William Percy Lipscomb (born 1887 in

Merton, Surrey Merton is an ancient parish historically in Surrey, but which has since 1965 been part of Greater London (under its current name Merton Priory). It is bounded by Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon to the north, Mitcham to the east, Morden, Cheam and Cu ...

, England, died 25 July 1958) was a British-born Hollywood playwright, screenwriter, producer and director. He died in London in 1958, aged 71.

Career

Lipscomb edited a brewery magazine and wrote sketches for gramophone companies in his spare time. His first screenwriting first credit was '' Balaclava'' (1928). He wrote a short ''The Safe''. He worked regularly for

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

, adapting stage productions such as '' Splinters'' (1929). His adaptation of '' Rookery Nook'' (1930) by

Ben Travers Ben Travers (12 November 188618 December 1980) was an English writer. His output includes more than 20 plays, 30 screenplays, 5 novels, and 3 volumes of memoirs. He is best remembered for his long-running Aldwych farce, series of farces first ...

was so successful he adapted other works by Travers: '' A Night Like This'' (1931), ''

Plunder Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...

'' (1931), ''

The Chance of a Night Time ''The Chance of a Night Time'' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Ralph Lynn, Winifred Shotter and Kenneth Kove. The screenplay was written by Ben Travers based on his play ''The Dippers'', and the cast include ...

'' (1931), and '' Mischief'' (1931). He adapted '' On Approval'' (1930) and ''

Canaries Sometimes Sing ''Canaries Sometimes Sing'' is a 1931 British romantic comedy film, directed by Tom Walls. The film is a four-hander, starring Walls, Cathleen Nesbitt, Athole Stewart and Yvonne Arnaud. It is a screen version of the witty and sophisticated come ...

'' (1932) by

Frederick Lonsdale Frederick Lonsdale (5 February 1881 – 4 April 1954) was a British playwright known for his librettos to several successful musicals early in the 20th century, including '' King of Cadonia'' (1908), ''The Balkan Princess'' (1910), ''Betty'' (1 ...

. He also wrote some Jack Raymond films including ''

French Leave A French leave, sometimes Irish goodbye or Irish exit, is a departure from a location or event without informing others or without seeking approval. Examples include relatively innocuous acts such as leaving a party without bidding farewell in ...

'' (1930), '' The Great Game'' (1930), '' Tilly of Bloomsbury'' (1931), and '' The Speckled Band'' (1931). The latter was a

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

story as was ''

The Sign of Four ''The Sign of the Four'' (1890), also called ''The Sign of Four'', is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes by British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring the fictional detective. Plot ...

'' (1932). He was at a story conference for a project ''Dying to Live'' with a writer who died. He wrote thrillers for the gramophone such as ''His Master's Voice''. Lipscomb did vehicles for musical stars including Jack Hulbert ('' Jack's the Boy'' (1932));

Jessie Matthews Jessie Margaret Matthews (11 March 1907 – 19 August 1981) was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period. After a string of hit stage musicals and films in the mid-1930s, Ma ...

('' There Goes the Bride'' (1932) and '' The Man from Toronto'' (1932)). In 1931 he reportedly wrote an original for Jack Buchanan to be directed by Basil Dean, ''The Fun Men Have'' but it was not made. He did a radio play ''The Verdict'' (1933). Lipscomb was one of several writers in ''

The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...

'' (1933) starring Matthews, produced by

Michael Balcon Sir Michael Elias Balcon (19 May 1896 – 17 October 1977) was an English film producer known for his leadership of Ealing Studios in West London from 1938 to 1955. Under his direction, the studio became one of the most important British film ...

and directed by Victor Saville. Lipscomb worked on ''

Channel Crossing ''Channel Crossing'' is a 1933 British crime film directed by Milton Rosmer and starring Matheson Lang, Constance Cummings, Anthony Bushell and Nigel Bruce. It was shot partly on location and at the Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush.Wood p ...

'' (1933); '' Loyalties'' (1933) from the play by

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include ''The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize i ...

; ''

I Was a Spy ''I Was a Spy'' is a 1933 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall, and Conrad Veidt. Based on the 1932 memoir ''I Was a Spy'' by Marthe Cnockaert, the film is about her experiences as a B ...

