Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast (6 May 1897 – 17 March 1968) was an Argentine-French screenwriter and director.
Early life
Henri Charles Armand d'Abbadie d'Arrast was born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, Argentina, on 6 May 1897, to Arnauld Michel d'Abbadie d'Arrast, who built the
Buenos Aires tramway network. ''d'Abbadie d'Arrast'' is a family of
French aristocratic origins.
He attended the
Lycée Janson-de-Sailly
Lycée Janson-de-Sailly is a ''lycée'' located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. The ''lycéens'' of Janson are called ''les jansoniens'' and they usually refer to their high school as Janson, or JdS. It is the biggest academic inst ...
in Paris.
He was in the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. He was wounded, and while convalescing, he met
George Fitzmaurice
George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and Film producer, producer.
Career
Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940 ...
, already a director, who invited him to Hollywood.
Career
He moved to the United States in 1922 and settled in Hollywood.
He worked as an assistant to
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
He worked as an assistant to Chaplin on ''
A Woman of Paris
''A Woman of Paris'' (also known as ''A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate'') is a 1923 silent drama film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. It stars Edna Purviance as the title character, along with Clarence Geldart, Carl Mille ...
'' (1923), starring
Edna Purviance
Olga Edna Purviance (; October 21, 1895 – January 13, 1958) was an American actress of the silent film era. She was the leading lady in many of Charlie Chaplin's early films and in a span of eight years, she appeared in over 30 films with him ...
and
Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor whose career spanned both silent films and talkies. He became a leading man during the 1920s, known for his debonair and sophisticated screen presence. He was no ...
, also, he played a small role.
He worked as an assistant director to Chaplin on ''
The Gold Rush
''The Gold Rush'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film also stars Chaplin in his The Tramp, Little Tramp persona, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray (actor), Tom Murray, Henry Ber ...
'' (1925).
He worked as an assistant to
William A. Wellman on ''
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...
'' (1927).
He directed his first film by 1927.
In 1927, he directed three silent films for
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
. These were caustic comedies: ''
Serenade
In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honour of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Ital ...
'', ''
A Gentleman of Paris'', and ''
Service for Ladies Service for Ladies may refer to:
* Service for Ladies (1932 film)
Service may refer to:
Activities
* Academic administration, Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty
* Civil service, the body of employees o ...
'', in which the star actor of ''
A Woman of Paris
''A Woman of Paris'' (also known as ''A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate'') is a 1923 silent drama film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. It stars Edna Purviance as the title character, along with Clarence Geldart, Carl Mille ...
'', Adolphe Menjou, also played the lead role. The transition to sound films posed no problem for him, as evidenced by the success of his film ''
Laughter
Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, usually audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laug ...
'', a masterpiece of cynicism and sophistication, released in 1930. At the 1931 Academy Awards, this film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Story at the 4th Academy Awards.
Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast directed seven films between 1927 and 1933, all highly regarded for their sophisticated and biting dialogue, their photography, and their cinematic pace. Unfortunately, due to his irascible character (refusal to speed up production, refusal to systematically accept the actors the producer wanted to impose, etc.), he clashed with moguls like Samuel Goldwyn on the film ''
Raffles'', and then with David O. Selznick on ''
Topaze''.
The result was that he was blackballed and could no longer find work in Hollywood. He left in 1933 for Spain, where he directed a version of ''
The Three Cornered Hat''.
Returning to Hollywood in 1935, he never again found work as a director, but contributed to several screenplays.
Recognition
He was nominated at the
4th Academy Awards
The 4th Academy Awards were held on November 10, 1931, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Ac ...
for the now defunct category of
Best Story for the film ''
Laughter
Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, usually audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laug ...
''. His nomination was shared with
Donald Ogden Stewart
Donald Ogden Stewart (November 30, 1894 – August 2, 1980) was an American writer and screenwriter best known for his sophisticated golden age comedies and melodramas such as '' The Philadelphia Story'' (based on the play by Philip Barry), ' ...
and
Douglas Z. Doty.
Personal life
He married retired silent-film actress
Eleanor Boardman in 1940, ex-wife of King Vidor. They remained married until his death in 1968.
In 1946, the couple left the United States for good to live in
at the ,
the family estate in
.
He remained friends with Chaplin, who stayed three times (1925, 1926, and 1931) at the Château d'Etchaux.
His personal fortune initially allowed him to spend very long stays at the
Hôtel de Paris
The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is a luxury hotel that is located at Place du Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco. It was opened in 1864 as part of the development of Monaco by the Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco, Société des Bains de Mer. In M ...
in
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...
and to frequent the casino regularly. He did not discover the secret of the
martingale. His wife, Eleanor covered his basic living expenses.
He died on March 17, 1968, in Monte Carlo, and was buried in the cemetery of
.
Eleanor Boardman returned to the United States.
Filmography
As a director
* ''
The Gold Rush
''The Gold Rush'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film also stars Chaplin in his The Tramp, Little Tramp persona, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray (actor), Tom Murray, Henry Ber ...
'' (1925) (assistant director, uncredited)
* ''
A Gentleman of Paris'' (1927)
* ''
Serenade
In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honour of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Ital ...
'' (1927)
* ''
Service for Ladies Service for Ladies may refer to:
* Service for Ladies (1932 film)
Service may refer to:
Activities
* Academic administration, Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty
* Civil service, the body of employees o ...
'' (1927)
* ''
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...
'' (1927) (uncredited)
* ''
Dry Martini
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive, a lemon twist, or both. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A common variation, the vodka martini, uses vodka ...
'' (1928)
* ''
The Magnificent Flirt'' (1928)
* ''
Laughter
Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, usually audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laug ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Raffles'' (1930) (uncredited-was the director then fired)
* ''
Topaze'' (1933)
* ''
It Happened in Spain'' (1934)
* ''
The Three Cornered Hat'' (1935)
As a Writer
* ''
The Magnificent Flirt'' (1928)
* ''
Laughter
Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, usually audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laug ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Die Männer um Lucie'' (1931)
* ''
Lo mejor es reir'' (1931)
* ''
Rive gauche
The Rive Gauche (; Left Bank) is the southern bank of the river Seine in Paris. Here the river flows roughly westward, cutting the city in two parts. When facing downstream, the southern bank is to the left, whereas the northern bank (or Rive Dr ...
'' (1931)
* ''
It Happened in Spain'' (1934)
References
External links
*
Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast- ''findagrave''
1897 births
1968 deaths
Writers from Buenos Aires
French male screenwriters
Argentine people of French descent
20th-century French screenwriters
French military personnel of World War I
20th-century French male writers
Argentine emigrants to France
French expatriates in the United States
{{France-screen-writer-stub