John Farrow
Encyclopedia
John Villiers Farrow, CBE (10 February 190427 January 1963) was an Australia
n, later American
, film director, producer and screenwriter. In 1957 he won the Academy Award for Best Writing / Best Screenplay for Around the World in Eighty Days and in 1942 he was nominated as Best Director for Wake Island.
, Australia, the son of Lucy Villiers (née Savage), a dressmaker, and Joseph Farrow, a tailor's trimmer. Farrow began writing while working as a sailor in the 1920s. He moved to Hollywood to work in films as a marine technical advisor and stayed on as a screenwriter. He wrote for films between 1927 and 1959, and also directed between 1934 and 1959. Farrow was also a writer of short stories and plays (Laughter Ends), as well as non-fiction (Pageant of the Popes, and biographies of St Thomas More
and Father Damien
).
He was married to actress Maureen O'Sullivan
from 12 September 1936 until his death. He fathered four daughters: actresses Mia
, Prudence
, Stephanie
, Tisa
; three sons: Michael Namien (1939–1958), Patrick Joseph (1942–2009), John Charles (born 1946). Maureen O'Sullivan was his second wife, after he converted to Catholicism
and she received a papal dispensation to marry a divorcee.
He became an American citizen in 1947. In 1953 he was appointed an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE). He was also appointed him a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
by Pope Pius XI
.
He died from a heart attack
in Beverly Hills, California
at the age of 58 and was buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
.
for his adapted screenplay for Around the World in Eighty Days
(1956).
He was nominated for an Oscar and won the 1942 New York Film Critics Circle Award for his direction of the rousing World War II battle drama Wake Island
.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
is located at 6304 Hollywood Blvd.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n, later American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, film director, producer and screenwriter. In 1957 he won the Academy Award for Best Writing / Best Screenplay for Around the World in Eighty Days and in 1942 he was nominated as Best Director for Wake Island.
Life and career
Farrow was born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia, the son of Lucy Villiers (née Savage), a dressmaker, and Joseph Farrow, a tailor's trimmer. Farrow began writing while working as a sailor in the 1920s. He moved to Hollywood to work in films as a marine technical advisor and stayed on as a screenwriter. He wrote for films between 1927 and 1959, and also directed between 1934 and 1959. Farrow was also a writer of short stories and plays (Laughter Ends), as well as non-fiction (Pageant of the Popes, and biographies of St Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
and Father Damien
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
).
He was married to actress Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen Paula O’Sullivan was an Irish actress.-Early life:O'Sullivan was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland, the daughter of Roman Catholic parents Mary Lovatt and Charles Joseph O'Sullivan, an officer in The Connaught Rangers who served in The Great War...
from 12 September 1936 until his death. He fathered four daughters: actresses Mia
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
, Prudence
Prudence Farrow
Prudence Anne Villiers Farrow Bruns is an American author, meditation teacher, and film producer. She is the daughter of film director John Farrow and actress Maureen O'Sullivan, and the younger sister of actress Mia Farrow...
, Stephanie
Stephanie Farrow
Stephanie Margarita Farrow is an American actress.She is the daughter of film director John Farrow and actress Maureen O'Sullivan. She is also the sister of actress Mia Farrow, and has five other siblings: Michael , Patrick , John , Prudence and Tisa.Stephanie Farrow during her early career as a...
, Tisa
Tisa Farrow
Theresa Magdalena 'Tisa' Farrow is an American actress and nurse.-Early life:Farrow, one of seven children, was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Irish-born actress Maureen O'Sullivan and Australian-born film director John Farrow. She was raised Roman Catholic...
; three sons: Michael Namien (1939–1958), Patrick Joseph (1942–2009), John Charles (born 1946). Maureen O'Sullivan was his second wife, after he converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and she received a papal dispensation to marry a divorcee.
He became an American citizen in 1947. In 1953 he was appointed an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE). He was also appointed him a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Order of the Holy Sepulchre
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. It traces its roots to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade...
by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
.
He died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
at the age of 58 and was buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles....
.
Awards and honors
Farrow was twice nominated for an Academy Award. He won the Oscar and Writers Guild of America AwardWriters Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
for his adapted screenplay for Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956 film)
Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 adventure film produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson. It was produced by Michael Todd, with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was written by James...
(1956).
He was nominated for an Oscar and won the 1942 New York Film Critics Circle Award for his direction of the rousing World War II battle drama Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
is located at 6304 Hollywood Blvd.
Director
- The Spectacle Maker (1934) (as John Villiers Farrow)
- Tarzan EscapesTarzan EscapesTarzan Escapes is a 1936 Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the third in the MGM Tarzan series to feature Johnny Weissmuller as the "King of the Apes".-Plot:...
(1936) (uncredited) - Men in Exile (1937)
- She Loved a Fireman (1937)
- West of ShanghaiWest of ShanghaiWest of Shanghai is a 1937 adventure film directed by John Farrow and starring Boris Karloff as a Chinese warlord.-Plot:On a train bound for lawless northern China, businessman Gordon Creed encounters acquaintance Myron Galt and his attractive daughter Lola...