'' (1933); and '' The King of Paris'' (1934) for Raymond. Lipscomb's success as writer enabled him to turn director as well as writer for ''

Colonel Blood Colonel Thomas Blood (1618 – 24 August 1680) was an Anglo-Irish officer and self-styled colonel best known for his attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England from the Tower of London in 1671. Described in an American source as a "no ...

'' (1934). It remains his only directorial credit. As a writer he did '' The Camels are Coming'' (1934) with Hulbert; ''

Soldiers of the King ''Soldiers of the Queen'' is a song written and composed by Leslie Stuart. The song is often sung and published as "Soldiers of the King" depending on the reigning monarch at the time. The tune was originally composed by Stuart as a march celebr ...

'' (1934); ''

King of Paris The Franks, Germanic-speaking peoples that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, were first led by individuals called dukes and reguli. The earliest group of Franks that rose to prominence was the Salian Merovingians, who con ...

'' (1934); and ''

Me and Marlborough ''Me and Marlborough'' is a 1935 British comedy film, directed by Victor Saville, and starring Cicely Courtneidge, Tom Walls, Barry MacKay, Peter Gawthorne, Henry Oscar and Cecil Parker. Plot Sergeant Cummings searches Kit Ross's pub for a des ...

'' (1935) with

Cicely Courtneidge Dame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge, (1 April 1893 – 26 April 1980) was an Australian-born British actress, comedian and singer. The daughter of the producer and playwright Robert Courtneidge, she was appearing in his productions in the West E ...

for Saville.

Hollywood

Lipscomb wrote a play with

R.J. Minney Rubeigh James "R.J." Minney (29 August 1895 – 5 January 1979) was a British film producer, journalist, playwright, editor and author. He was author of over 40 books including novels and biographies. As a film-maker and film producer, he worked w ...

, '' Clive of India'' (1934). It was a hit and

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

bought the film rights. Lipscomb did the adaptation in Hollywood and the 1935 film was a success. (Lipscomb would later adapt the play for British TV in 1938.) Lipscomb found himself in demand to adapt historical novels: ''

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

'' (1935), ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' (1935), '' A Tale of Two Cities'' (1935), '' A Message to Garcia'' (1936), ''

Under Two Flags Under Two Flags may refer to: *Under Two Flags (novel), a novel by British writer Ouida, and its adaptations: **Under Two Flags (play), a 1901 play by Paul M. Potter **Under Two Flags (1912 George Nichols film), ''Under Two Flags'' (1912 George Nich ...

'' (1936), and '' The Garden of Allah'' (1936). Universal hired him to do a version of '' Phantom of the Opera'' that was never used. In England, '' Troubled Waters'' (1936) based on his story was produced. He returned to England to write a play about

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

, ''Ninety Sails'' (1937). It was adapted for TV as '' Thank You, Mr. Pepys'' (1938). He worked on the adaptation of ''

Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...

'' (1938). In Hollywood Lipscomb was reportedly writing an Australian bushranging story ''Captain Midnight''. This became '' Captain Fury'' (1939) but Lipscomb is not credited. He worked on the scripts for '' The Sun Never Sets'' (1939), a pro British empire film. He also did '' Moon Over Burma'' (1940), ''

Pacific Blackout ''Pacific Blackout'' is a 1941 American mystery thriller film directed by Ralph Murphy and starring Robert Preston, Eva Gabor and Martha O'Driscoll.Parish & Pitts p.362 It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Plot Inventor and ...

'' (1941), and '' Forever and a Day'' (1943).

Producer

Lipscomb returned to England. He worked as producer and writer on ''

Beware of Pity ''Beware of Pity'' is a 1946 British romantic drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven and Cedric Hardwicke. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stefan Zweig. A paraplegic young baroness mistakes co ...

'' (1946) and ''

The Mark of Cain The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated in the story of Cain and Abel in the Book of Genesis. In the stories, if someone harmed Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physica ...

'' (1947). He wrote a play '' The Man with the Cloak Full of Holes'' (1946) and ''The Lady Maria'' (1947).

