Lester Cole

Screenwriter

About

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Also Known As

Lewis Copley, Gerard L C Copley, Gerald L. C. Copley, J. Redmond Prior

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

June 19, 1904

Died

August 15, 1985

Cause of Death

Heart Attack

Biography

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One of the original ten blacklisted by Hollywood, Cole began his writing career in 1932 with "If I Had a Million." His autobiography was aptly titled "Hollywood Red."...

Filmography

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The House of the Seven Gables (1940)

Dialogue Director

Hollywood On Trial (1976)

South of Dixie (1944)

Love at First Sight (1930)

Painted Faces (1929)

Born Free (1966)

Writ for the screen by

Photos & Videos

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High Wall (1947) -- (Movie Clip) You'll Escape Reality

High Wall (1947) -- (Movie Clip) Youre Not Getting Out

Bibliography

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"Hollywood Red"

Lester Cole

Notes

In 1997, the Writers Guild of America restored credit to several blacklisted writers, including Cole. Among the films that had the credits changed were "Born Free" (1966) which Cole scripted under the pseudonym Gerald L C Copley.

Biography

One of the original ten blacklisted by Hollywood, Cole began his writing career in 1932 with "If I Had a Million." His autobiography was aptly titled "Hollywood Red."

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

The House of the Seven Gables (1940)

Dialogue Director

Cast (Feature Film)

Hollywood On Trial (1976)

South of Dixie (1944)

Love at First Sight (1930)

Painted Faces (1929)

Writer (Feature Film)

Born Free (1966)

Writ for the screen by

Chain Lightning (1950)

Suggested by a story by

High Wall (1948)

The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947)

Original Screenplay

Strange Conquest (1946)

Based on a Story by

Blood on the Sun (1945)

Men in Her Diary (1945)

Objective, Burma! (1945)

None Shall Escape (1944)

Hostages (1943)

Night Plane from Chungking (1943)

The Good Fellows (1943)

Contract Writer

Pacific Blackout (1942)

Among the Living (1941)

Footsteps in the Dark (1941)

Pacific Blackout (1941)

Among the Living (1941)

Bad Men of Missouri (1941)

Contract Writer

The House of the Seven Gables (1940)

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

When the Daltons Rode (1940)

The Big Guy (1939)

Winter Carnival (1939)

I Stole a Million (1939)

Sinners in Paradise (1938)

The Jury's Secret (1938)

The Crime of Doctor Hallet (1938)

Secrets of a Nurse (1938)

Midnight Intruder (1938)

The Jury's Secret (1938)

The Crime of Doctor Hallet (1938)

His Exciting Night (1938)

Contract Writer

The Crime of Dr. Hallett (1938)

The Crime of Dr. Hallett (1938)

Some Blondes Are Dangerous (1937)

Affairs of Cappy Ricks (1937)

Original Screenplay

The Man in Blue (1937)

Behind the Mike (1937)

Contract Writer

Carnival Queen (1937)

Contract Writer

The President's Mystery (1936)

Follow Your Heart (1936)

Too Tough to Kill (1935)

Hitch Hike Lady (1935)

Under Pressure (1935)

The Daring Young Man (1935)

Dante's Inferno (1935)

Sleepers East (1934)

Wild Gold (1934)

3 on a Honeymoon (1934)

Contract Writer

Charlie Chan in London (1934)

Contr to Screenplay const and dial

Walls of Gold (1933)

Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933)

If I Had a Million (1932)

Contract Writer

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Inside North Vietnam (1967)

Editorial consultant

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Hollywood On Trial (1976)

Life Events

1929

Feature acting debut, "Painted Faces"

1932

First screenplay, "If I Had a Million"

1944

First on-screen appearace in fourteen years, "South of Dixie"

1947

Final screenplay credit before he was blacklisted, "The Romance of Rosy Ridge"

1961

Returned to screenwriting under the pseudonym Lewis Coppley with "Operation Eichmann"

1976

Final film appearance, as himself, in "Hollywood on Trial"

Videos

High Wall (1947) -- (Movie Clip) You'll Escape Reality Brain trauma patient, war vet and dad Kenet (Robert Taylor), institutionalized for killing his wife and believing he's guilty, with guard Delaney (Ray Mayer) then doctor Ann Lorrison (Audrey Totter), complex tensions in director Curtis Bernhardt's High Wall, 1947.

