Frederick J. Jackson
Frederick J. Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 21, 1886 |
| Died | May 22, 1953 (aged 66) |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Years active | 1912-1946 |
Frederick J. Jackson, also known professionally as Fred Jackson and Frederick Jackson and under the pseudonym Victor Thorne, (September 21, 1886 – May 22, 1953) was an American author, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and producer for both stage and film.[1] A prolific writer of short stories and serialized novels, most of his non-theatre works were published in pulp magazines such as Detective Story Magazine and Argosy. Many of these stories were adapted into films by other writers.[2]
Jackson was also a productive screenwriter, penning more than 50 films between 1912 and 1946.[3] He was the author of more than sixty plays.[3] Over a forty-year span, a dozen of his plays were produced on Broadway, and he also had several other plays produced in London's West End. Many of his plays were turned into films; usually by other screenwriters.
Life and career
Frederick J. Jackson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 21, 1886.[4] He was educated at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.[3] He began his career as a writer in 1905 working for the American magazine publisher Frank Munsey with whom he was under contract for many years.[3]
Under Munsey,[3] Jackson became a prolific writer of short stories and serialized novels, and most of his non-theatre works were published in pulp magazines such as Detective Story Magazine and Argosy.[1] He wrote a wide array of fiction and produced works in nearly every genre in the field in Munsey's magazines; including mystery, romance, westerns, science fiction, and fantasy among others.[3][1] He did publish some novels in book format using the name Fred Smith with other publishing companies, including The Hidden Princess: a modern romance (1910, George W. Jacobs & Co., Philadelphia) and The Third Act (1914, Desmond Fitzgererald Inc., New York).[5] He also published a third novel, Anne Against the World: a love story (1925, Chelsea House) under the pseudonym Victor Thorne;[5] a name he also periodically used as a playwright and short story writer.[3]
Several of Munsey's short stories and serialized novels were turned into films by other screenwriters. Among these films are Annie-for-Spite (1917), Tinsel (1918), High Speed (1924), The Lone Chance (1924), Love Letters (1924), Her Man o' War (1926), and Ladies Beware (1927).[2]
In 1912 Jackson began his career as a screenwriter, and by 1946 he had penned the screenplays for more than 50 films.[1] His first work for the screen was the 1912 short film A Detective Strategy which was a starring vehicle for the silent film actor Charles Clary and which Jackson based on his own short story "Thistledown".[6] Much of his early work as a screenwriter was devoted to writing for the Pearl White serials,[3] such as The Fatal Ring (1917).[7] Some of his notable later films included Wells Fargo (1937), Stormy Weather (1943), Hi Diddle Diddle (1943), and Club Havana (1945, also known as Two Tickets to Heaven).[3]
Jackson was also a prolific writer for the theatre, producing more than sixty plays during his lifetime.[3] Only a fraction of these managed to make it to Broadway.
He died in Hollywood, California on May 22, 1953.[3] He was married to Florence Howe.[3]
Partial list of works
Musicals
- La La Lucille (1919, Broadway, book by Jackson, music by George Gershwin;[8] adapted into the film La La Lucille (1920)[2]
- Two Little Girls in Blue (1921, Broadway), book by Jackson, music by Paul Lannin and Vincent Youmans, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin[9]
- For Goodness Sake (1922, Broadway), book by Jackson, lyrics by Arthur Jackson; music by William Daly and Paul Lannin[10]
Novels
- The Hidden Princess: a modern romance (1910)[5]
- The Third Act (1914)[11]
- The Precious Packet (1916);[2] adapted by George B. Seitz into the 1916 Pathé film of the same name[12]
- Anne Against the World: a love story (1925, published under the pseudonym Victor Thorne)[5]
Plays
- A Full House (premiered 1915, Broadway);[13] adapted into the musical The Velvet Lady (1919)[14] and the film A Full House (1920)[15]
- The Naughty Wife, originally titled Losing Eloise, (premiered 1917, Broadway);[16][17] adapted into the film Let's Elope (1919)[2]
- The Hole in the Wall (1920, Broadway); adapted into the films The Hole in the Wall (1921, screenwriter Maxwell Karger)[18] and The Hole in the Wall (1929, screenwriter Pierre Collings)[19]