(1937) - Comet Over Broadway (1938) (uncredited)
- Broadway Musketeers (1938)
- My Bill (1938)
- Little Miss Thoroughbred (1938)
- The Invisible MenaceThe Invisible MenaceThe Invisible Menace is a 1938 mystery film directed by John Farrow and starring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Boris Karloff - Mr. Jevries, aka Dolman* Marie Wilson - Sally Wilson Pratt* Eddie Craven - Pvt. Eddie Pratt* Regis Toomey - Lt. Matthews...
(1938) - Reno (1939)
- Full ConfessionFull ConfessionFull Confession is a 1939 is a US crime drama film made by RKO Radio Pictures. It was directed by John Farrow from an adaptation by Jerome Cady of Leo Birinski's story.The film stars Victor McLaglen, Sally Eilers, Barry Fitzgerald and Joseph Calleia....
(1939) - Five Came BackFive Came BackFive Came Back is a 1939 melodrama and a precursor of the disaster film genre. The film was directed by John Farrow, photographed by renowned film noir cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca, and written by Jerry Cady, Dalton Trumbo and Nathanael West....
(1939) - Sorority HouseSorority House (1939 film)Sorority House is a 1939 drama film starring Anne Shirley. The film was directed by John Farrow and based upon the Mary Coyle Chase play named Chi House.-Plot:...
(1939) - Women in the Wind (1939)
- The Saint Strikes BackThe Saint Strikes BackThe Saint Strikes Back, released in 1939, is the second film featuring the crimefighting crusader Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". George Sanders replaced Louis Hayward, who had played the Saint in The Saint in New York. The movie was produced by RKO and also featured Wendy Barrie as female gang...
(1939) - A Bill of DivorcementA Bill of DivorcementA Bill of Divorcement is a 1932 American drama film, directed by George Cukor and starring John Barrymore and Katharine Hepburn in her movie debut. It is based on the British play of the same name, written by Clemence Dane as a reaction to a law passed in Britain in the early 1920s that allowed...
(1940) - Married and in Love (1940)
- Commandos Strike at DawnCommandos Strike at DawnCommandos Strike at Dawn is a 1942 war film directed by John Farrow and written by Irwin Shaw from a story by C.S. Forester, starring Paul Muni, Anna Lee, Lillian Gish, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Robert Coote.-Plot:...
(1942) - Wake IslandWake Island (1942 film)Wake Island is a 1942 American film written by W. R. Burnett and Frank Butler, and directed by John Farrow. The film tells the story of the United States military garrison on Wake Island and the onslaught by the Japanese following the attack on Pearl Harbor...
(1942) - China (1943)
- The Hitler Gang (1944)
- You Came AlongYou Came AlongYou Came Along is a 1945 romance film set in World War II with a screenplay by Ayn Rand. It starred Robert Cummings and, in her film debut, Lizabeth Scott. Robert Cummings' character has the same name of his character on his 1950's television show Love That Bob.-Cast:*Robert Cummings as Major Bob...
(1945) - California (1946)
- Two Years Before the MastTwo Years Before the Mast (film)Two Years Before the Mast is a 1946 adventure film based on Richard Henry Dana, Jr.'s travel book of the same name. It starred Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy, William Bendix, Howard Da Silva and Esther Fernández.-Plot summary:...
(1946) - Blaze of Noon (1947)
- Calcutta (1947)
- Easy Come, Easy Go (1947)
- Night Has a Thousand EyesNight Has a Thousand EyesNight Has a Thousand Eyes is a 1948 film noir, starring Edward G. Robinson and directed by John Farrow. The screenplay was written by Barré Lyndon and Jonathan Latimer. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Cornell Woolrich.- Plot :...
(1948) - Beyond Glory (1948)
- The Big ClockThe Big Clock (1948 film)The Big Clock is a 1948 film noir thriller directed by John Farrow, adapted by renowned novelist-screenwriter Jonathan Latimer from the novel of the same name by Kenneth Fearing....
(1948) - Red, Hot and Blue (1949)
- Alias Nick BealAlias Nick BealAlias Nick Beal is a 1949 film retelling of the Faust myth. In this version, a judge sells his soul to the devil.-Critical reaction:...
(1949) - Copper Canyon (1950)
- Where Danger LivesWhere Danger LivesWhere Danger Lives is a 1950 film noir thriller directed by John Farrow. The film stars Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue , and Claude Rains. At the time, Domergue was the latest of Howard Hughes' protegees.-Plot:...
(1950) - Submarine CommandSubmarine commandSubmarine Command is a 1951 film starring William Holden, Don Taylor, Nancy Olson, William Bendix, and Darryl Hickman, directed by John Farrow...
(1951) - His Kind of WomanHis Kind of WomanHis Kind of Woman is a black-and-white 1951 film noir starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. The film features supporting roles by Vincent Price, Raymond Burr, and Charles McGraw...
