Peter B. Kyne
Encyclopedia
Peter B. Kyne was an American novelist who wrote between 1904 and 1940. Many of his works were adapted into screenplays starting in the silent era
, particularly his first novel, The Three Godfathers, which was published in 1913 and proved to be a huge success. He is credited in 110 films between 1914
and 1952
.
When still under 18, he lied about his age and enlisted in Company L, 14th U.S. Infantry, which served in the Philippines
from 1898-1899. The Spanish-American War
and the following insurrection of General Emilio Aguinaldo
provided background for many of Kyne's later stories. During World War I
, he served as a captain in Battery A of the 144th field Artillery, known as the California Grizzlies.
He was born and died in San Francisco, California
.
”There's an old wooden sign in the park [Sequoia Park in Eureka, California] with a quote from Peter B. Kyne's book The Valley of the Giants that says, 'I'm not going to cut the timber in this valley. I haven't the heart to destroy God's most wonderful handiwork. 'Twas in her mind to give her Valley of the Giants to Sequoia (Eureka) for a city park.' I wanted to know who 'she' was,” Armand said.
”She” was the fictional character in Kyne's Humboldt-inspired book The Valley of the Giants wherein a timber baron's wife's wish of saving a favorite stand of redwoods and creating a park in the middle of a city is made possible by her husband after her death.
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...
, particularly his first novel, The Three Godfathers, which was published in 1913 and proved to be a huge success. He is credited in 110 films between 1914
1914 in film
The year 1914 in film involved some significant events, including the debut of Cecil B. DeMille as a director.-Events:*The 3,300-seat Mark Strand Theatre opens in New York City....
and 1952
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
.
When still under 18, he lied about his age and enlisted in Company L, 14th U.S. Infantry, which served in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from 1898-1899. The Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and the following insurrection of General Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
provided background for many of Kyne's later stories. During 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 served as a captain in Battery A of the 144th field Artillery, known as the California Grizzlies.
He was born and died in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Selected filmography
- Judge Not; or The Woman of Mona DiggingsJudge Not; or The Woman of Mona DiggingsJudge Not; or The Woman of Mona Diggings is a 1915 drama film starring Julia Dean featuring Harry Carey. -Cast:* Julia Dean - Molly Hanlon* Harry Carter - Lee Kirk* Harry Carey - Miles Rand* Marc Robbins - Judge Rand...
(1915) - The Committee on CredentialsThe Committee on CredentialsThe Committee on Credentials is a 1916 silent film featuring Harry Carey. It is based on the novel, The Pride of Palomar, by Peter Bernard Kyne...
(1916) - The Valley of the GiantsThe Valley of the Giants (1919 film)Valley of the Giants is a silent drama film, produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It is based on Peter B. Kyne's popular . James Cruze was the director and Wallace Reid the star.-Production background:...
(1919) - Red CourageRed CourageRed Courage is a 1921 Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason and featuring Hoot Gibson.-Cast:* Hoot Gibson - Pinto Peters* Joel Day - Chuckwalla Bill* Molly Malone - Jane Reedly* Joseph W...
(1921) - Brothers Under the SkinBrothers Under the SkinBrothers Under the Skin is a 1922 silent comedy film directed by E. Mason Hopper. It is unknown whether any recording of the film survives; it may be a lost film.-Cast:* Pat O'Malley - Newton Craddock* Helene Chadwick - Millie Craddock...
(1922) - Kindred of the DustKindred of the DustKindred of the Dust is an American silent film directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring his wife Miriam Cooper. The film was the last independent picture for Walsh's production company, and the last film he and Cooper would make together. Today it is one of Walsh's earliest surviving features, and...
(1922) - Loving LiesLoving LiesLoving Lies is a 1924 silent American drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Evelyn Brent. The film is considered to be lost.- Cast :* Evelyn Brent as Ellen Craig* Monte Blue as Captain Dan stover* Joan Lowell as Madge Barlow* Charles K...
(1924) - Never the Twain Shall MeetNever the Twain Shall MeetNever the Twain Shall Meet is a 1925 silent south seas drama film based on the book by Peter B. Kyne, produced by MGM and directed by Maurice Tourneur, starring Anita Stewart and featuring Boris Karloff in an uncredited bit-part. Remade with sound in 1931 at MGM by director W. S. Van Dyke...
