Jack Wagner (screenwriter)
Encyclopedia
Jack Wagner was a U.S. screenwriter
. Born in Los Angeles
, California
, USA, he spent many years living in Mexico
before returning to Los Angeles to work for D. W. Griffith
on his early films.1
Between the years 1909 and 1912, Wagner worked mostly as a furniture painter or set designer and second unit cameraman. He then turned his attention to gag writing and found a job with Mack Sennett
writing gags for Keystone Kops
shorts. His specialty was comedy
construction, especially the famed car chase scenes. When the United States entered World War I
, he joined the Army's
first motion picture unit with the Signal Corps. He was assigned to filming Air Corps footage. He also filmed battles involving American forces at the Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. He was discharged in 1919. He continued working through the teens and 1920s as a gag writer. He also worked as an assistant director and second unit man for such directors as Allan Dwan
and Lewis Milestone
.
In the mid-1920s he wrote gags for Harry Langdon
and Will Rogers
. When talkies arrived, Wagner found himself making the difficult transition from silents
. He never achieved the success he found in silents. Yet he found steady work as a gag man, adding bits of dialogue to comedy and dramatic films. During the early years of talkies, he directed and produced Spanish-language films for Fox Studios. In 1934, he helped script The Little Minister with Katharine Hepburn
. He also co-write the short film La Cucaracha, which garnered RKO an Academy Award.
Even after this success, he struggled with writer's block
. When he came up with the story idea for A Medal for Benny
he again was troubled with putting the story to paper. He had known John Steinbeck
for many years. Steinbeck had considered Jack's mother, Edith Wagner, as his first writing coach while growing up in Salinas, California
. Jack and his brothers - Max, Blake and Bob - had been steady friends and drinking buddies with Steinbeck since the 1920s. After much work Steinbeck and Jack wrote the script for Benny and it earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Story. He went on to help Steinbeck with another script on The Pearl
. He closed out his career as a producer of Mexican films featuring such actresses as Dolores del Río
, among others. He died in Los Angeles.
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:...
. Born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA, he spent many years living in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
before returning to Los Angeles to work for D. W. Griffith
D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
on his early films.1
Between the years 1909 and 1912, Wagner worked mostly as a furniture painter or set designer and second unit cameraman. He then turned his attention to gag writing and found a job with Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
writing gags for Keystone Kops
Keystone Kops
The Keystone Kops were incompetent fictional policemen, featured in silent film comedies in the early 20th century. The movies were produced by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917. The idea came from Hank Mann who also played police chief Tehiezel in the first film...
shorts. His specialty was comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
construction, especially the famed car chase scenes. When the United States entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he joined the Army's
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
first motion picture unit with the Signal Corps. He was assigned to filming Air Corps footage. He also filmed battles involving American forces at the Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. He was discharged in 1919. He continued working through the teens and 1920s as a gag writer. He also worked as an assistant director and second unit man for such directors as Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:...
and Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone was a Russian-American motion picture director. He is known for directing Two Arabian Knights and All Quiet on the Western Front , both of which received Academy Awards for Best Director...
.
In the mid-1920s he wrote gags for Harry Langdon
Harry Langdon
Harry Philmore Langdon was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films , and talkies. He was briefly partnered with Oliver Hardy.-Life and career:...
and Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
. When talkies arrived, Wagner found himself making the difficult transition from silents
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
. He never achieved the success he found in silents. Yet he found steady work as a gag man, adding bits of dialogue to comedy and dramatic films. During the early years of talkies, he directed and produced Spanish-language films for Fox Studios. In 1934, he helped script The Little Minister with Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
. He also co-write the short film La Cucaracha, which garnered RKO an Academy Award.
Even after this success, he struggled with writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
. When he came up with the story idea for A Medal for Benny
A Medal for Benny
A Medal for Benny is a 1945 American film directed by Irving Pichel. The story was conceived by writer Jack Wagner, who enlisted his longtime friend John Steinbeck to help him put it into script form. The film was released by Paramount Pictures.-Cast:...
he again was troubled with putting the story to paper. He had known John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
for many years. Steinbeck had considered Jack's mother, Edith Wagner, as his first writing coach while growing up in Salinas, California
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
. Jack and his brothers - Max, Blake and Bob - had been steady friends and drinking buddies with Steinbeck since the 1920s. After much work Steinbeck and Jack wrote the script for Benny and it earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Story. He went on to help Steinbeck with another script on The Pearl
La Perla
* La Perla District, Peru* La Perla, Veracruz, Mexico* La Perla, San Juan, Puerto Rico, area of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico**La Perla Theater, Ponce, Puerto Rico*La Perla Spa, building in Mar del Plata, Argentina...
. He closed out his career as a producer of Mexican films featuring such actresses as Dolores del Río
Dolores del Río
Dolores del Río was a Mexican film actress. She was a star of Hollywood films during the silent era and in the Golden Age of Hollywood...
, among others. He died in Los Angeles.