Borden Chase
Encyclopedia
Borden Chase was an America
n writer.
Born Frank Fowler, he went through an assortment of jobs, including driving for gangster Frankie Yale
and working as a sandhog
on the construction of New York
's Holland Tunnel
, before turning to writing, first short stories and novels, and later, screenplays. When 20th Century Fox
produced Under Pressure (1935), his screen adaptation of his novel, Sandhog (based on his Holland Tunnel experience), he moved to Hollywood
and changed his name to Borden Chase, allegedly getting his nominal inspiration from Borden Milk and Chase Manhattan Bank
.
Chase provided the story for Anthony Mann
's first film, Dr. Broadway (1942), but his screenplays for the director's 1950s westerns, Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River
(1952) and The Far Country
(1954), along with his Academy Award
nomination for Howard Hawks
' seminal Red River (1948), were his crowning achievements.
Chase was an active member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
, an anti-Communist group which was active in Hollywood during the years of the Hollywood blacklist
.
His daughter Barrie Chase is a dancer and actress, and his son Frank Chase was an actor and screenwriter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n writer.
Born Frank Fowler, he went through an assortment of jobs, including driving for gangster Frankie Yale
Frankie Yale
Francesco Ioele , better known as Frankie Uale or Frankie Yale, was a Brooklyn gangster and original employer of Al Capone before the latter moved to Chicago...
and working as a sandhog
Sandhog
Sandhog is the slang term given to urban miners, construction workers who work underground on a variety of excavation projects in New York City. Generally these projects involve tunneling, caisson excavation, road building, or some other type of underground construction or mining projects...
on the construction of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...
, before turning to writing, first short stories and novels, and later, screenplays. When 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
produced Under Pressure (1935), his screen adaptation of his novel, Sandhog (based on his Holland Tunnel experience), he moved to Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
and changed his name to Borden Chase, allegedly getting his nominal inspiration from Borden Milk and Chase Manhattan Bank
Chase Manhattan Bank
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is a national bank that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000...
.
Chase provided the story for Anthony Mann
Anthony Mann
Anthony Mann was an American actor and film director, most notably of film noirs and Westerns. As a director, he often collaborated with the cinematographer John Alton and with James Stewart in his Westerns.-Biography:...
's first film, Dr. Broadway (1942), but his screenplays for the director's 1950s westerns, Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River
Bend of the River
Bend of the River is a 1952 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their second collaboration. The film is based on the novel Bend of the Snake by Bill Gulick.-Plot:...
(1952) and The Far Country
The Far Country
The Far Country is a 1954 American western movie directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their fourth western collaboration...
(1954), along with his Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
' seminal Red River (1948), were his crowning achievements.
Chase was an active member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals was an American organization of high-profile, politically conservative members of the Hollywood film industry...
, an anti-Communist group which was active in Hollywood during the years of the Hollywood blacklist
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
.
His daughter Barrie Chase is a dancer and actress, and his son Frank Chase was an actor and screenwriter.