Arthur DeWitt Ripley (January 12, 1897 – February 13, 1961) was an American film screenwriter, editor, producer and director.

Biography

In 1923, he joined the

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

studio as a comedy writer. In the 1920s, he worked closely with

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

churning out screenplays for many movies. After breaking with Capra and the Sennett studio, Ripley again returned to being a gag-writer, screenwriter, and occasional director, making short films with such comedians as

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathet ...

and

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...

. His directorial work in the 1940s, ''

Voice in the Wind ''Voice in the Wind'' is a 1944 American film noir directed by Arthur Ripley and written by Friedrich Torberg, based on a story written by Arthur Ripley. The drama features Francis Lederer, Sigrid Gurie and J. Edward Bromberg. Plot Jan Foley (L ...

'' (1944) and '' The Chase'' (1946), were both critical successes, but neither film was a box office hit. Ripley entered the world of academia, helping to establish the Film Center at

U.C.L.A. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...

while also working occasionally on TV. Ripley returned to directing one more time, at the request of

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

, for '' Thunder Road'' (1958) before returning to U.C.L.A. and working until his death in 1961.

Selected filmography

* '' Alias Jimmy Valentine'' (1920) starring

Bert Lytell Bertram Lytell (February 24, 1885 – September 28, 1954) was an American actor in theater and film during the silent film era and early talkies. He starred in romantic, melodrama, and adventure films. Background Born in New York City, Lyt ...

* '' Life's Darn Funny'' (1921) * '' A Lady of Quality'' (1924) * ''Hooked at the Altar'' (1926) short * '' Heart Trouble'' (1928) * ''

Barnum Was Right ''Barnum Was Right'' is a 1929 American comedy film directed by Del Lord and starring Glenn Tryon, Merna Kennedy and Basil Radford. Along with the sound version, the film was also released in a silent version for theatres not wired for sound. A ...

'' (1929) * '' Captain of the Guard'' (1930) * ''Crimes Square'' (1931) short * ''A Wrestler's Bride'' (1933) short * '' The Pharmacist'' (1933) short with W. C. Fields * ''

The Barber Shop ''The Barber Shop'' (1933) is a short American pre-Code comedy film starring W.C. Fields, directed by Arthur Ripley, and produced by Mack Sennett. Cast List * W. C. Fields ... Cornelius O'Hare * Elise Cavanna ... Mrs. O'Hare * Harry Watson . ...

'' (1933) short with

* ''Counsel on De Fence'' (1934) short * ''In the Dog House'' (1934) short * ''Shivers'' (1934) short * ''South Seasickness'' (1935) short * ''The Leather Necker'' (1935) short * ''Edgar Hamlet'' (1935) short * ''In Love at 40'' (1935) short * ''Happy Tho' Married'' (1935) short * ''Gasoloons'' (1936) short * ''Will Power'' (1936) short * ''How to Behave'' (1936) short * ''How to Train a Dog'' (1936) short * ''

I Met My Love Again ''I Met My Love Again'' is a 1938 American romantic drama film distributed by United Artists, directed by Joshua Logan, Arthur Ripley and George Cukor. The screenplay was written by David Hertz, based on the novel ''Summer Lightning'' by Allene ...

'' (1938) * ''Scrappily Married'' (1940) short * ''Twincuplets'' (1940) short * ''The Last Command'' (1942) * ''

'' (1944) * '' The Chase'' (1946) * '' Thunder Road'' (1958)

References

*Starman, Ray "Arthur Ripley" ''Films In Review'' magazine, March 1987, p. 164-167

External links

* 1897 births 1961 deaths American film directors American male screenwriters 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters {{US-screen-writer-stub