James Ruffin Webb (October 4, 1909 – September 27, 1974) was an American screenwriter. He was best known for writing the screenplay for the film '' How the West Was Won'' (1962), which garnered widespread critical acclaim and earned him an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Biography

Early life

Webb was born in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1909 and graduated from Stanford University in 1930. He became a fiction writer for national magazines, including '' Collier's: The National Weekly'', ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'', and ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

'', in 1936 and a screenwriter two years later.

Early screenplays

Webb's early screenplays were written for Republic Pictures. He did a series of films starring

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

and directed by Joseph Kane: '' Nevada City'' (1941), '' Bad Man of Deadwood'' (1941), ''

Jesse James at Bay ''Jesse James at Bay'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane starring Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes. Plot When Jesse learns that crooked banker Krager is cheating settlers, he and his gang rob trains to obtain cash for ...

'' (1941) and '' South of Santa Fe'' (1942) with

. He also did ''

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popul ...

'' (1941) directed by Kane.

World War II

Webb was commissioned an army officer in June 1942 and became a personal aide to General Lloyd R. Fredendall who was commander of the II Corps. Webb accompanied Fredendall to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in October 1942 and participated in the invasion of

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

in November 1942 when the Second Corps captured the city of Oran. The Second Corps then attacked eastward into

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. In February 1943 the German army launched a counterattack at Kasserine Pass which repulsed the Second Corps and nearly broke through the Allied lines. The Supreme Commander

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

relieved Fredendall of command in March 1943 and sent him back to the United States where he became deputy commander of the

Second United States Army Second Army was most recently located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a Direct Reporting Unit to Headquarters U.S. Army, Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6. Under the CIO/G-6, Second Army served as the single point of contact for Army missions a ...

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. Webb returned to the United States with Fredendall and later served in the

European Theater The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...

Post-war career

Webb left the Army after the war and returned to Hollywood, where he continued his work as a screenwriter. He returned to Republic for '' California Firebrand'' (1948). In 1948 he sold a story to Universal, ''Going, Going, Gone'' and was going to write the script but no film resulted. A story of his ''Fugitive from Love'', was filmed as ''

Woman in Hiding ''Woman in Hiding'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Ida Lupino, Stephen McNally and Howard Duff. Plot Deborah Chandler Clark watches police drag a North Carolina river for her body. She recounts ...

'' (1950).

Warner Bros

Webb signed a contract for Warner Bros for whom he wrote the Westerns ''

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

'' (1950) with

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

, ''

Raton Pass Ratón Pass is a 7,834 ft (2,388 m) elevation mountain pass on the Colorado–New Mexico border in the western United States. It is located on the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New ...

'' (1951), and ''

The Big Trees ''The Big Trees'' is a 1952 in film, 1952 lumberjack western film, Western film starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Felix E. Feist. It was Kirk Douglas's final film for Warner Brothers, a film he did for free in exchange for the studio agreei ...

'' (1952) with Kirk Douglas. He also wrote ''

Close to My Heart ''Close to My Heart'' is a 1951 American drama (film and television), drama film directed by William Keighley, written by James R. Webb (based on his novel ''A Baby for Midge''), and starring Ray Milland and Gene Tierney. Plot Brad Sheridan (Mill ...

'' (1951) based on his own novel, ''

Operation Secret ''Operation Secret'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and written by Harold Medford and James R. Webb. The film stars Cornel Wilde, Steve Cochran, Phyllis Thaxter, Karl Malden, Paul Picerni and Lester Matthews. The film was ...

'' (1952), ''

The Iron Mistress ''The Iron Mistress'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo. It ends with Bowie's marriage to Ursula de Veramendi and does not deal with his death at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. ...

'' (1952) for Alan Ladd, ''

The Charge at Feather River ''The Charge at Feather River'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was originally released in 3D with many arrows, lances, and other weapons flying directly at the audience in several scenes. The movie is most notab ...

'' (1953) a 3-D film, and ''

Phantom of the Rue Morgue ''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' is a 1954 American mystery horror film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Karl Malden, Claude Dauphin and Patricia Medina. The film is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's 1841 short story ''The Murders in the Ru ...

'' (1954). Webb had a big hit with two films for Burt Lancaster and Robert Aldrich: '' Apache'' (1954) and '' Vera Cruz'' (1954). He wrote episodes of '' The Millionaire'' and ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'' and ''

Illegal Illegal, or unlawful, typically describes something that is explicitly prohibited by law, or is otherwise forbidden by a state or other governing body. Illegal may also refer to: Law * Violation of law * Crime, the practice of breaking the ...

'' (1955) with Edward G. Robinson.

Post Warner Bros

Lancaster hired Webb to do ''

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

'' (1956). He also wrote ''

The Big Country ''The Big Country'' is a 1958 American epic Western film directed by William Wyler, starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, and Burl Ives. The supporting cast features Charles Bickford and Chuck Connors. Filmed in ...

'' (1958) and '' Pork Chop Hill'' (1959). Webb received critical acclaim for his screenplays for '' Cape Fear'' (1962) and '' How the West Was Won'' (1962). He won an Academy Award for Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for the latter.

