Donald Ogden Stewart

Screenwriter

About

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Birth Place

Columbus, Ohio, USA

Born

November 30, 1894

Died

August 02, 1980

Cause of Death

Illness Following A Heart Attack

Biography

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Novelist, playwright and stage actor who adapted the play "Brown of Harvard" to the screen in 1926. Stewart arrived in Hollywood in 1930 and began turning out scripts noted for their polish and satirical wit, particularly the sophisticated costume drama, "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937), and the swank romantic comedy, "The Philadelphia Story" (1940). He joined the Hollywood Anti-Nazi leagu...

Filmography

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Not So Dumb (1930)

Love Affair (1994)

Love Affair (1994)

Dinner At Eight (1989)

Writer (Dialogue)

An Affair to Remember (1957)

Photos & Videos

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Not So Dumb (1930) -- (Movie Clip) Sin Throughout The Ages

Not So Dumb (1930) -- (Movie Clip) Sunny California

Family & Companions

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Ella Stewart

Wife

Second wife; married in 1937; widow of Lincoln Steffens; died on August 5, 1980 due to a stroke.

Bibliography

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"Father William"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1929)

"A Parody Outline of History"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1929)

"Mr. and Mrs. Haddock in Paris, France"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1926)

"The Crazy Fool"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1925)

Biography

Novelist, playwright and stage actor who adapted the play "Brown of Harvard" to the screen in 1926. Stewart arrived in Hollywood in 1930 and began turning out scripts noted for their polish and satirical wit, particularly the sophisticated costume drama, "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937), and the swank romantic comedy, "The Philadelphia Story" (1940). He joined the Hollywood Anti-Nazi league and wrote the anti-fascist script for "Keeper of the Flame" (1942) which later led to his being blacklisted in the early 1950s. The following year Stewart moved to England, where he wrote scripts and, in 1970, an autobiography.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Not So Dumb (1930)

Writer (Feature Film)

Love Affair (1994)

Love Affair (1994)

Dinner At Eight (1989)

Writer (Dialogue)

An Affair to Remember (1957)

The Prisoner of Zenda (1952)

Additional Dialogue

Edward, My Son (1949)

Cass Timberlane (1948)

Cass Timberlane (1948)

Life with Father (1947)

Without Love (1945)

Forever and a Day (1943)

Keeper of the Flame (1942)

Tales of Manhattan (1942)

Original stories and Screenplay by

Smilin' Through (1941)

That Uncertain Feeling (1941)

A Woman's Face (1941)

Kitty Foyle (1940)

Additional Dialogue

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

The Night of Nights (1939)

Original Screenplay

Love Affair (1939)

Marie Antoinette (1938)

The Fight for Peace (1938)

Script material

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

Additional Dialogue

No More Ladies (1935)

The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934)

Dinner at Eight (1934)

Additional Dialogue

Going Hollywood (1933)

The White Sister (1933)

Another Language (1933)

Smilin' Through (1932)

Tarnished Lady (1931)

Laughter (1930)

Brown of Harvard (1926)

Life Events

1926

First film assignment was adaptation for "Brown of Harvard"

1928

Starred on Broadway in role of Nick Potter in Philip Barry's "Holiday"

1930

First play produced on Broadway, "Rebound" (also starred)

1930

Moved to Hollywood; appeared in supporting role in film, "Not So Dumb"

1949

Last US screenplay, "Edward My Son"

1951

Blacklisted; retired to England

1955

Last film, "Moment of Danger/Malaga" (British)

Videos

Not So Dumb (1930) -- (Movie Clip) Sin Throughout The Ages Entertaining the big-shot out-of-town investor (William Holden), Dulcy (Marion Davies) turns the floor over to her new supposed screenwriter friend Leach (Franklin Pangborn), dramatizing his next feature, Van Dyke (Donald Ogden Stewart) on piano, Elliott Nugent her worried husband, in Not So Dumb, 1930.

Not So Dumb (1930) -- (Movie Clip) Sunny California Opening with Marion Davies (as nutty Dulcy, the title role in the original George S. Kaufman-Marc Connelly play) and fiancè Gordon (Elliott Nugent) in the rain, awaiting potential investor Forbes (the other actor William Holden, 1862-1932), wife and daughter (Sally Starr, Julia Faye), with King Vidor directing, in Not So Dumb, 1930.

Keeper Of The Flame, The (1942) -- (Movie Clip) I Envisioned An Older Man 25 minutes into the picture the first appearance of co-top-billed Katherine Hepburn, as Christine Forrest, mourning widow of national hero Robert, as she meets enterprising and acclaimed reporter O’Malley (Spencer Tracy), who has snuck into her house, in George Cukor’s Keeper Of The Flame, 1942.

Woman's Face, A (1941) -- (Movie Clip) This Lady Is Interested In Love Already in flashback, vast plot complexity, Melvyn Douglas as Swedish plastic surgeon Gustav is confronted with Joan Crawford as Anna, who sprained her ankle trying to escape when he interrupted her trying to blackmail his wife (Osa Massen) with love letters, intrigued by her case, in George Cukor’s A Woman’s Face, 1941.

