Horace Jackson

Horace Jackson (March 29, 1898 – January 26, 1952) was an American Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of the silent and sound film eras. Jackson also worked as a set designer early in his career.

This article is about the American silent and sound film era director. For the filmmaker active in the 1960's and 70's, see Horace Jackson (filmmaker).
Horace Jackson
Born
Horace Atherton Jackson[1]

(1898-03-29)March 29, 1898
Either East St. Louis or Venice Illinois, United States
DiedJanuary 26, 1952(1952-01-26) (aged 53)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, set designer
Years active1923–1941
SpouseGertrude Jackson[2]

Life and career

Born Horace Atherton Jackson on March 29, 1898, to Harry S. Jackson and Lena Atherton Jackson in Illinois. There are conflicting sources as to whether he was born in East St. Louis or Venice, Illinois, both suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri.[2] His father died when he was five, and several years later his mother moved him and his sister, Helen, to the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles in approximately 1910. Prior to working in films, Jackson was an architect.[2]

Jackson broke into the film industry dressing sets on the 1923 silent film, The Unknown Purple. Within months, he had moved up to the title of either "art director" or "set director". He would be the co-set director on the 1925 classic, Ben-Hur. He continued in the set design arena during the remainder of silent era, however with the advent of talking pictures Jackson would move into the screenwriting profession. His first effort was the screenplay adaptation of Benjamin Glazer and Melchior Lengyel's story for 1929's Strange Cargo, directed by Arthur Gregor.

During 1929 through the beginning of the 1940s, Jackson would be the screenwriter or story creator on almost 30 films. Some of his better known films are: Sin Takes a Holiday in 1930; 1937's Breakfast for Two, starring Barbara Stanwyck; and his final two films in 1941, Model Wife (starring Joan Blondell and Dick Powell), and Bedtime Story with Fredric March and Loretta Young. Holiday, Jackson's adaptation of Philip Barry's 1928 play of the same name, would be honored with an Academy Award nomination at the 4th Academy Awards in 1932, however, he lost to the big winner of those awards, Cimarron (written by Howard Estabrook).[3]

He was also reported as one of a plethora of writers who worked on the screenplay for the 1942 film The Night Before the Divorce, although he received no screenplay credit.[4] In 1947, he sued Republic Pictures for plagiarism regarding the film Calendar Girl (1947). According to a 1949 New York Times article, Jackson and his writing partner, Irene Homer, were successful in their suit, receiving a "substantial sum".[5]

On January 26, 1952, Jackson would die in a car accident.[2]

Filmography

(as per AFI's database)[6]

Year Title Position Silent (S)/Talkie (T) Notes
1923 The Unknown Purple Set dressings S
1923 Fashion Row Art direction S
1923 The Drums of Jeopardy Art direction S
1926 The Sporting Lover Art direction S
1928 Lilac Time Art direction S
1929 The Divine Lady Art direction S
1929 The Awful Truth Screenplay T
1929 Paris Bound Screenplay T
1929 Strange Cargo Screenplay T
1929 This Thing Called Love Screenplay T
1930 Holiday Screenplay T Nominated for Oscar for best screenplay
1930 The Lottery Bride Screenplay T
1930 Sin Takes a Holiday Screenplay T
1931 Beyond Victory Screenplay (with James Gleason) T
1931 Devotion Screenplay (with Graham John) T
1931 The Common Law Screenplay (with John Farrow) T
1931 Rebound Screenplay T
1932 Lady with a Past Screenplay T
1932 The Animal Kingdom Screenplay T
1932 A Woman Commands Screenplay T
1933 Dangerously Yours Screenplay T
1933 I Loved You Wednesday Screenplay (with Philip Klein) T
1933 Pleasure Cruise Screenplay (with Guy Bolton) T
1934 Bolero Screenplay (with Guy Bolton) T
1934 We're Not Dressing Screenplay (with George Marion Jr. and Benjamin Glazer) T
1935 Biography of a Bachelor Girl Screenplay (with Anita Loos) T
1935 No More Ladies Screenplay (with Donald Ogden Stewart) T
1935 Dressed to Thrill Screenplay (with Samson Raphaelson) T
1936 The Unguarded Hour Screenplay (with Howard Emmett Rogers and Leon Gordon) T
1936 Suzy Screenplay (with Dorothy Parker, Lenore Coffee and Alan Campbell) T
1937 Breakfast for Two Screenplay (with 6 others) T
1938 Women Are Like That Screenplay T
1938 Men Are Such Fools Screenplay (with Norman Reilly Raine) T
1941 Bedtime Story Story (with Grant Garrett) T
1941 Model Wife Screenplay (with Grant Garrett and Charles Kaufman) T

References
  1. "Horace Jackson". theiapolis.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  2. "Horace Jackson". Simple Movie. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  3. "The 4th Academy Awards — 1932". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  4. "The Night Before the Divorce: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  5. "Calendar Girl: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  6. "Horace Jackson". American Film Institute. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
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