(1951) - HondoHondo (film)Hondo is a movie that was made in 1953 by 3-D Warnercolor western film starring John Wayne, directed by John Farrow. The screenplay is based on the 1952 short story "The Gift of Cochise" by Louis L'Amour...
(1953) - Plunder of the SunPlunder of the SunPlunder of the Sun is a 1949 novel by David F. Dodge about a hunt for ancient Peruvian treasure. It was made into a 1953 movie of the same name starring Glenn Ford and relocated to Mexico.-Cast:*Glenn Ford as Al Colby*Diana Lynn as Julie Barnes...
(1953) - Ride Vaquero! (1953)
- Botany BayBotany Bay (film)Botany Bay is a 1953 American drama film directed by John Farrow and starring Alan Ladd, James Mason and Patricia Medina. It was based on a novel of the same name by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.-Plot:...
(1953) - A Bullet Is Waiting (1954)
- The Sea ChaseThe Sea ChaseThe Sea Chase is a 1955 World War II drama film starring John Wayne and Lana Turner. It was directed by John Farrow and written by James Warner Bellah. The plot is basically a nautical cat and mouse game, with Wayne determined to get his German freighter home during the first few months of the war,...
(1955) - Back from EternityBack from EternityBack from Eternity is a 1956 drama film about a planeload of people stranded in the South American jungle and subsequently menaced by headhunters. It is a remake of an earlier 1939 film, Five Came Back, starred Chester Morris and Lucille Ball, also directed and produced by John Farrow...
(1956) - The Unholy WifeThe Unholy WifeThe Unholy Wife is a color film noir drama film produced and directed by John Farrow at RKO Radio Pictures and released by Universal Pictures as RKO was in its final stages of closing down...
(1957) - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (film)John Paul Jones is a 1959 biographical epic film about John Paul Jones. The film was made by Samuel Bronston Productions and released by Warner Bros. It was directed by John Farrow and produced by Samuel Bronston from a screenplay by John Farrow, Ben Hecht, Jesse Lasky Jr. from the story Nor'wester...
(1959)
Writer
- White Gold (1927) (titles)
- The Wreck of the HesperusThe Wreck of the Hesperus"The Wreck of the Hesperus" is a dramatic poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in Ballads and Other Poems in 1842.-Overview:...
(1927) (story) - A Sailor's Sweetheart (1927)
- Three Weekends (1928) (adaptation)
- The Woman From Moscow (1928) (also titles)
- The First Kiss (1928) (adaptation)
- Ladies of the Mob (1928)
- The Blue Danube (1928) (story)
- The Showdown (1928) (titles)
- The Bride of the Colorado (1928) (story)
- The Four FeathersThe Four Feathers (1929 film)The Four Feathers is a 1929 war film directed by Merian C. Cooper and starring Fay Wray. It has the distinction of being one of the last major Hollywood pictures of the silent era, although it was also released by Paramount Pictures in a version with a Movietone soundtrack with music and sound...
(1929) (titles) - The Wheel of Life (1929) (adaptation)
- A Dangerous Woman (1929)
- The Wolf Song (1929)
- Inside the Lines (1930) (dialogue)
- Shadow of the Law (1930)
- The Bad OneThe Bad OneThe Bad One is an American black-and-white musical film directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Dolores del Río and featuring Boris Karloff and is a romantic prison drama film...
(1930) (story) - Seven Days' Leave (1930)
- The Common Law (1931) (screen story)
- A Woman of Experience (1931) (dialogue & screenplay)
- The Impassive Footman (1932)
- Don Quixote (1933) (English version)
- The Spectacle Maker (1934) (as John Villiers Farrow)
- Last of the Pagans (1935) (original story and screenplay) (as John Villiers Farrow)
- Red, Hot and Blue (1949)
- Ride, Vaquero! (1953) (uncredited)
- Around the World in Eighty DaysAround the World in Eighty Days (1956 film)Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 adventure film produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson. It was produced by Michael Todd, with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was written by James...
(1956) - John Paul Jones (1959)
Producer
- The Big ClockThe Big ClockThe Big Clock is a 1946 novel by Kenneth Fearing. Published by Harcourt Brace, the thriller was his fourth novel, following three for Random House and five collections of his poetry...
(1948) - Submarine Command (1951) (co-executive producer)
- The Sea Chase (1955)
- Back from Eternity (1956)
- The Unholy Wife (1957)
Actor
- King of the Khyber RiflesKing of the Khyber Rifles (film)King of the Khyber Rifles is a 1953 adventure film directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power and Terry Moore. The film is based on the novel King of the Khyber Rifles by Talbot Mundy. It is a remake of John Ford's The Black Watch . The Khyber Pass scenes were shot in Alabama Hills, Lone...
(1953) (uncredited) .... Cpl. Stuart - Forbidden Island (1959) .... Stuart Godfrey
External links
- http://www.farrow-osullivan.com
- Australian Dictionary of Biography