Mirisch Brothers

Less well received were ''

Kings of the Sun ''Kings of the Sun'' is a 1963 DeLuxe Color film directed by J. Lee Thompson for Mirisch Productions set in Mesoamerica at the time of the conquest of Chichen Itza by Hunac Ceel. Location scenes filmed in Mazatlán and Chichen Itza. The film mar ...

'' (1963) for the

Mirisch Brothers The Mirisch Company was an American film production company owned by Walter Mirisch and his brothers, Marvin and Harold Mirisch. The company also had sister firms known at various times as Mirisch Production Company, Mirisch Pictures Inc., Miris ...

and '' Cheyenne Autumn'' (1964) for John Ford. He wrote an early draft of ''Chinese Finale'' that became ''

7 Women ''7 Women'', also known as ''Seven Women'', is a 1966 Panavision drama film directed by John Ford and starring Anne Bancroft, Sue Lyon, Margaret Leighton, Flora Robson, Mildred Dunnock, Betty Field, and Anna Lee, with Eddie Albert, Mike Mazurk ...

'', Ford's last film, but Webb is not credited in the final movie. Webb wrote the English language version of ''

Guns for San Sebastian ''Guns for San Sebastian'' () is a 1968 action- adventure film based on the 1962 novel ''A Wall for San Sebastian'', written by Rev. Fr. William Barnaby "Barby" Faherty, S.J. The film is directed by Frenchman Henri Verneuil, it stars Anthony ...

'' (1968) and did a script for ''

Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in Franc ...

''. He did some historical epics: '' Alfred the Great'' (1969), for MGM; ''

Sinful Davey ''Sinful Davey'' is a 1969 picaresque adventure/crime/comedy film directed by John Huston and starring John Hurt, Pamela Franklin, and in early appearances Fionnula Flanagan and Anjelica Huston. John Huston later said the film was "very good" ...

'' (1969) for John Huston and the Mirisches; and '' The Hawaiians'' (1970), for the Mirsches. His last credits were sequels to ''In the Heat of the Night'', both for the Mirsches: '' They Call Me Mister Tibbs!'' (1970) and '' The Organization'' (1971). In March 1974 the American Writers Guild awarded him the Morgan Award for services to the guild.'TIGER' TOP DRAMA: Writers Guild Awards Given Los Angeles Times 23 Mar 1974: a8 He died on September 27, 1974, and was buried in

Los Angeles National Cemetery The Los Angeles National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the Sawtelle unincorporated community of the West Los Angeles neighborhood in Los Angeles County, California. Geography The entrance to the cemetery is located at 950 Sou ...

. He was survived by a wife, a son and a daughter.

Partial filmography

*'' Nevada City'' (1941) - original screenplay *''

'' (1941) - screenplay *'' Bad Man of Deadwood'' (1941) - original screenplay *''

'' (1942) - screenplay *'' South of Santa Fe'' (1942) - original screenplay *'' California Firebrand'' (1948) - story (uncredited) *''

South of St. Louis ''South of St Louis'' is a 1949 American Technicolor Western film directed by Ray Enright and starring Joel McCrea, Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott and Dorothy Malone. It chronicles the friendship between three ranchers after their ranch is destroy ...

'' (1949) - screenplay *''

'' (1950) - screenplay *''

'' (1951) - screenplay *''

'' (1951) - original novel "A Baby for Midge" and screenplay *''

'' (1952) - screenplay *''

'' (1952) - screenplay * ''

'' (1953) - screenplay *''

'' (1954) - screenplay * '' Apache'' (1954) - screenplay * '' Vera Cruz'' (1954) - screenplay *'' The Millionaire'' - episode "The Joe Iris Story" (1955) - teleplay *''

'' (1955) - screenplay *''

'' - episode "West of the River" (1956) - teleplay *''

'' (1956) - screenplay *''

'' (1958) - screenplay *'' Pork Chop Hill'' (1959) - screenplay * '' Cape Fear'' (1962) - screenplay * '' How the West Was Won'' (1963) – screenplay *''

'' (1963) - screenplay * '' Cheyenne Autumn'' (1964) - screenplay * ''

La Bataille de San Sebastian ''Guns for San Sebastian'' () is a 1968 action- adventure film based on the 1962 novel ''A Wall for San Sebastian'', written by Rev. Fr. William Barnaby "Barby" Faherty, S.J. The film is directed by Frenchman Henri Verneuil, it stars Anthony ...

'' (1968) - English screenplay * '' Alfred the Great'' (1969) - story and screenplay * ''

'' (1969) - screenplay *'' The Hawaiians'' (1970) - screenplay * '' They Call Me Mister Tibbs!'' (1970) - screenplay *'' The Organization'' (1971) - screenplay

References

External links

*
James R. Webb overview
at MSN Movies * All Media Guide
James R. Webb biography
VH1.com.

at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, James R. (writer) 1909 births 1974 deaths American male screenwriters American short story writers Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners Writers from Denver Stanford University alumni American male short story writers Screenwriters from Colorado 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters