John Wexley
John Wexley (1907 – February 4, 1985) was an American writer, best known for his play The Last Mile.
Early life and career
Wexley was born in New York City.[1] His early career involved acting as part of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre.[2]
Theatre
In 1930, Wexley wrote the play The Last Mile, one of the most prominent "prison dramas" of the 1930s.[1] Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times called it "a taut, searing drama" and "an evening of nerve-racking tension in the theatre".[2] A Pacific coast production was produced by Lillian Albertson at the Majestic Theatre in Los Angeles,[3] and it was adapted for the screen in 1932 and 1959.[1] In 1934, he wrote another play titled They Shall Not Die, a dramatization of the Scottsboro case and trials.[1] First performed at the Royale Theatre in March 1934,[4] Brooks Atkinson described it as "a play of terrifying and courageous bluntness of statement".[2] A film adaptation was planned in 1950 by Charles K. Feldman, with Wexley having written the screenplay.[5]
In 1937, his play Steel was performed by Labor Stage.[6] In 1945, Wexley wrote Tears Without Laughter, which focuses on Nazi plots to establish cartels in the United States. It was "aimed at" husband-wife duo Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.[7] In 1946, Wexley's play Carrot and Club was performed by the Theatre Guild.[8]
Film
During the 1930s and 1940s, he wrote several screenplays. These included Angels with Dirty Faces in 1938, the 1939 films Confessions of a Nazi Spy and The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, the 1943 film Hangmen Also Die!, and the 1947 film The Long Night.[1] In 1945, he wrote the story for Cornered.[7]
In 1943, Wexley wrote an original screenplay for a film titled Malta. It was due to be produced by Joe Pasternak and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[9] Philip Dorn and Donna Reed were cast to star in the film.[10] In the early 1940s, Wexley had written a screenplay about General Mark W. Clark.[11] The film, titled Advance Agent to Africa, was warned against by the State Department and War Department, apparently due to its accurate descriptions of army tactics. It was cancelled by Paramount Pictures in 1943.[12]
Other work
In 1955, he published a book about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg titled The Judgment of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.[1] He continued to write and lecture.[2]
Wexley also served in the military, but was discharged some time prior to December 1945.[13]
Communist links
In March 1953, film writer David A. Lang testified in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) that Wexley was one of several writers who had attended communist meetings.[14] In May 1953, he was one of 57 alleged communists named by Robert Rossen in front of the HUAC.[15]
Personal life
After retiring, Wexley moved to Doylestown, Pennsylvania.[1] He was married to a woman named Katherine and had at least one child, a daughter named Thea.[2]
Wexley died of a heart attack on February 4, 1985, at the age of 77.[1]
Published works
Plays
- The Last Mile (1930)
- They Shall Not Die (1934)
- Steel (c. 1937)
- Carrot and Club (c. 1946)
Books
- The Judgment of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (1955)
Filmography
Year | Film | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1935 | Eight Bells | Screenplay | |
1938 | Angels with Dirty Faces | Screenplay | [1] |
1939 | Confessions of a Nazi Spy | Screenplay | [1] |
1939 | The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse | Screenplay; with John Huston | [1][2] |
1940 | City for Conquest | Screenplay | [16] |
1941 | Footsteps in the Dark | Screenplay | |
1943 | Hangmen Also Die! | Screenplay | [1] |
1943 | The City That Stopped Hitler – Heroic Stalingrad | Screenplay for English version | [17] |
1945 | Cornered | Story | [7] |
1947 | The Long Night | Screenplay | [1] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "John Wexley; Playwright, Screenwriter: His Prison Drama for Broadway, 'The Last Mile,' Inspired 2 Films". Los Angeles Times. February 14, 1985. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Gussow, Mel (February 6, 1985). "John Wexley, 77, playwright, screenwriter and an author". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ ""Last Mile" Announced". Los Angeles Times. May 9, 1930. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Hugh T. (1977). "Changing America and the Changing Image of Scottsboro". Phylon. 38 (1): 83. doi:10.2307/274446. ISSN 0031-8906. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (May 11, 1950). "Lee J. Cobb Assignments Multiplying". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Applause Woos Needle Workers". Los Angeles Times. July 12, 1938. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c Schallert, Edwin (May 22, 1945). "Wexley aims play at Lunt and Fontanne". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (March 30, 1946). "Harvey III". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (March 4, 1943). "Two 'Maltas' Planned; Lake, Tone Will Team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Philip Dorn and Donna Reed to Appear in 'Malta'". The New York Times. March 4, 1943. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (February 4, 1943). "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (January 25, 1943). "Government Bans African War Adventure Subject". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Film Writer Describes Beating at VJ-Day party". Los Angeles Times. December 4, 1945. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Death Threat Bared by Ex-Party Member; Script Clinic Cited". Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1953. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Rossen Lists 50 Hollywood Figures as Reds". Los Angeles Times. May 9, 1953. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (September 10, 1940). "'City for Conquest' Gains Luster Through Idealism". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (October 21, 1943). "'City That Stopped Hitler' Exciting Factual Picture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
External links
- John Wexley at the Internet Broadway Database
- John Wexley at IMDb