Woman's Face, A -- (Movie Clip) A Most Generous Gesture Deep in the Swedish woods, waiter (Donald Meek) serving Vera (Osa Massen) and the party of playboy Barring (Conrad Veidt) who then meets "proprietor" Anna (Joan Crawford), early in George Cukor's A Woman's Face, 1941.

Philadelphia Story, The (1941) -- (Movie Clip) They Grew Up Together Complexity as Tracy (Katharine Hepburn) performs for impostor society wedding guests (really reporters) Mike (James Stewart) and Liz (Ruth Hussey), fiancè George (John Howard) arrives, and her ex, Dexter (Cary Grant) crashes in The Philadelphia Story, 1941.

Holiday (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Your Nose Is Frozen Johnny (Cary Grant), having discovered that his newly betrothed Julia (Doris Nolan), whom he just met on vacation, is one of the super-rich Setons, meets her sister Linda (Katharine Hepburn, her first scene), in George Cukor's Holiday, 1938.

Holiday (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Want A Bite? Arrived early for his big meeting with father, Johnny (Cary Grant), who's just learned he's marrying into a super-rich family, visits with Linda (Katharine Hepburn), sister of his betrothed, in George Cukor's Holiday, 1938.

Holiday (1938) -- (Movie Clip) What Do Most Girls Do? Opening scene, Johnny (Cary Grant) pops in on New York pals Nick and Susan (Edward Everett Horton, Jean Dixon) with big news, in George Cukor's Holiday, 1938, from the Philip Barry play.

Philadelphia Story, The (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Great Leveleler Well-lit journalist Mike (James Stewart in his Academy Award-winning role) visits society-playboy C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant), to discuss liquor, Dexter's ex-wife (Katharine Hepburn, not seen) and an evil publisher in George Cukor's The Philadelphia Story, 1941.

Edward, My Son (1949) -- (Movie Clip) I've Started The Fire London between the wars, Spencer Tracy as Boult, our narrator whom we know will become very rich, and lose his son, confronted by his partner (Mervyn Johns), who wants out of the scheme to burn their business for money, to pay for the boy’s operation, in Edward, My Son, 1949.

Edward, My Son (1949) -- (Movie Clip) I Want Your Opinion Spencer Tracy addresses the camera, as in the original play by Robert Morley and Noel Langley, opening the MGM-British production, directed by George Cukor, as industrialist Boult, flashing back to join Deborah Kerr as his wife, in Edward, My Son, 1949.

Cass Timberlane - (Original Trailer) An aging judge creates a scandal when he marries a younger woman from the wrong side of the tracks in Cass Timberlane (1947) starring Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner.

Another Language - (Original Trailer) When Helen Hayes marries Robert Montgomery, she inherits a monster mother-in-law in Another Language (1933).

Keeper of the Flame - (Original Trailer) A reporter digs into the secret life of a recently deceased political hero in Keeper of the Flame (1942) with Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy.

Prisoner of Zenda, The (1952) - (Original Trailer) An Englishman who resembles the king of a small European nation gets mixed up in palace intrigue when his look-alike is kidnapped in The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), starring Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr and James Mason.

Woman's Face, A - (Original Trailer) Joan Crawford is a criminal who tries to change her life after a plastic surgeon removes a disfiguring scar in A Woman's Face (1941).

Marie Antoinette - (Wide Release Trailer) Norma Shearer stars in Marie Antoinette (1938), a lavish film biography of the French queen whose rule alienated the citizens of France.

Smilin' Through (1941) - (Original Trailer) Future husband-and-wife Gene Raymond and Jeanette McDonald in Smilin' Through (1941), their one film together.

Without Love -- (Original Trailer) A World War II housing shortage inspires a widow to propose a marriage of convenience with an inventor in Without Love (1945) with Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy.

White Sister, The -- (Original Trailer) Helen Hayes becomes a nun when Clark Gable is reported killed in the war. Whoops! Guess who's still alive?

Love Affair - (Original Trailer) Near-tragic misunderstandings threaten a shipboard romance between Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne in Love Affair (1939), directed by Leo McCarey. It was later remade by McCarey as An Affair to Remember (1957) starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Prisoner of Zenda, The (1937) - (Re-release Trailer) An Englishman (Ronald Colman) who resembles the king of a small European nation gets mixed up in palace intrigue when his look-alike is kidnapped in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937).

No More Ladies - (Original Trailer) Maybe not MGM's best idea ever, Leo the animated Lion, with the trailer for No More Ladies, 1935, in which a society girl (Joan Crawford) tries to reform her playboy husband (Robert Montgomery) by making him jealous.

Family

Ames Ogden Stewart

Son

Companions

Ella Stewart

Wife

Second wife; married in 1937; widow of Lincoln Steffens; died on August 5, 1980 due to a stroke.

Bibliography

"Father William"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1929)

"A Parody Outline of History"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1929)

"Mr. and Mrs. Haddock in Paris, France"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1926)

"The Crazy Fool"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1925)

"Mr. and Mrs. Haddock Abroad"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1924)

"Aunt Polly's Story of Mankind"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1923)

"Perfect Behavior"

Donald Ogden Stewart (1922)

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