John Howard Lawson

Screenwriter

About

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Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

September 25, 1894

Died

August 12, 1977

Biography

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Left-leaning playwright who moved to Hollywood in 1928 and wrote several, mostly unremarkable films, some on political themes. Lawson served a year in prison because of his refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee and did little film work thereafter....

Filmography

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The Hollywood Ten (1950)

Heart of Spain (1937)

The Careless Years (1957)

The Hollywood Ten (1950)

Smash Up--The Story of a Woman (1947)

Counter-Attack (1945)

Photos & Videos

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Counter-Attack (1945) -- (Movie Clip) Too Much Courage

Counter-Attack (1945) -- (Movie Clip) It's Psychological

Bibliography

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"Film: The Creative Process"

John Howard Lawson (1964)

"Film in the Battle of Ideas"

John Howard Lawson (1953)

"Theory and Technique of Playwriting and Screenwriting"

John Howard Lawson (1949)

Notes

Lawson was the founder and first president of the Screen Writers Guild in 1933.

Biography

Left-leaning playwright who moved to Hollywood in 1928 and wrote several, mostly unremarkable films, some on political themes. Lawson served a year in prison because of his refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee and did little film work thereafter.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

The Hollywood Ten (1950)

Heart of Spain (1937)

Writer (Feature Film)

The Careless Years (1957)

The Hollywood Ten (1950)

Smash Up--The Story of a Woman (1947)

Counter-Attack (1945)

Action in the North Atlantic (1943)

Earthbound (1940)

Four Sons (1940)

Original Screenplay

They Shall Have Music (1939)

Blockade (1938)

Original Screenplay

Adventure in Manhattan (1936)

Party Wire (1935)

Success at Any Price (1934)

Treasure Island (1934)

Goodbye Love (1933)

Screenplay and dial

Bachelor Apartment (1931)

The Ship From Shanghai (1930)

The Sea Bat (1930)

The Sea Bat (1930)

Our Blushing Brides (1930)

Our Blushing Brides (1930)

Dynamite (1929)

The Pagan (1929)

Dream of Love (1928)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

The Boss' Son (1978)

Cry, the Beloved Country (1952)

Life Events

Videos

Counter-Attack (1945) -- (Movie Clip) Too Much Courage Paul Muni as Alexei leads the band of Russian military engineers arrived to a key Eastern Front theater, bragging recklessly until the commander Kostyuk (Roman Bohnen) demands their attention, revealing his plans to surprise the Germans, Marguerite Chapman as comrade Lisa, in director Zoltan Korda’s Counter-Attack, 1945.

Counter-Attack (1945) -- (Movie Clip) It's Psychological Trapped with seven Nazi soldiers in the basement of a bombed building behind German lines while on a reconnaissance mission, Soviet commando Alexei (Paul Muni) with comrade Lisa (Margeurite Chapman) suspects one is an officer with crucial information, George MacReady stepping forward, in Columbia’s Counter-Attack, 1945.

Sahara (1943) -- (Movie Clip) Opening: In Your Own Language, Scram! With standard wartime context provided in the credits from Columbia, Zoltan Korda's North Africa tank drama Sahara, 1943, begins with bad news for Jimmy (Dan Duryea), Waco (Bruce Bennett) and Sergeant Joe Gunn (Humphrey Bogart).

Sahara (1943) -- (Movie Clip) We Like Chestnuts American Sgt. Gunn (Humphrey Bogart) is bluffing when he offers water to German Major Von Falken (John Wengraf), whose superior forces have his unit surrounded, in North Africa, 1942, a critical moment in director Zoltan Korda's Sahara, 1943.

Action In The North Atlantic (1943) -- (Movie Clip) My Name Is Joe Rossi Opening with patriotism and Humphrey Bogart’s narration as Merchant Marine first mate Joe Rossi, director Lloyd Bacon working nearly in the dark, with Raymond Massey as crusty skipper Steve Jarvis, in the Warner Bros. wartime hit Action In The North Atlantic, 1943.

Action In The North Atlantic (1943) -- (Movie Clip) We Didn't Ask For This War Below decks with the crew of the Northern Star, novice Ensign Parker (Dick Hogan) getting schooled by Peter Whitney, Dane Clark, Alan Hale and Sam Levene as Goldberg, then we see there really is a German sub nearby, early in the WWII Merchant Marine story Action In The North Atlantic, 1943.

Action In The North Atlantic (1943) -- (Movie Clip) We Got Spliced Yesterday Not long after their last ship was sunk by the Germans, Merchant Marine captain Jarvis (Raymond Massey) tracks down his first mate Rossi (Humphrey Bogart), with Pearl (Julie Bishop) whom, we learn here, isn’t just another girlfriend, in Action In The North Atlantic, 1943.

Action In The North Atlantic (1943) -- (Movie Clip) My Dear Adolf Seven, then twelve days after their Merchant Marine tanker was sunk by a Nazi submarine, the crew of the Northern Star is rescued, Humphrey Bogart, Dane Clark, Raymond Massey the captain, Alan Hale sassing the enemy, in Warner Bros.’ Merchant Marine adventure, Action In The North Atlantic, 1943.

Blockade (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Spain, 1936 Opening in an idyllic Spain, with actual names of places and political positions omitted, Henry Fonda as farmer Marco with buddy Luis (Leo Carrillo) meets fancy Norma (Madeleine Carroll), in producer Walter Wanger's Spanish Civil War drama Blockade, 1938.

Blockade (1938) -- (Movie Clip) The Shoes Are Too Good Now with the side vaguely representing the Spanish Republicans, Marco (Henry Fonda) confronts Basil (Vladimir Sokoloff), who is in fact a spy for the fascists and, he discovers, the father of his upper class potential girlfriend Norma (Madeleine Carroll), in Walter Wanger's Blockade, 1938.

Blockade (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Turn Back And Fight! Foreigners Basil and daughter Norma (Vladimir Sokoloff, Madeleine Carroll) in flight, farmers in a fictional region in Spain baffled by sudden bombing, this could be read as Marco (Henry Fonda), on his own, instigating the Spanish Republican cause, in producer Walter Wanger's Blockade, 1938.

Smash Up -- The Story Of A Woman (1947) -- (Movie Clip) Girls Do Get Married Agent Mike (Charles D. Brown) drops in on neurotic and suddenly retired night club singer Angie (Susan Hayward), who's happy to quit now that songwriter boyfriend Ken (Lee Bowman) is home from a failed gig, Eddie Albert his partner, early in Smash Up -- The Story Of A Woman, 1947.

Counter-Attack - (Original Trailer) A Russian officer (Paul Muni) is trapped in a bombed building with seven Nazi soldiers in Counter-Attack (1945).

Action in the North Atlantic -- (Original Trailer) Merchant Marines fight off enemy attacks at the start of World War II in Action in the North Atlantic (1943) starring Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey.

Algiers (1938) -- (Movie Clip) The Casbah Rises Goaded by Parisian cop Janvier (Paul Harvey), local chief Louvain (Walter Kingsford) launches impromptu oratory about the neighborhood, later supported by Slimane (Joseph Calleia), early in Algiers, 1938.

Family

Jeff Lawson

Son

Photographer.

Bibliography

"Film: The Creative Process"

John Howard Lawson (1964)

"Film in the Battle of Ideas"

John Howard Lawson (1953)

"Theory and Technique of Playwriting and Screenwriting"

John Howard Lawson (1949)

Notes

Lawson was the founder and first president of the Screen Writers Guild in 1933.

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