Victor Kendall (26 September 1903–date unknown) was a British

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. ...

notable for his work in the 1930s. Kendall wrote the screenplay for ''

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

'' the first

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

portrayal of the

Titanic Disaster The sank in the early morning hours of 15 April 1912 in the North Atlantic Ocean, four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The largest ocean liner in service at the time, ''Titanic'' had an estimated 2,224 pe ...

.Richards p.12 Kendall worked for several British studios and production companies but spent most of his screenwriting career with the large British International Pictures organisation where he wrote scripts for several of the companies leading directors such as Ewald André Dupont and

Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, ''The Man in the Street'' (1926), '' ...

. According to

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

, this was the same person who proceeded to an acting career in the United States, commencing as one of the not-specifically named (and distinctly mature-looking) "Students" in the 1939

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

film

A Chump at Oxford ''A Chump at Oxford'' is a Hal Roach comedy film produced in 1939 and released in 1940 by United Artists. It was directed by Alfred J. Goulding and was the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film made at the Roach studio. The title echoes the film '' ...

. Other films through to 1943 in which an actor of this name appeared are listed in the same source. Against this background, it might be noted that there are no England and Wales birth records for any Victor Kendall in 1903, no sign of emigration to the United States in the 1930s, and no evidence of a person with such a name and approximate date of birth in the 1940 US Census. In that context, the lack of information on the death of this film-industry worker looks unsurprising.

Selected filmography

* ''

Weekend Wives ''Weekend Wives'' is a 1928 British silent comedy film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Monty Banks, Jameson Thomas and Estelle Brody. It was made at British International Pictures's Elstree Studios. The film is set in Paris and resort to ...

'' (1928) * ''

'' (1929) * '' Atlantik'' (1929) * '' High Seas'' (1929) * '' The Copper'' (1930) * '' Young Woodley'' (1930) * '' Night Birds'' (1930) * '' Atlantis'' (1930) * ''

Cape Forlorn ''Cape Forlorn'' is a 1931 British drama film directed by Ewald André Dupont and starring Fay Compton, Frank Harvey and Ian Hunter. It was the English-language version of a British International Pictures multiple-language production with Fr ...

'' (1931) * ''

Potiphar's Wife Potiphar's wife is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons. According to the Book of Genesis, she falsely accused Joseph of attempted r ...

'' (1931) * '' The Maid of the Mountains'' (1932) * '' Sleepless Nights'' (1932) * '' Love and Luck'' (1932) * ''

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

'' (1933) * ''

Heads We Go ''Heads We Go'' (U.S. title: ''The Charming Deceiver'') is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Constance Cummings, Frank Lawton and Binnie Barnes. It was made at Elstree Studios (Shenley Road), Elstree Studios by Briti ...

'' (1933) * ''

Meet Mr. Penny ''Meet Mr. Penny'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by David MacDonald and starring Richard Goolden, Vic Oliver and Fabia Drake. It was made at Welwyn Studios by British National Films.Wood p.98 Cast * Richard Goolden as Henry Penny * Vi ...

'' (1938) * ''

Night Alone ''Night Alone'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Emlyn Williams, Leonora Corbett and Lesley Brook. The film was shot at the Welwyn Studios of Associated British.Wood p.99 It was based on a play by Jeffrey De ...

'' (1938) * ''

Save a Little Sunshine ''Save a Little Sunshine'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Dave Willis, Pat Kirkwood and Tommy Trinder. Plot After he is sacked from his job, Dave Smalley buys a share in a hotel, but has to resort to workin ...

'' (1938) * '' Dead Men Are Dangerous'' (1939) * ''

(1940)''

References

Bibliography

* Low, Rachael. ''History of the British Film: Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985 . * Richards, Jeffrey. ''A Night to Remember: the Definitive Titanic Film: A British Film Guide''. I.B.Tauris, 2002.

External links

* 1903 births Year of death missing British male screenwriters {{UK-film-bio-stub