(1925) - The Shamrock HandicapThe Shamrock HandicapThe Shamrock Handicap is a romance film directed by John Ford. A print of the film still exists in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.-Cast:* Janet Gaynor - Lady Sheila O'Hara* Leslie Fenton - Neil Ross* Willard Louis - Orville Finch* J...
(1926) - Pals in ParadisePals in ParadisePals in Paradise is a 1926 silent drama film directed by George B. Seitz. The film was shot in Europe.-Cast:* Rudolph Schildkraut as Abraham Lezinsky* John Bowers as Bill Harvey* Marguerite De La Motte as Geraldine 'Jerry' Howard...
(1926) - The Understanding HeartThe Understanding HeartThe Understanding Heart is a American silent film, directed by Jack Conway and starring Joan Crawford. The film was adapted for the screen by Edward T. Lowe Jr. from a novel by Peter B. Kyne. Joan Crawford said "I got my first rave reviews in The Understanding Heart." -Plot:Forest ranger Bob Mason...
(1927) - Heroes of the West (1932 serial)
- Gordon of Ghost CityGordon of Ghost CityGordon of Ghost City is a Universal movie serial based on the novel Oh, Promise Me! by Peter B. Kyne.It is a remake of the 1932 film Flaming Guns, which was based on the same book.-Cast:* Buck Jones - Buck Gordon...
(1933) - Flaming FrontiersFlaming FrontiersFlaming Frontiers is a Universal movie serial. This was a remake of Heroes of the West . It was re-edited into a TV series in 1966.-Production:...
(1938 serial)
Adaptations of The Three Godfathers
- The Three GodfathersThe Three GodfathersThe Three Godfathers is a 1916 silent film featuring Harry Carey. The film was remade in 1919 as Marked Men, which also starred Carey.-Cast:* Stella LeSaint - Ruby Merrill, 'The Mojave Lily' * Harry Carey - Bob Sangster...
(1916) - Marked Men (1919) considered a lost filmLost filmA lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
- ActionAction (1921 film)Action is a 1921 Western film directed by John Ford and featuring Hoot Gibson. It was based on Peter B. Kyne's popular novel The Three Godfathers. The film is considered to be lost. According to contemporaneous newspaper reports, Action was based on J...
(1921) considered a lost film - Hell's HeroesHell's Heroes (film)Hell's Heroes is a western film, one of many adaptations of Peter B. Kyne's novel The Three Godfathers. Three outlaws, played by Charles Bickford, Raymond Hatton, and Fred Kohler, promise a dying woman they will save her newborn child....
(1930), uncredited - Three GodfathersThree Godfathers (1936 film)Three Godfathers is a 1936 western film, adapted from the novel of the same name by Peter B. Kyne. Three bank robbers find a newborn baby and his dying mother in the desert...
(1936) - 3 Godfathers (1948), starring John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
- The Godchild (made-for-TV, 1974)
- Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
episode "A Ranger Christmas" 12/21/96, loosely adapted, uncredited
Popular culture
- The Tracy High SchoolTracy High SchoolTracy High School is a four-year public secondary school school located in Tracy, California, United States. Enrollment during the 2009-2010 school year was 2339 students....
football field and MVP trophy are named after Kyne, whose Bohemian ClubBohemian ClubThe Bohemian Club is a private men's club in San Francisco, California, United States.Its clubhouse is located at 624 Taylor Street in San Francisco...
friends orchestrated the naming in 1927, Kyne and his Bohemian club friends funded early Tracy High School athletic programs and purchased the land for the eponymous Peter B. Kyne Field.
”There's an old wooden sign in the park [Sequoia Park in Eureka, California] with a quote from Peter B. Kyne's book The Valley of the Giants that says, 'I'm not going to cut the timber in this valley. I haven't the heart to destroy God's most wonderful handiwork. 'Twas in her mind to give her Valley of the Giants to Sequoia (Eureka) for a city park.' I wanted to know who 'she' was,” Armand said.
”She” was the fictional character in Kyne's Humboldt-inspired book The Valley of the Giants wherein a timber baron's wife's wish of saving a favorite stand of redwoods and creating a park in the middle of a city is made possible by her husband after her death.
External links
- Biography from the Literature Network
- http://tracypress.com/content/view/6220/2281/Past Peter B. Kyne Trophy winners (Tracy High SchoolTracy High SchoolTracy High School is a four-year public secondary school school located in Tracy, California, United States. Enrollment during the 2009-2010 school year was 2339 students....
in Tracy, CaliforniaTracy, CaliforniaTracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County, California, United States and an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 82,922 at the 2010 census.-History:...
])