy playwright of Jewish background.
Career
Alfred Poznański was born into a Jewish family in the Polish city of Łódź ...
* ''
The Silent Partner
''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 ...
'' (dir.
Charles Maigne
Charles Maigne (November 11, 1879 – November 28, 1929) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era. He wrote for 32 films between 1916 and 1928. He also directed 18 films between 1918 and 1923. He was born in Rich ...
, 1923) - Screenplay based on newspaper articles by Maximilian Foster
* ''
Fashion Row
''Fashion Row'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Mae Murray in a dual role, Earle Foxe, and Freeman Wood. The film involves two Russian sisters emigrate to America. One tries to hide her peasant ori ...
'' (dir.
Robert Z. Leonard
Robert Zigler Leonard (October 7, 1889 – August 27, 1968) was an American film director, actor, producer, and screenwriter.
Biography
He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to silent star Mae Murray with the two formin ...
, 1923)
* ''
Lucretia Lombard
''Lucretia Lombard'', also known as ''Flaming Passion'', is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Jack Conway and produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Based upon the 1922 novel of the same name by Kathleen Norris, it stars Irene R ...
'' (dir.
Jack Conway, 1923) - Screenplay based on a novel by
Kathleen Norris
Kathleen Thompson Norris (July 16, 1880 – January 18, 1966) was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. N ...
* ''
Don't Doubt Your Husband
''Don't Doubt Your Husband'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, Allan Forrest and Winifred Bryson.Parish & Pitts p.22
Cast
* Viola Dana as Helen Blake
* Allan Forrest as Richard Blake
* W ...
'' (dir.
Harry Beaumont
Harry Beaumont (10 February 1888 – 22 December 1966) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including 20th Century Fox, Fox, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, Goldwyn, Metro Picture ...
, 1924)
* ''
Changing Husbands
''Changing Husbands'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring Leatrice Joy and Victor Varconi, directed by Paul Iribe and Frank Urson, and written by Sada Cowan and Howard Higgin. The runtime of the film is 70 minutes.
Cast
Preservati ...
'' (dir.
Paul Iribe
Paul Iribe (8 June 1883 – 21 September 1935) was a French illustrator and designer in the decorative arts. He worked in Hollywood during the 1920s and was Coco Chanel's lover from 1931 to his death.
Early life and career
Joseph Paul Iribe was b ...
and
Frank Urson
Frank John Urson (March 21, 1887 – August 17, 1928) was an American silent film Film director, director and cinematographer from Chicago, Illinois. Originally a photographer, he moved on to cinematography and film directing for the Thanhouser Co ...
, 1924)
* ''
Broken Barriers'' (dir.
Reginald Barker
Reginald C. Barker (April 2, 1886 – February 23, 1945) was a pioneer film director.
Biography
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Barker's family moved to Scotland when he was an infant and then to the United States. Living in California, ...
, 1924) - Screenplay based on a novel by
Meredith Nicholson
Meredith Nicholson (December 9, 1866 – December 21, 1947) was a best-selling author from Indiana, United States, a politician, and a diplomat.
Biography
Nicholson was born on December 9, 1866, in Crawfordsville, Indiana, to Edward Willis Nic ...
* ''
East of Suez
East of Suez is used in British military and political discussions in reference to interests beyond the European theatre, and east of the Suez Canal, and may or may not include the Middle East. '' (dir.
Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He w ...
, 1925) - Screenplay based on a play by
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
* ''
Smouldering Fires'' (dir.
Clarence Brown
Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director.
Early life
Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to Larkin Harry Brown, a cotton manufacturer, and Katherine Ann Brown (née Gaw), Brown moved to Tennessee when he ...
, 1925)
* ''
The Charmer'' (dir.
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 ...
, 1925)
* ''
In the Name of Love'' (dir.
Howard Higgin
Howard Higgin (February 15, 1891 - December 16, 1938) was an American writer and director of motion pictures in the 1920s and 1930s.
Biography
After graduating from the Pratt Institute, Higgin began working at the architectural firm McKim, Mead & ...
, 1925) - Screenplay based on ''
The Lady of Lyons
''The Lady of Lyons; or, Love and Pride'', commonly known as ''The Lady of Lyons'', is a five act romantic melodrama written in 1838 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton. It was first produced in London at Covent Garden Theatre on 15 Februar ...