Australia

Lipscomb co-wrote a play about an Australian '' Pommy'' before ever visiting that country. Ealing sent Lipscomb to Australia to write '' Bitter Springs'' (1950) and a version of the bushranging novel '' Robbery Under Arms''. Ealing sent him to Africa to write '' Where No Vultures Fly'' (1951), which became a big hit. He then adapted a comic novel ''

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style (manner of address), style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder ...

'' (1952). Lipscomb produced and wrote '' Make Me an Offer'' (1955). He was one of several writers on ''

Seven Wonders of the World Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the o ...

'' (1956). He wrote some BBC plays. Lipscomb then worked on some other projects with Australian connections: '' A Town Like Alice'' (1956), from a novel by

Neville Shute Nevil Shute Norway (17 January 189912 January 1960) was an English novelist and aeronautical engineer who spent his later years in Australia. He used his full name in his engineering career and Nevil Shute as his pen name, in order to protect h ...

; '' Robbery Under Arms'' (1957) from a novel by Thomas Alexander Browne; ''

Dust in the Sun ''Dust in the Sun'' is a 1958 Australian mystery film adapted from the 1955 novel '' Justin Bayard'' by Jon Cleary and produced by the team of Lee Robinson and Chips Rafferty. The film stars British actress Jill Adams and an indigenous-Australian ...

'' (1958) from the novel by

Jon Cleary Jon Stephen Cleary (22 November 191719 July 2010) was an Australian writer and novelist. He wrote numerous books, including '' The Sundowners'' (1951), a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and '' The ...

, produced and directed by Lee Robinson. He helped write the Ealing war film ''

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.The Restless and the Damned ''The Restless and the Damned'' (also known as ''L'Ambitieuse'') is a 1959 French-Australian film co produced by Lee Robinson. It was shot on location in Tahiti and the Tuamotu Islands. There are French and English-language versions. Synopsis I ...

'' (1959), co produced by Robinson.

Personal life

Lipscomb was married in 1937. He died in London in 1958.

Filmography

As screenwriter

* '' Balaclava'' (1928) * '' Splinters'' (

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) * ''

'' (

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

) * '' Rookery Nook'' (1930) * '' On Approval'' (1930) * '' The Great Game'' (1930) * ''

'' (1930) * '' A Night Like This'' (

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) * ''

'' (1931) * '' Tilly of Bloomsbury'' (1931) * '' The Speckled Band'' (1931) * ''

'' (1931) * '' Mischief'' (1931) * '' The Safe'' (

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) * ''

'' (1932) * '' Jack's the Boy'' (1932) * '' There Goes the Bride'' (1932) * '' Skipper of the Osprey'' (

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

) * '' The Man from Toronto'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' Loyalties'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' The King of Paris'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

) * ''

'' (1934) * '' The Camels Are Coming'' (1934) * ''

'' (1934) * ''

'' (

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

) * '' Clive of India'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * '' A Tale of Two Cities'' (1935) * '' A Message to Garcia'' (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

) * ''

'' (1936) * '' The Garden of Allah'' (1936) * ''Clive of India'' (TV) (

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

) * '' The Sun Never Sets'' (

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

) * '' Moon Over Burma'' (

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

) * ''

'' (

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

) * '' Forever and a Day'' (

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

) * ''

'' (

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

) * ''

'' (1947) * '' Bitter Springs'' (

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

) * '' Where No Vultures Fly'' (

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

) * ''

'' (

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

) * '' Make Me an Offer'' (

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) * ''

'' (

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

) * '' A Town Like Alice'' (1956) * '' Robbery Under Arms'' (

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...

) * ''

'' (

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

) * ''

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Payment on Demand'' (''L'Ambitieuse'') (

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

)

As producer

* ''

'' (

) * ''

'' (

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

)

As director

* ''

'' (

)

As playwright

*''Clive of India'' (1934) *''The Man with the Cloak Full of Holes'' *'' Pommy'' (1954)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lipscomb, W.P. 1887 births 1958 deaths British film producers British film directors Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners 20th-century British screenwriters