Ethel Hill

Ethel Hill (April 6, 1898, Sacramento, California – May 17, 1954, Hollywood, California) was an American screenwriter and race horse owner.[1][2][3]

When Dore Schary first went to work for Columbia Pictures as a new screenwriter, he was paired with the veteran Hill to learn from her; together, they wrote the screenplay for Fury of the Jungle (1933).[4] Hill was described by Marc Norman in his book What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting as "an extremely dear and generous woman [who] had an interest in horses and often wore jodhpurs and riding gear to the studio."[4] Perhaps her best known film is The Little Princess (1939), starring Shirley Temple.

Hill bought the Thoroughbred race horse War Knight, a son of Preakness winner High Quest, as a foal "with her $1500 life savings".[5] He went on to win 10 of 28 starts,[5] including the 1944 Arlington Handicap.[2] He was injured in 1945 and did not win any of his five 1946 starts[5] leading up to the $100,000 added Santa Anita Handicap, which he proceeded to win in a photo finish.[1][3] He retired to stud afterward.[5]

Partial filmography

As screenwriter, unless otherwise indicated.

References

  1. 1 2 "80,200 See War Knight Win Santa Anita Handicap". Chicago Sunday Tribune. Associated Press. March 10, 1946. Charging into the lead in the last few strides, War Knight, 6 year old bay horse owned by Miss Ethel Hill, Hollywood scenario writer, won the $100,000 added Santa Anita Handicap in a photo finish.
  2. 1 2 "Movie Magnates Eye Easy Dough". Salt Lake Tribune. Associated Press. December 23, 1945 – via Newspapers.com. Screenwriter Ethel Hill plans to mop up with War Knight, winner of the Arlington Handicap in 1944
  3. 1 2 Jimmie Fidler (April 7, 1946). "Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood". Monroe Morning World – via Newspapers.com. Ha! Screen-Writer Ethel Hill, whose nag won the $100,000 Santa Anita Handicap, had to change her phone number to escape from too-insistent salesmen!
  4. 1 2 Norman, Marc (October 8, 2008). What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting. Crown Publishing Group. p. 136. ISBN 0307450201. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Morton Cathro (March 2, 2005). "Hollywood Ending". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved January 7, 2015.

External links

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