High Wall (1947) -- (Movie Clip) Youre Not Getting Out After successful brain surgery which he long resisted, war vet and father Kenet (Robert Taylor), still believing he killed his wife, seeks release, doctors Lorrison (Audrey Totter), Poward (Warner Anderson) and especially Dunlap (Moroni Olsen) evaluating, in High Wall, 1947.

Romance Of Rosy Ridge, The (1947) -- (Movie Clip) Rakin' Oats Drifter Henry (Van Johnson) charming all with a song and work in the fields, with Lissy Anne (Janet Leigh), her mother (Selena Royle), and father (Thomas Mitchell), still vexed over his loyalties in the recently-ended Civil War, in The Romance Of Rosy Ridge, 1947.

Romance Of Rosy Ridge, The (1947) -- (Movie Clip) News Of Ben Burning map, quasi-Klansmen, and a camera turn under a bonnet begins Janet Leigh's movie career, as "Lissy Anne," misinterpreting a message from "Ninny Nat" (O.Z. Whitehead), opening MGM's The Romance Of Rosy Ridge, 1947.

High Wall (1947) -- (Movie Clip) He Was So Anxious To See Her Director Curtis Bernhardt with tight control of his opening, finding businessman Whitcombe (Herbert Marshall) in a bar, with his assistant (Eula Guy) at the office, then a freaky introduction of leading man Robert Taylor, in High Wall, 1947, co-starring Audrey Totter.

High Wall (1947) -- (Movie Clip) Tell Me About Those Headaches Brain-injured combat vet Kenet (Robert Taylor) taken to his cell, convinced he must have killed his wife, while doctors (Morris Ankrum, Moroni Olsen, Warner Anderson and Audrey Totter as Ann Lorrison) stick to prodecure, early in director Curtis Bernhardt's High Wall, 1947.

Objective, Burma! -- (Movie Clip) I Froze In The Door Before the big jump, Captain Nelson (Errol Flynn) first with reporter Williams (Henry Hull), then with Gabby (George Tobias) and worried comrade Miggleori (Tony Caruso), in Raoul Walsh's Objective, Burma!, 1945.

Objective, Burma! -- (Movie Clip) Burmese Dancing Girls Errol Flynn as American army captain Nelson, laying out the mission for his paratroopers (Tony Caruso, Richard Erdman, George Tynes et al) and meeting crusty reporter Williams (Henry Hull), early in Raoul Walsh's Objective, Burma!, 1945.

High Wall - (Original Trailer) Psychiatry provides the key to proving a veteran flyer innocent of his wife's murder in High Wall (1947) starring Robert Taylor.

Objective, Burma! -- (Original Trailer) An American platoon parachutes into Burma to take out a strategic Japanese outpost in Objective, Burma! (1945) starring Errol Flynn.

Born Free - (Original Trailer) A game warden and his wife face a wrenching decision when the lion cub they've raised becomes too big to keep in Born Free (1966).

Footsteps In The Dark - (Original Trailer) Errol Flynn is a wealthy investment counselor by day, amateur detective by night in Footsteps In The Dark (1941).

Chain Lightning - (Original Trailer) Humphrey Bogart plays a test pilot for experimental aircraft in Chain Lightning (1950), his last Warner Brothers movie.

Fiesta - (Original Trailer) A Mexican beauty replaces her toreador brother in the bull ring in Fiesta (1947) starring Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban.

Romance of Rosy Ridge, The - (Original Trailer) A farmer's daughter falls in love with a man who fought against her family in the Civil War in The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947).

Bibliography

"Hollywood Red"

Lester Cole

Notes

In 1997, the Writers Guild of America restored credit to several blacklisted writers, including Cole. Among the films that had the credits changed were "Born Free" (1966) which Cole scripted under the pseudonym Gerald L C Copley.

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