Ethel Hill (1898–1954) was an American screenwriter and race horse owner. One of her best-known scripts is for '' The Little Princess'' (1939), starring Shirley Temple.

Early life

Ethel was born in

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, the eldest daughter of Charles Hill and Susie Marston. The family moved to Los Angeles when Ethel was young, and she and her younger sister Garna attended high school in Santa Monica.

Career

Hollywood

When

Dore Schary Isadore "Dore" Schary (August 31, 1905 – July 7, 1980) was an American playwright, director, and producer for the stage and a prolific screenwriter and producer of motion pictures. He directed just one feature film, '' Act One'', the film bio ...

first went to work for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

as a new screenwriter, he was paired with the veteran Hill to learn from her; together, they wrote the screenplay for ''Fury of the Jungle'' (1933). Hill was described by

Marc Norman Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...

in his book ''What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting'' as "an extremely dear and generous woman hohad an interest in horses and often wore

jodhpurs Jodhpurs, in their modern form, are tight-fitting trousers to the ankle, where they end in a snug cuff, and are worn primarily for horse riding. The term is also used as slang for a type of short riding boot, also called a ''paddock boot'' or ...

and riding gear to the studio." Fellow screenwriter Gertrude Walker—who worked with Hill toward the end of her career at Republic Pictures—described her as "a sweet old lady" who always wore a shawl and bedroom slippers.

Horse racing

Hill bought the

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

race horse War Knight, a son of Preakness winner

High Quest High Quest (1931–1948) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1934 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series of races. Background Sir Gallahad III, the sire of High Quest, had been purchas ...

, as a foal "with her $1500 life savings". He went on to win 10 of 28 starts, including the 1944

Arlington Handicap The Arlington Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf held annually in late May or early June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. T ...

. He was injured in 1945 and did not win any of his five 1946 starts leading up to the $100,000 added

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for o ...

, which he proceeded to win in a

photo finish A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finis ...

. He retired to stud afterward.

Partial filmography

:''As screenwriter, unless otherwise indicated.'' *''The Level'' (1914 short) * '' The Guilt of Silence'' (1918) * ''

The Eagle The eagle is a large bird of prey. Eagle or The Eagle may also refer to: Places England * Eagle, Lincolnshire, a village United States * Eagle, Alaska, a city * Eagle Village, Alaska, a census-designated place * Eagle, Colorado, a statut ...

'' (1918) *''

Every Man's Wife ''Every Man's Wife'' is a 1925 American drama film directed by Maurice Elvey, and written by Lillie Hayward. The film stars Elaine Hammerstein, Herbert Rawlinson, Robert Cain, Diana Miller and Dorothy Phillips. The film was released on June 7, ...

'' (1925, story) *'' Dollar Down'' (1925, story) *''

The Masquerade Bandit ''The Masquerade Bandit'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Robert De Lacey and starring Tom Tyler, Dorothy Dunbar and Ethan Laidlaw.Munden, p. 499 Cast * Tom Tyler as Jeff Morton * Dorothy Dunbar as Molly Marble * Ethan Lai ...

'' (1926) * ''

Driven from Home ''Driven from Home'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by James Young and starring Ray Hallor, Virginia Lee Corbin and Pauline Garon.Munden p.203 Cast * Ray Hallor * Virginia Lee Corbin * Pauline Garon * Sôjin Kamiyama * Ann ...

'' (1927) *'' Young Whirlwind'' (1928) * '' Fangs of the Wild'' (1928) * '' Dog Justice'' (1928) *'' Law of Fear'' (1928) * '' The Scarlet Brand'' (1932) *''

Virtue Virtue ( la, virtus) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards ...

'' (1932, story) *''

Fury of the Jungle ''Fury of the Jungle'' is a 1933 American adventure film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Donald Cook, Peggy Shannon and Alan Dinehart. It was co-written by Dore Schary from a story by Horace McCoy. Plot A love triangle story set in ...

'' (1933) * ''

Ship of Wanted Men ''Ship of Wanted Men'' is a 1933 American pre-Code crime film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Dorothy Sebastian, Fred Kohler and Leon Ames.Pitts p.334 The film's sets were designed by the art director Art director is the title for ...

'' (1933) *''

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

'' (1934) *'' Side Streets'' (1934, story) *''

Blind Date A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Structure A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...

'' (1934) *''

Party Wire A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

'' (1935) * '' Eight Bells'' (1935) *''

The Public Menace ''The Public Menace'' is a 1935 American black-and-white romantic drama film starring Jean Arthur, George Murphy and Douglass Dumbrille. A newspaper reporter keeps losing and regaining his job due to a manicurist he is persuaded to marry. Plot ...

'' (1935) * '' The Best Man Wins'' (1935) *''

More Than a Secretary ''More Than a Secretary'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and written by Dale Van Every and Lynn Starling. The story was adapted by Ethel Hill and Aben Kandel, based on the magazine story "Safari in Manhattan ...

'' (1936, story) *'' When You're in Love'' (1937, story) *''

It Happened in Hollywood ''It Happened in Hollywood'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Richard Dix, Fay Wray and Victor Kilian. The arrival of sound wrecks the career of a leading western actor while his leading lady rises to new hei ...

'' (1937) *'' Just Around the Corner'' (1938) *'' The Little Princess'' (1939) *''

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

'' (1940) *'' For Beauty's Sake'' (1941) *''

Dance Hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and cities in ...

'' (1941) *'' Small Town Deb'' (1941) *''

Maisie Gets Her Man ''Maisie Gets Her Man'' is a 1942 American romance film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Ann Sothern and Red Skelton. It is the sixth of the ten-film ''Maisie'' series. Cast * Ann Sothern as Maisie Rivier * Red Skelton as Herbert P. 'Hap' H ...

'' (1942) *''

In Old Oklahoma ''In Old Oklahoma'' (reissued as ''War of the Wildcats'') is a 1943 American Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell starring John Wayne and Martha Scott. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Music Score of a Dramatic or C ...

'' (1943) *'' The Fighting Seabees'' (1945, uncredited contributing writer) *'' Twice Blessed'' (1945) *'' Two Smart People'' (1946)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Ethel 1898 births 1954 deaths American women screenwriters American racehorse owners and breeders Screenwriters from California Writers from Sacramento, California 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters