Arthur Hornblow Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Hornblow Jr.
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Arthur Hornblow Jr. and Myrna Loy
soon after their marriage in 1936 |
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| Born | March 15, 1893 New York City, New York, United States
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| Died | July 17, 1976 (aged 83) New York City, New York, United States
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| Occupation | Film producer |
| Spouse(s) |
Juliette Crosby
(m. 1924; div. 1936) |
Arthur Hornblow Jr. (born March 15, 1893 – died July 17, 1976) was an American film producer. He helped create many popular movies, especially comedies, and worked with famous actors and directors.
Biography
Arthur Hornblow Jr. grew up in New York City. His father, Arthur Hornblow Sr., was a writer and edited a magazine called Theatre Magazine.
Arthur Jr. went to DeWitt Clinton High School, then studied at Dartmouth College and New York Law School. During World War I, he worked in counter-intelligence, which means he helped protect secrets for his country. After the war, he tried writing plays.
In 1927, Arthur Jr. started working in Hollywood as a production supervisor for Paramount Pictures. He became known for producing "screwball comedies." These were fast-paced, funny movies with lots of witty dialogue and often featured characters who were a bit quirky or silly.
He gave Billy Wilder his first job as a director. He also produced several films starring the famous comedian Bob Hope. Some of these movies include The Cat and the Canary (1939), The Ghost Breakers (1940), and Nothing But the Truth (1941).
In 1942, Arthur Hornblow Jr. moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studio. There, he produced the famous thriller Gaslight. He also produced several "film noir" movies. Film noir is a style of movie that often has a dark mood, crime stories, and mysterious characters.
In the 1950s, he became an independent producer. This meant he worked on his own projects instead of being employed by a big studio. He produced the musical Oklahoma! and the exciting courtroom drama Witness for the Prosecution. This last film was directed by Billy Wilder, whom he had worked with before.
Arthur Hornblow Jr. also helped new actors get their start. He gave aspiring actress Marie Windsor her first screen test. He also gave Constance Ockelman her new name, Veronica Lake, who became a big star.
Oscar Nominations
Arthur Hornblow Jr. was nominated for an Academy Award (often called an Oscar) for 'Best Picture' four times. An Oscar is one of the highest honors in the film industry. Even though he was nominated many times, he never won.
Here are the films he was nominated for:
- Ruggles of Red Gap (1935): A comedy-western movie starring Charles Laughton.
- Hold Back the Dawn (1941): A romantic-comedy with Charles Boyer and Olivia de Havilland.
- Gaslight (1944): A thrilling movie starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, and Joseph Cotten.
- Witness for the Prosecution (1957): A courtroom drama featuring Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, and Elsa Lanchester.
Selected Films Produced
Here are some of the movies Arthur Hornblow Jr. produced:
- Four Hours to Kill! (1935)
- The Princess Comes Across (1936)
- Easy Living (1937)
- High, Wide, and Handsome (1937)
- Midnight (1939)
- The Cat and the Canary (1939)
- The Ghost Breakers (1940)
- Arise, My Love (1940)
- The Major and the Minor (1942)
- Gaslight (1944)
- Desire Me (1947)
- The Hucksters (1947)
- Cass Timberlane (1947 film)
- The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
- Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
- Oklahoma! (1955)
- The War Lover (1962)
Books
Arthur Hornblow Jr. also wrote some books, including a two-volume history of theater in America. He also co-wrote a series of children's books with his wife, Leonora Hornblow, called Animals Do the Strangest Things.
