Earl Felton Explained

Earl Felton
Birth Date:	October 16, 1909
Birth Place:	Sandusky, Ohio, United States
Death Date:	May 2, 1972 (aged 62)
Death Place:	Studio City, California United States
Occupation:	Screenwriter
Yearsactive:	1936–1959 (film)

Earl Felton (1909–1972) was an American screenwriter.^[1]

He was a regular collaborator with Richard Fleischer, who later wrote that "Earl was crippled from childhood with polio. He had no use of his legs, but he navigated beautifully with a crutch and cane... Earl normally hated anybody [helping]... him and would sometimes lay about him with his cane."^[2]

Fleischer added that "in spite of his lifeless legs and total reliance of a crutch and cane to get around, Felton was much given to self-indulgences and debaucheries."^[3]

Career

He sold the story Freshman Love to Warner Bros B movie unit.^[4] He also sold the story Man Hunt.^[5]

His story The Wizard of St Germaine was sold but not made.^[6]

His story The Bengal Killer was filmed as The Bengal Tiger.^[7]

In August 1937 he was reported working on a script Half Way House for MGM.^[8]

World Premiere (1941) was based on an original scenario by Felton.^[9]

In 1942 he wrote Heart of the Golden West for Roy Rogers.^[10]

In 1944 he sold A Likely Story to MGM.^[11] He wrote Pardon My Past for Fred MacMurray.^[12]

In 1947 he sold a novelette of his, Another Dawn, to Republic. It became Drums Along the Amazon.^{[13] [14]}

He sold The Odyssey of Eddie Arcaro to MGM as a vehicle for Robert Taylor.^[15] He wrote the original story for The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend.^[16]

Richard Fleischer

Felton began working with Richard Fleischer on Trapped. They went on to collaborate on Armored Car Robbery, His Kind of Woman, and Target which became The Narrow Margin.^[17]

He sold an original to Columbia, Feather in the Breeze.^[18]

Fleischer took Felton with him when they left RKO to work on The Happy Time. After The Happy Time he was to write and produce The Right Size of Me for Fleischer about the Doss family but it was not made.^[19] They were also meant to make Full of Life for Stanley Kramer but it was never filmed.^[20]

They did collaborate on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) for Disney and Bandido for Robert Mitchum.^[21]

He wrote The Catwalk for MGM,^[22] Line of Fire for John Champion,^[23] The Lawless Decade for David L. Wolper^[24] and The Proving Flight for Fleischer.^[25]

Kramer used him on The Pride and the Passion (1957).^[26] The producer got him to do a draft of Inherit the Wind.^[27]

In 1960 Fleischer was going to direct a musical script by Felton, Willing is My Love starring Joni James.^[28] He did another for Fleischer, One Minute to Midnight.^[29] He wrote a film about LSD, East of the Moon.^[30] He wrote We Sing Tomorrow for Mort Sahl.^[31] None of these films were made.

In the mid 1960s he produced The Man from UNCLE.^[32]

In 1969 he wrote Brutes in Brass for GMF but it was not made.^[33]

Selected filmography

• Freshman Love (1936) – screenplay
• Man Hunt (1936) – story
• Bengal Tiger (1936) – story and screenplay
• The Captain's Kid (1936) – story
• Bad Guy (1937) – screenplay
• Prison Nurse (1938) – screenplay
• The Night Hawk (1938) – screenplay
• Orphans of the Street (1938) – story
• Society Smugglers (1939) – screenplay
• Smuggled Cargo (1939) – additional dialogue
• Calling All Marines (1939) – screenplay
• The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date (1940) – story, screenplay
• The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance – story, screenplay
• World Premiere (1941) – story, screenplay
• The Pittsburgh Kid (1941) – screenplay
• Sierra Sue (1942) – screenplay
• Sunset Serenade (1942) – screenplay
• Heart of the Golden West (1942) – screenplay
• My Best Gal (1944) – screenplay
• Pardon My Past (1945) – screenplay
• Criminal Court (1946) – story
• Drums Along the Amazon (1948) – story
• The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949) – story, screenplay
• Trapped (1949) – story
• Armoured Car Robbery (1950) – screenplay
• His Kind of Woman (1951) – uncredited contribution to script
• The Las Vegas Story (1952) – screenplay
• The Narrow Margin (1952) – screenplay
• The Happy Time (1952) – screenplay, associate producer – nominated Best Comedy 1953 Screen Writers Guild^[34]
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) – screenplay
• The Marauders (1955) – screenplay
• The Rawhide Years (1956) – screenplay
• Bandido! (1956) – story, screenplay
• The Pride and the Passion (1958) – uncredited contribution to script
• Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959) – screenplay
• The Felony Squad (1967) – "No Sad Songs for Charlie"

Bibliography

• Shelley, Peter. Frances Farmer: The Life and Films of a Troubled Star. McFarland, 2010.

Notes and References

1. Shelley p.143
2. Book: Fleischer, Richard. Just Tell Me When to Cry: A Memoir. registration. 1993. Carroll and Graf. 52.
3. Book: Fleischer, Richard. Just Tell Me When to Cry: A Memoir. registration. 1993. Carroll and Graf. 130.
4. News: Ann Harding Will Return to Her Home Studio, R-K-O, in Near Future: New Subject Waiting for Screen Star Walpole Back Soon; Cesar Romero Cast in Tibbett Film. Schallert, Edwin. July 25, 1935. Los Angeles Times. A11.
5. News: Warner Baxter Will Supplant Fredric March as Star of "Shark Island": Studio Seeks Miss Colbert for 'Adverse' Taylor and Rosalind Keith Teamed; Miss Churchill Cast. Schallert, Edwin. Oct 24, 1935. Los Angeles Times. 15.
6. News: Mildred Davis, Wife of Harold Lloyd, Contemplates Return to Pictures: Actress May Produce Own Film Dramas Jean Hersholt Will Play Dr. Dafoe in "Quint's" Cinema. Schallert, Edwin. Nov 28, 1935. Los Angeles Times. 19.
7. News: Harold Lloyd Planning to Produce His Next Screen Drama Independently: Comic Might Play Lead in 'Horse' Yarn South Sea Story for Crosby and Oakie; Grid Film Set. Schallert, Edwin. Apr 2, 1936. Los Angeles Times. A19.
8. News: Newspaper Film Cycle Hits Hollywood. Scott, John. Los Angeles Times. Aug 8, 1937. C1.
9. News: News in Hollywood. New York Times. Feb 19, 1941. 25.
10. News: SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Vera Zorina to Appear in 'The Hour Before Dawn,' a Story by Somerset Maugham INVISIBLE AGENT' OPENS Arrives at Criterion Today -'Pride of the Yankees' Sets Record at the Astor. Aug 5, 1942. 16.
11. News: Romania Oil Bombing Inspiration for Film: Fred Brady Borrowed for Masculine Leading Role in 'Three Is a Family'. Schallert, Edwin. June 10, 1944. Los Angeles Times. 6.
12. News: MacMurray In Debut As Co-Producer. Frank Daugherty. The Christian Science Monitor. 22 June 1945. 4.
13. News: WARNERS TO FILM 'THE TURQUOISE': Studio Revives Plans to Do Picture on Seton's Novel--Harry Brown Scenarist. THOMAS F. BRADY. THE NEW YORK TIMES. 22 July 1947. 31.
14. News: FIVE ADDED TO CAST OF REPUBLIC MOVIE: Brent, Aherne, Bennett, Bedoya and Bonanova Will Appear in 'Drums Along Amazon'. THOMAS F. BRADY. New York Times. Apr 24, 1948. 11.
15. News: FILM ACADEMY POST TO HOWARD WALLS: Arts, Sciences Group Names Former Library of Congress Aide Curator of Archives. THOMAS F. BRADY. THE NEW YORK TIMES. Nov 10, 1947. 21.
16. News: STURGES TO MAKE SECOND FOX FILM: Signs for 'Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend' -- Grable to Have the Lead. THOMAS F. BRADY. New York Times. May 11, 1948. 29.
17. News: LEAD IN R.K.O. FILM TO DANA ANDREWS: Studio Borrows Actor From Samuel Goldwyn for Role in 'The Gaunt Woman'. THOMAS F. BRADY. New York Times. May 30, 1950. 22.
18. News: INDUSTRY WARNED OF FILM SHORTAGE: Producers Told That Federal Needs Cut Into Raw Stock --Conservation Is Urged. THOMAS F. BRADY. New York Times. Feb 15, 1951. 42.
19. News: FILMLAND BRIEFS. Mar 14, 1952. Los Angeles Times. B7.
20. News: Drama: Massey Will Help Ready Own Drama in England; Mary Philips With Marx. Schallert, Edwin. July 3, 1952. Los Angeles Times. A7.
21. News: HOLLYWOOD CONTEST: Labor Election Battle Looms -- Other Items. THOMAS M. PRYOR. New York Times. 6 June 1954. X5.
22. News: BRANDO ACCEPTS 'SAYONARA' ROLE: Delays Entering Independent Production Field--Filming Will Start in Japan. THOMAS M. PRYOR. The New York Times. Nov 2, 1956. 32.
23. News: MOVIELAND EVENTS: Champion Reslates 'Line of Fire' Film. Los Angeles Times. Jan 4, 1957. A7.
24. News: FILM EVENTS: Tamblyn to Act on Furlough. June 20, 1959. Los Angeles Times. A7.
25. News: Maria Schell and Hubby to Make Film. Hopper, Hedda. Apr 28, 1959. Chicago Daily Tribune. a2.
26. News: VAN JOHNSON OUT OF COLUMBIA FILM: Actor Quits Cast of Friday the 13th,' Which Is to Start in Production Monday Directorial Assignments Of Local Origin. THOMAS M.PRYOR. The New York Times. Feb 12, 1957. 31.
27. News: KRAMER REVEALS PLANS FOR 3 FILMS: Director-Producer Will No Longer Play Lone Hand-- Beachcomber Story Due At Home With the Hedleys. THOMAS M. PRYOR. New York Times . Dec 13, 1957. 44.
28. News: 'Cimarron' Again Near Homestretch: Land Rush 'Made' Original; Fleischer Pacts Joni James. Scheuer, Philip K.. Feb 16, 1960. Los Angeles Times. A9.
29. News: Entertainment: Fleischer Set for 'Midnight' in Paris. Dec 10, 1959. Los Angeles Times. C11.
30. News: New Foreman Film Has All-Star Cast: Quinn, Boyer, Ingrid Team; Franciosa May Buy Movie. Hopper, Hedda. Nov 16, 1960. Los Angeles Times. C8.
31. News: Sab Adds Another 'Tomorrow' Movie: Never Was Fan of 'Fantasia,' Composer Stravinsky Insists. Scheuer, Philip K.. Mar 21, 1960. Los Angeles Times. C9.
32. News: The Teen-agers Cry 'U.N.C.L.E.'. HOWARD THOMPSON. June 20, 1965. New York Times. X15.
33. News: MOVIE CALL SHEET: Start Date for 'Brutes' Set. Martin, Betty. Aug 22, 1969. Los Angeles Times. d13.
34. News: Guild Picks Nominees for Film Achievements: Screen Writers Will Name Best in Three Categories--Comedy, Drama and Musicals. Schallert, Edwin. Feb 16, 1953. Los Angeles Times. 5.