'' by
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secret ...
* ''
The Trouble with Wives
''The Trouble with Wives'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, written by Sada Cowan and Howard Higgin, and starring Florence Vidor, Tom Moore, Esther Ralston, Ford Sterling, Lucy Beaumont, and Edgar Kennedy. ...
'' (dir.
Malcolm St. Clair, 1925)
* ''
The New Commandment
The New Commandment is a term used in Christianity to describe Jesus's commandment to "love one another" which, according to the Bible, was given as part of the final instructions to his disciples after the Last Supper had ended, and after Judas ...
'' (dir.
Howard Higgin
Howard Higgin (February 15, 1891 - December 16, 1938) was an American writer and director of motion pictures in the 1920s and 1930s.
Biography
After graduating from the Pratt Institute, Higgin began working at the architectural firm McKim, Mead & ...
, 1925) - Screenplay based on a novel by Frederick Palmer
* ''
The Reckless Lady
''The Reckless Lady'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Howard Higgin and starring Belle Bennett, Lois Moran, James Kirkwood, and Lowell Sherman.
Plot
As described in a film magazine review, the attentions of Feodor, a Russian ...
'' (dir.
Howard Higgin
Howard Higgin (February 15, 1891 - December 16, 1938) was an American writer and director of motion pictures in the 1920s and 1930s.
Biography
After graduating from the Pratt Institute, Higgin began working at the architectural firm McKim, Mead & ...
, 1926) - Screenplay based on a story by
Philip Gibbs
Sir Philip Armand Hamilton Gibbs KBE (1 May 1877 – 10 March 1962) was an English journalist and prolific author of books who served as one of five official British reporters during the First World War. Four of his siblings were also write ...
* ''
Mismates
''Mismates'' is a 1926 silent film starring Doris Kenyon and Warner Baxter. The movie was written by Sada Cowan from a play by Myron C. Fagan and directed by Charles Brabin. This film is now lost.Charles Brabin
Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director.
Biography
Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New York City in the early 1900s and, while hold ...
, 1926) - Screenplay based on a play by
Myron C. Fagan
Myron Coureval Fagan (October 31, 1887 – May 12, 1972) was an American writer, producer and director for film and theatre and a red scare figure in the late 1940s and 1950s. Fagan was an ardent anti-communist and influential conspiracy theory ...
* ''
Stand and Deliver
''Stand and Deliver'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Ramón Menéndez, written by Menéndez and Tom Musca, based on the true story of a high school mathematics teacher, Jaime Escalante. For portraying Escalante, Edward James Olmos wa ...
'' (dir.
Donald Crisp
Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ...
, 1928)
* ''
Woman in the Dark'' (dir.
Phil Rosen
Philip E. Rosen (May 8, 1888 – October 22, 1951) was an American film director and cinematographer. He directed more than 140 films between 1915 and 1949.
He was born in Marienburg, German Empire (now, Malbork, Poland), grew up in Ma ...
, 1934) - Screenplay based on a story by
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...
* ''
Forbidden Heaven
''Forbidden Heaven'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Reginald Barker and written by Sada Cowan and Jefferson Parker. The film stars Charles Farrell, Charlotte Henry, Beryl Mercer, Fred Walton (actor), Fred Walton, Eric Wilton and Phylli ...
'' (dir.
Reginald Barker
Reginald C. Barker (April 2, 1886 – February 23, 1945) was a pioneer film director.
Biography
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Barker's family moved to Scotland when he was an infant and then to the United States. Living in California, ...
, 1935) - Screenplay based on a story by Christine Jope-Slade
* ''
Stop, Look and Love
''Stop, Look and Love'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Otto Brower and starring Jean Rogers, William Frawley, and Robert Kellard.
See also
*''The Family Upstairs'' (1926)
*''Harmony at Home'' (1930)
References
External links''Stop, ...
'' (dir.
Otto Brower
Otto Brower (December 2, 1890 – January 25, 1946) was an American film director. He directed more than 40 films between 1928 and 1946. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and died in Hollywood, California, from a myocardial infarction, ...
, 1939) - Screenplay based on a play by Harry Delf
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Sada
1882 births
1943 deaths
American women screenwriters
Women film pioneers
20th-century American women writers
20th-century American screenwriters