- One A Minute (1921); adapted into the film One a Minute (1921)[2]
- Cold Feet (1923, Broadway)[20]
- Stop Flirting (1923, London); re-titled from the 1922 Broadway musical For Goodness Sake, then adapted into the film Stop Flirting (1925)[2]
- Her Past (1929, London); adapted into the film My Sin (1931)[2]
- Her First Affaire (1930, London); this was a new version of the 1927 play by Merrill Rogers and this version credited both Jackson and Rogers as co-authors;[21] adapted into the film Her First Affaire (1932)[2]
- The Ninth Man (1931)[22]
- A Bridegroom's Widow, also known as A Welcome Wife, (year?); adapted into the film Let's Love and Laugh (1931)[23]
- The Widow's Might (1931); adapted into the film Widow's Might (1935)[2]
- The Iron Woman (1932); adapted into the film That's My Uncle (1935)[2]
- School for Husbands (1932, London), staged on Broadway as Wife Insurance (1934);[24] adapted into the film School for Husbands (1937)[2]
- The Bishop Misbehaves (1934); adapted into the film The Bishop Misbehaves (1935)[2]
- Slightly Scandalous (1944, Broadway)[25]
- Dear Charles (1954, Broadway)[26]
Screenplays
- A Detective Strategy (1912)[6]
- The Stolen Actress (1917)[27]
- The Fatal Ring (1917)[7]
- For Sale (1918)[28]
- The Man Hunt (1918)[29]
- Diamonds Adrift (1921)[30]
- It Can Be Done (1921)[30]
- Fools and Riches (1923)[31]
- The Exiles (1923)[32]
- Arizona Express (1924)[33]
- Shadows of Paris (1924)[34]
- The Dark Swan (1924)[35]
- The Jade Box (1930)[36]
- The Perfect Lady (1931)[37]
- The Great Gambini (1937)[38]
- She Asked for It (1937)[39]
- Wells Fargo (1937)[40]
- Stolen Heaven (1938)[41]
- Say It in French (1938)[42]
- Miracle on Main Street (1939)[43]
- Half a Sinner (1940)[44]
- This Woman is Mine (1941)[45]
- Stormy Weather (1943)[46]
- Hi Diddle Diddle (1943)[47]
- Club Havana (1945)[48]
- Bedside Manner (1945)[49]
- The Bachelor's Daughters (1946)[50]
Short stories
- Adele (?); adapted by screenwriter Wallace Clifton into the film Tinsel (1918)[2]
- Annie for Spite (1916); adapted by screenwriter Julian La Mothe into the film Annie-for-Spite (1917)[2]
- Beauty to Let (?); adapted into the film Money Isn't Everything (1918)[2]
- Black Marriage (?); adapted into the film Her Man o' War (1926)[2]
- The Gray Parasol (1918); adapted into the film The Gray Parasol (1918)[2]
- Her Martyrdom (?); adapted by screenwriter Harry Chandlee into the film Her Martyrdom (1915)[51]
- High Speed (1918); adapted into the film High Speed (1924)[2]
- Jack of Diamonds (?); adapted into the film Ladies Beware (1927)[2]
- The Lone Chance (?); adapted into the film The Lone Chance (1924)[52]
- Morocco Box (1923); adapted into the film Love Letters (1924)[2]
- Thistledown (?); adapted by Jackson into the short film A Detective Story (1912)[6]
Citations
- ^ a b c d Wlaschin, pp. 256-257
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Goble, p. 240-241
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "F. JACKSON DEAD; WRITER-PRODUCER I; Author of Stage, Film and TVI Successes Started in Movies' With Pearl White Serials". The New York Times. May 24, 1953. p. 88.
- ^ Vazzana, p. 168
- ^ a b c d Smith, p. 348
- ^ a b c Wlaschin, p. 65
- ^ a b Wlaschin, p. 83
- ^ Pollack, pp. 235-236
- ^ Rosenberg, p. 428
- ^ "FOR GOODNESS SAKE' BRISK; Good Comedians Make New Musical Comedy Entertaining". The New York Times. February 22, 1922. p. A22.
- ^ "THE THIRD ACT. By Fred Jackson". The New York Times. January 18, 1914. p. 28.
- ^ Mavis, p. 249
- ^ "A FULL HOUSE' IS AN AMUSING FARCE; New Entertainment at the Longacre Is Compounded of Cheerful Nonsense". The New York Times. May 11, 1915. p. 15.
- ^ Dietz, 466-468
- ^ "A Full House". silentera.com. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
- ^ Wainscott, p. 56
- ^ "LOSING ELOISE' HAS AN AMUSING IDEA; A High-Class Farce Built About the Eloping Wife and Her Lover". The New York Times. November 19, 1917. p. 9.
- ^ Soister, Nicolella, & Joyce, pp.273-274
- ^ Beck, p. 153
- ^ Hischak, p. 87
- ^ J. P. Wearing · 2014 (May 15, 2014). "Her First Affaire". The London Stage 1930-1939: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 52–53. ISBN 9780810893047.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Ninth Man". The Observer. February 15, 1931. p. 13.
- ^ Gifford, p. 363
- ^ Bordman, p. 98
- ^ Bordman, p. 323
- ^ Hischak, p. 107
- ^ Rainey, p. 444
- ^ "Pathé Announces "Darkhorse Film"; 'For Sale' to Be Released June 9, A Story by Fred Jackson with a Plot of Big Interest". Motography. XIX (23): 1096.
- ^ Richard Koszarski, ed. (1987). "The Man Hunt". Film History: An International Journal. 1: 182.
- ^ a b Nash and Ross, p. 1433
- ^ "Casts of Current Photoplays; "Fools and Riches"". Photoplay: 112. 1923.
- ^ Wlaschin, p. 79
- ^ Solomon, p. 287
- ^ Delgado, p. 74
- ^ Higham, p. 18
- ^ Wlaschin, p. 117
- ^ Gifford, p. 368
- ^ Frank S. Nugent (July 12, 1937). "THE SCREEN; 'The Great Gambini' Solves a Murder at the Criterion". The New York Times. p. 20.
- ^ Katchmer, p. 611
- ^ Hoffmann, p. 30
- ^ Avallone, p. 456
- ^ Frank S. Nugent (December 1, 1938). "THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; The Paramount's 'Say It in French' Heads the List of the Five New Pictures Shown Yesterday". The New York Times.
- ^ Martin, p. 218
- ^ Fetrow, p. 190
- ^ Fetrow, p. 188
- ^ Fetrow, p. 481
- ^ Fetrow, p. 203
- ^ Dunkleberger & Hanson, p. 446
- ^ Fetrow, p. 32
- ^ Fetrow, p. 24
- ^ Lauritzen & Lundquist, p. 256
- ^ Kear and King, p. 141
Bibliography
- Susan Avallone, ed. (1998). Film Writers Guide. Lone Eagle. ISBN 9780943728988.
- Robert Beck (2015). The Edward G. Robinson Encyclopedia. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476606668.
- Gerald Bordman (1996). American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1930-1969. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195358087.
- Sergio Delgado (2016). Pola Negri: Temptress of Silent Hollywood. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476664309.
- Dan Dietz (2021). "The Velvet Lady". The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 466–468. ISBN 9781538150283.
- Amy Dunkleberger, Patricia King Hanson, ed. (1999). AFI Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States. University of California Press with permission by the American Film Institute. ISBN 9780520215214.
- Alan G. Fetrow (1994). Feature Films, 1940-1949: A United States Filmography. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780899509143.
- Denis Gifford, ed. (2018). The British Film Catalogue: The Fiction Film. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781317837022.
- Alan Goble, ed. (2011). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Bowker-Saur. ISBN 9783110951943.
- Charles Higham (1975). Warner Brothers. Scribner. ISBN 9780684139494.
- Thomas S. Hischak (2009). Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows Through 2007. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786453092.
- Henryk Hoffmann (2015). Western Film Highlights: The Best of the West, 1914-2001. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476608655.
- George A. Katchmer (1991). Eighty Silent Film Stars: Biographies and Filmographies of the Obscure to the Well Known. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780899504940.
- Lynn Kear, James King (2009). Evelyn Brent: The Life and Films of Hollywood's Lady Crook. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786454686.
- Einar Lauritzen, Gunnar Lundquist (1976). American Film-index 1908-1915: Motion Pictures, July 1908-December 1915. Film Index, Akademibokhandeln, Stockholm University. ISBN 9174100017.
- Len D. Martin (1991). The Columbia Checklist: The Feature Films, Serials, Cartoons, and Short Subjects of Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1922-1988. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780899505565.
- Paul Mavis (2015). The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 Through 1999. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476606668.
- Jay Robert Nash, Stanley Ralph Ross (1985). The Motion Picture Guide. Cinebooks. ISBN 9780933997004.
- Howard Pollack (2006). "La La Lucille". George Gershwin: His Life and Work. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-24864-3.
- Buck Rainey (1990). Those Fabulous Serial Heroines: Their Lives and Films. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810819115.
- Deena Rosenberg (1997). Fascinating Rhythm: The Collaboration of George and Ira Gershwin. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 9780472084692.
- Geoffrey D. Smith (1997). American Fiction, 1901-1925: A Bibliography. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521434690.
- John T. Soister, Henry Nicolella, Steve Joyce (2014). American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913-1929. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786487905.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Aubrey Solomon (2014). The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786486106.
- Ronald Harold Wainscott (1997). The emergence of the modern American theater, 1914-1929. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300067767.
- J. P. Wearing (2014). The London Stage 1890-1959: Accumulated Indexes. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9780810893214.
- Ken Wlaschin (2009). "Jackson, Frederick". Silent Mystery and Detective Movies: A Comprehensive Filmography. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786443505.
- Eugene Michael Vazzana (1995). Silent Film Necrology: Births and Deaths of Over 9000 Performers, Directors, Producers, and Other Filmmakers of the Silent Era, Through 1993. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786401321.