Humphrey Cobb
Encyclopedia
Humphrey Cobb was a screenwriter
and novelist. He is best known for writing the novel Paths of Glory
, which was made into an acclaimed 1957 movie by Stanley Kubrick
. Cobb was also the lead screenwriter on the 1937 movie San Quentin
, starring Humphrey Bogart
.
Cobb was born in Siena
, Italy
. He served with the Canadian Army for three years during the First World War and fought in the Battle of Amiens. Stephen E. Tabachnick, in the Afterword to the U of Georgia Press' 1987 reprint of "Paths of Glory" supplies additional details of Cobb's life and how the son of American parents, Alice Littell Cobb, a physician, and Arthur Cobb, an artist, came to be mistakenly identified as a Canadian author. It had much to do with Cobb's many years as an expatriate living in several foreign locations, and his decision to take part in World War I in 1916, well before the United States entry into the war, by joining the Canadian Army. After early childhood, Cobb's parents sent him to school in England
for his primary education and only at age 13 did he come to the United States to continue his schooling. At the age of 17 he travelled to Montreal
to enlist in a Canadian regiment.
Following the war, Cobb worked in the stock trade, the merchant marine, publishing, and advertising. He wrote "Paths of Glory," while employed by George Gallup
at New York's Young & Rubicam
advertising agency.
Cobb wrote a second not-as-well-received novel, None But the Brave, which was serialized in Collier's Weekly
in 1938. From 1935 to 1940 he was also employed as a screenwriter. At the time of his death Cobb was working as an advertising copywriter for the New York firm of Kenyon & Eckhardt.
Another American writer named Cobb, the unrelated Irvin S. Cobb
, also wrote a World War I book called Paths of Glory (1915), a non-fiction account of Irvin's journalistic experiences during the war. "Paths of Glory" was also used as the title of at least three non-World War I books, by Anthony Clayton (2007), Stephen Brumwell(2008)and Jeffrey Archer(2009), and, with variations, the phrase appeared within the longer titles of more than a dozen books.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and novelist. He is best known for writing the novel Paths of Glory
Paths of Glory
Paths of Glory is a 1957 American anti-war film by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb. Set during World War I, the film stars Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax, the commanding officer of French soldiers who refused to continue a suicidal attack...
, which was made into an acclaimed 1957 movie by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
. Cobb was also the lead screenwriter on the 1937 movie San Quentin
San Quentin (1937 film)
San Quentin is a 1937 Warner Bros. drama film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan. It was shot on location at San Quentin State Prison.-Plot summary:...
, starring Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
.
Cobb was born in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He served with the Canadian Army for three years during the First World War and fought in the Battle of Amiens. Stephen E. Tabachnick, in the Afterword to the U of Georgia Press' 1987 reprint of "Paths of Glory" supplies additional details of Cobb's life and how the son of American parents, Alice Littell Cobb, a physician, and Arthur Cobb, an artist, came to be mistakenly identified as a Canadian author. It had much to do with Cobb's many years as an expatriate living in several foreign locations, and his decision to take part in World War I in 1916, well before the United States entry into the war, by joining the Canadian Army. After early childhood, Cobb's parents sent him to school in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for his primary education and only at age 13 did he come to the United States to continue his schooling. At the age of 17 he travelled to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to enlist in a Canadian regiment.
Following the war, Cobb worked in the stock trade, the merchant marine, publishing, and advertising. He wrote "Paths of Glory," while employed by George Gallup
George Gallup
George Horace Gallup was an American pioneer of survey sampling techniques and inventor of the Gallup poll, a successful statistical method of survey sampling for measuring public opinion.-Biography:...
at New York's Young & Rubicam
Young & Rubicam
Y&R is a marketing and communications company specializing in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting.-History:...
advertising agency.
Cobb wrote a second not-as-well-received novel, None But the Brave, which was serialized in Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
in 1938. From 1935 to 1940 he was also employed as a screenwriter. At the time of his death Cobb was working as an advertising copywriter for the New York firm of Kenyon & Eckhardt.
Another American writer named Cobb, the unrelated Irvin S. Cobb
Irvin S. Cobb
Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb was an American author, humorist, and columnist who lived in New York and authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories.-Biography:...
, also wrote a World War I book called Paths of Glory (1915), a non-fiction account of Irvin's journalistic experiences during the war. "Paths of Glory" was also used as the title of at least three non-World War I books, by Anthony Clayton (2007), Stephen Brumwell(2008)and Jeffrey Archer(2009), and, with variations, the phrase appeared within the longer titles of more than a dozen books.