Felix Adler (screenwriter)
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Felix Adler (January 22, 1884 – March 25, 1963) was an American comedy film
screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
and
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
performer whose career spanned over 30 years. He is best known for his work with the
Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...
, including their 1934 short ''
Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are government agents dressed in dark suits, who question, interrogate, harass, and threaten unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses to keep them silent about what they have ...
'', which received an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination for " Best Short Subject - Comedy". He had also worked with
Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...
,
Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many Silent film, silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influent ...
,
Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...
, and
Abbott and Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...
on some of their films.


Life

Adler was born on January 22, 1884, in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. He started as a vaudeville actor and then became a title writer for
Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American producer, director, actor, and studio head who was known as the "King of Comedy" during his career. Born in Danville, Quebec, he started acting i ...
silents in the early 1920s, easing into talkies with three Harold Lloyd features and as a staff writer for the Columbia Pictures Short Subject department, a position he held until its demise in 1957. While the vast majority of Adler's writing credits were for Sennett and Three Stooges short subjects, Adler co-wrote six features for
Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...
and two for
Abbott and Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...
. A resident of Hollywood Hills, he was sociable, chatting with neighbors at the Beachwood Village Laundry and giving pocket money to local children. His house became a stop-off for neighbors on their way to and from the Beachwood Market because he would invariably invite them in for a refreshment.


Death

Adler died of abdominal
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
at the
Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital In physics, motion is when an object changes its position with respect to a reference point in a given time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed, and frame of reference to an observ ...
in
Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. History The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans in the United States, ...
, on March 25, 1963. He was 79. Adler was cremated; his ashes are interred at the
Chapel of the Pines Crematory Chapel of the Pines Crematory is a crematory and columbarium located at 1605 South Catalina Street, Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California, in the West Adams District a short distance southwest of Downtown. It is beside Angelus-Rosedale ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, with services privately held by his family.''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More than 14000 Famous Persons'', Scott Wilson


Filmography

* ''
Welcome Danger ''Welcome Danger'' is a 1929 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Clyde Bruckman and starring Harold Lloyd. A sound version and silent version were filmed. Ted Wilde began work on the silent version, but became ill and was replaced by Bruck ...
'' (1929) * ''
Feet First ''Feet First'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film starring Harold Lloyd, a popular daredevil comedian during the 1920s and early 1930s. It was Lloyd's second sound film. The film's copyright was renewed in 1957, so it will not be in the ...
'' (1930) * ''
Movie Crazy ''Movie Crazy'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code comedy film starring Harold Lloyd in his third sound feature. The film's copyright was renewed in 1959. Plot Harold Hall, a young man with little or no acting ability, desperately wants to be in the ...
'' (1932) * ''
Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are government agents dressed in dark suits, who question, interrogate, harass, and threaten unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses to keep them silent about what they have ...
'' (1934) * ''
Three Little Pigskins ''Three Little Pigskins'' is a 1934 short subject directed by Raymond McCarey and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Jerry Howard). It is the fourth entry in the series released by Columbia Pi ...
'' (1934) * ''
Disorder in the Court ''Disorder in the Court'' is a 1936 short film, short subject directed by Jack White (film producer), Preston Black starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 15th entry in the ...
'' (1936) * ''
Our Relations ''Our Relations'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Harry Lachman starring Laurel and Hardy, produced by Stan Laurel for Hal Roach Studios. Plot Stan and Ollie are unexpectedly reunited with their long-lost twin brothers, Alf and Bert ...
'' (1936) * '' Way Out West'' (1937) * ''
Swiss Miss Swiss Miss is an American brand name for cocoa powder and pudding products created by Charles Sanna and sold by American food company Conagra Brands. History In the 1950s, the company sold its original hot cocoa product for commercial use, dis ...
'' (1938) * ''
Block-Heads ''Block-Heads'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Laurel and Hardy, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, a reworking of elements from the Lau ...
'' (1938) * ''
You Nazty Spy! ''You Nazty Spy!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Jules White and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard). It is the 44th short film released by Columbia Pictures starring the c ...
'' (1940) * ''
A Chump at Oxford ''A Chump at Oxford'' is a Hal Roach comedy film produced in 1939 and released in 1940 by United Artists. It was directed by Alfred J. Goulding and is the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film made at the Roach studio. The title echoes the film '' ...
'' (1940) * ''
Saps at Sea ''Saps at Sea'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists. It was Laurel and Hardy's last film produced by the Hal Roach Studios, as well as the last film to feature Ben Turpin and Harry Bernard. ...
'' (1940) * ''
Here Come the Co-Eds ''Here Come The Co-Eds'' is a 1945 American comedy film starring the comedy team Abbott and Costello. Plot Oliver Quackenbush, Molly McCarthy and her brother Slats who acts as her publicity agent work for the Miramar Ballroom as taxi dancers. ...
'' (1945) * ''
The Naughty Nineties ''The Naughty Nineties'' is a 1945 American film directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It was written by Edmund L. Hartmann, John Grant, Edmund Joseph and Hal Fimberg. The film is noteworthy for cont ...
'' (1945) * '' Hold That Lion!'' (1947) * ''
Malice in the Palace ''Malice in the Palace'' is a 1949 short film, short subject directed by Jules White starring the American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 117th entry in the series released by Columb ...
'' (1949) * ''
Oil's Well That Ends Well ''Oil's Well That Ends Well'' is a 1958 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser). It is the 188th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures st ...
'' (1958)


Notes

* As a joke, Adler would sometimes misspell his surname as "Alder" in the credits * In some Three Stooges shorts, there were many things named after Adler such as a box of soap in '' Baby Sitters Jitters'' and a liquor store in '' Nutty But Nice''. * The last Three Stooges film featuring Adler's writing was '' Stop, Look and Laugh'', a compilation of previously filmed
shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ar ...
, released in 1960, just three years before he died. The last original Stooge short Adler wrote was 1958's ''
Oil's Well That Ends Well ''Oil's Well That Ends Well'' is a 1958 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser). It is the 188th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures st ...
''. * Sometimes Adler would co-write with another writer who had worked with The Three Stooges many times,
Clyde Bruckman Clyde Adolf Bruckman (June 30, 1894January 4, 1955) was an American writer and director of comedy films during the late Silent film, silent era, who continued working into the 1950s. Bruckman collaborated with such comedians as Buster Keaton, Mo ...
, like in ''
You Nazty Spy! ''You Nazty Spy!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Jules White and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges ( Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard). It is the 44th short film released by Columbia Pictures starring the c ...
'', which they both co-wrote together.


References


Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adler, Felix American male screenwriters 1884 births 1963 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters Screenwriters from Chicago Deaths from cancer in California Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory Columbia Pictures people American vaudeville performers