Arthur Hornblow, Jr.

Arthur Hornblow, Jr.
Born (1893-03-15)March 15, 1893
New York City
Died July 17, 1976(1976-07-17) (aged 83)
New York City
Spouse(s) Juliette Crosby (m.1924)
Myrna Loy (1936–1942)
Leonora Schinasi (1945–1976)

Arthur Hornblow, Jr. (March 15, 1893 – July 17, 1976) was an American film producer.

Biography

Hornblow was the son of Arthur Hornblow, Sr. (1865–1942), a writer and editor who produced the Theatre magazine in New York City. (He allowed a version of his last name be used by C. S. Forester for the fictional sea captain Horatio Hornblower after meeting writer Forester at a New York cocktail party.)

Hornblow graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School, New York City, in 1911, before studying at Dartmouth College and New York Law School,[1] and was a member of the fraternity Theta Delta Chi. He served in counter-intelligence during World War I,[1] and then tried his hand at playwriting. He was then hired as a production supervisor by Sam Goldwyn at Paramount in 1927.[1]

He married the actress Myrna Loy in 1936.[2] On their divorce in 1942 they threw a lavish party at the Mocambo club.

Initially, he specialized in the popular screwball comedies, eventually giving Billy Wilder his first directing job, and producing several films starring Bob Hope.[1] These included The Cat and the Canary (1939), The Ghost Breakers (1940) and Nothing But the Truth (1941).[3] In 1942 he moved to MGM where he produced several film noir. In the 1950s, now an independent producer rather that a studio employee, he worked on musicals and other films including Oklahoma, Ruggles of Red Gap and Gaslight.

After retiring from the film business in 1962 he devoted his time to writing children's books with his third wife Leonora Schinasi[2] as Leonora Hornblow (1920–2005).

He gave aspiring actress Marie Windsor her first screen test, and Constance Ockelman her new name, Veronica Lake.

Oscar nominations

As a producer he was nominated for an Academy Award 'Best Picture' Oscar four times, but failed to win.

Selected filmography

Books by Arthur and Leonora Hornblow

The Hornblows, Frith, and Random House collaborated to produce numerous sequels, Birds Do the Strangest Things (1965), and so on.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Arthur Hornblow, Jr.". IMDB. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Arthur Hornblow, Jr.". Spoke O. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Arthur Hornblow Jr". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 March 2014.

External links

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