Robert Presnell Sr.

"Robert Presnell" redirects here. For his son, also a screenwriter, see Robert Presnell Jr.

Robert Presnell Sr.
Born	(1894-04-29)April 29, 1894 Lake View, Iowa, U.S.
Died	February 12, 1969(1969-02-12) (aged 74) Burbank, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Journalist, screenwriter, filmmaker
Children	Robert Presnell Jr.

Robert Presnell Sr. (April 29, 1894 – February 12, 1969) was an American journalist, screenwriter, and filmmaker who worked on Hollywood films, made war propaganda films for the military during World War II, and worked on documentaries. He was the father of Robert Presnell Jr.

He served in the signal corps during World War II. He lauded the value and experiences of war time filmmakers.^[1]

At the 14th Academy Awards, he was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Story for the film Meet John Doe.^[2]

Theater

• The Urgent Air a play in three acts^[3]
• Weep No More, a comedy drama adapted from an Italian play^[3]

Filmography

Writer

• The Big Pond (1930), co-wrote screenplay
• Terror Aboard (1933), co-wrote screenplay
• Money and the Woman (1940)
• Meet John Doe (1941),^[4] based on "A Reputation" a 1922 story in Century Magazine by Richard Connell. Academy Award nominee for best original story
• The Guilty (1947),^[5] based on based on "Two Men in a Furnished Room" a 1941 story in Detective Fiction Weekly by Cornell Woolrich

Producer

• Left Over Ladies (1931)
• Massacre (1934)
• The Girl on the Front Page (1936)
• Four Days' Wonder (1936)
• Girl Overboard (1937)^[6]
• When Love Is Young (1937)
• Night Key (1937)
• Carnival Queen (1937)
• That's My Story (1937)
• For You I Die (1947)
• Sofia (1948)
• Girl on the Run (1953)

References

1. Banks, Miranda J. (January 14, 2015). The Writers: A History of American Screenwriters and Their Guild. Rutgers University Press. p. 87. ISBN 9780813571409 – via Google Books.
2. "The 14th Academy Awards (1942) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
3. Office, Library of Congress Copyright (September 22, 1947). "Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series" – via Google Books.
4. "'Meet John Doe' Full Of Surprise". Daily News. New York, New York. March 23, 1941. p. 31. Retrieved December 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Renzi, Thomas C. (January 24, 2015). Cornell Woolrich from Pulp Noir to Film Noir. McFarland. ISBN 9780786482818 – via Google Books.
6. "Girl Overboard: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2024 – via Wayback Machine.

External links

• Robert Presnell Sr. at IMDb