Mary C. McCall, Jr.
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Mary C. McCall Jr. (April 4, 1904 – April 3, 1986) was an American writer best known for her
screenwriting Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession. Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, devel ...
. She was a charter member and the first woman president of the
Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Guil ...
(then known as the Screen Writers Guild), serving from 1942 to 1944 and 1951 to 1952.


Biography

Mary C. McCall Jr. was born on April 4, 1904, to a wealthy Irish American family in New York. She wanted to be a writer from the time she was in first grade. After graduating from
Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
and
Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...
, she began writing advertising copy and fiction. In 1932, McCall published her first novel, ''The Goldfish Bowl'', a satirical comedy loosely based on Anne Morrow and
Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...
.Smyth, pp. 123-124. The film rights were purchased by
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
, but McCall did not get to write the screenplay for the film version, ''
It's Tough to Be Famous ''It's Tough to Be Famous'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and written by Robert Lord. The film stars Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Mary Brian, Emma Dunn, Walter Catlett and David Landau. The film was released ...
'' (1932) starring
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...
Instead, Warner Bros. hired McCall on a ten-week contract to write ''
Street of Women ''Street of Women'' is a 1932 pre-Code romantic drama directed by Archie Mayo and starring Kay Francis and Roland Young. Plot summary A man's affair complicates his daughter's love life. Cast * Kay Francis as Natalie "Nat" Upton * Roland You ...
'' (1932). They also tasked her to help with the screenplay of the film ''
Scarlet Dawn ''Scarlet Dawn'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama directed by William Dieterle and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Nancy Carroll as refugees from the Russian Revolution. It is based on the novel ''Revolt'' by Mary C. McCall, Jr. ...
'' (1932), based on her tragic novel of the
Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
, titled ''Revolt''. In 1934, McCall landed a long-term contract with Warner Bros. and became involved with the
Screen Writers Guild The Screen Writers Guild was an organization of Hollywood screenplay authors, formed as a union in 1933. In 1954, it became two different organizations: Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East. Founding Screenwriter ...
. McCall became an associate member of the Guild in 1934 and served her first of six terms on the executive board in 1935. As a member of the negotiating committee, she worked to help secure the Guild's first contract with the studios, and as a member of the executive board, she helped secure an across-the-board wage increase from $40 to $125 per week for writers. In 1942, the first year the contract was signed, McCall was elected the first woman president of the Guild. During her career, McCall wrote for Warner Bros.,
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
. Among her screen credits are the 1935 version of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', ''Craig's Wife'' (1936), ''
The Fighting Sullivans ''The Fighting Sullivans'', originally released as ''The Sullivans'', is a 1944 American biographical war film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Edward Doherty, Mary C. McCall Jr., and Jules Schermer. It was nominated for a now-discontinued ...
'' (1944), and ''
Mr. Belvedere Goes to College ''Mr. Belvedere Goes to College'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent. The screenplay written by Mary Loos, Mary C. McCall, Jr., and Richard Sale was based on characters created by Gwen Davenport. It follows on from '' Sitti ...
'' (1950). She also adapted Wilson Collison's novel ''Dark Dame'' into ''
Maisie Maisie Ravier is a fictional character, the leading character of ten films (1939–1947) and the radio show ''The Adventures of Maisie'' (broadcast 1945–1947, 1949–1953). She was played by actress Ann Sothern (1909–2001). Eight of the ten ...
'' (1939), launching the successful
Maisie Maisie Ravier is a fictional character, the leading character of ten films (1939–1947) and the radio show ''The Adventures of Maisie'' (broadcast 1945–1947, 1949–1953). She was played by actress Ann Sothern (1909–2001). Eight of the ten ...
series. McCall wrote or co-wrote eight of the ten films in the series. In the 1950s and 1960s, she branched out into television, being credited with four episodes of '' The Millionaire'' and one each of ''
Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges as ...
'', ''
I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...
'', and ''
Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for thr ...
'', among others. A number of her stories were published in such magazines as ''
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 ...
'', ''
Redbook ''Redbook'' is an American women's magazine that is published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the " Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines. It ceased print publication as of January 2019 and now operates an article-comprise ...
'', ''
Collier's ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Collie ...
'', 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 c ...
'' from the 1930s to the 1950s. McCall was one of many who clashed with the conservative Motion Picture Alliance. On July 27, 1954, she had to defend herself in front of the
House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloy ...
against reports that she was a communist sympathizer. She was completely exonerated by the separate
California Senate Factfinding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities California Senate Factfinding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities (CUAC) was established by the California State Legislature in 1941 as the Joint Fact-Finding Committee on UnAmerican Activities. The creation of the new joint committee (with memb ...
of the General Research Committee in its report to the
California Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Due ...
. Mary C. McCall Jr. died of "complications of cancer" at the
Motion Picture and Television Hospital The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) is a charitable organization that offers assistance and care to those in the motion picture and television industries and their families with limited or no resources, including services such as tempo ...
, one day shy of her 82nd birthday. She was the first recipient of the Writers Guild's
Valentine Davies Award The Valentine Davies Award, named after Valentine Davies, is a special award given to a member of the Writers Guild of America, West The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media ...
in 1962. In 1985, she also received the Guild's Edmund J. North Award.


Complete filmography

*''
Street of Women ''Street of Women'' is a 1932 pre-Code romantic drama directed by Archie Mayo and starring Kay Francis and Roland Young. Plot summary A man's affair complicates his daughter's love life. Cast * Kay Francis as Natalie "Nat" Upton * Roland You ...
'' (1932) *''
Scarlet Dawn ''Scarlet Dawn'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama directed by William Dieterle and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Nancy Carroll as refugees from the Russian Revolution. It is based on the novel ''Revolt'' by Mary C. McCall, Jr. ...
'' (1932) *'' Desirable'' (1934) *''
Babbitt Babbitt may refer to: Fiction *Babbitt (novel), ''Babbitt'' (novel), a 1922 novel by Sinclair Lewis **Babbitt (1924 film), ''Babbitt'' (1924 film), a 1924 silent film based on the novel **Babbitt (1934 film), ''Babbitt'' (1934 film), a 1934 film ...
'' (1934) *''
The Secret Bride ''The Secret Bride'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Warren William. Based on the play ''Concealment'' by Leonard Ide, the film is about governor's daughter and a state attorney general ...
'' (1934) *'' The Woman in Red'' (1935) *''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
'' (1935) *''
Dr. Socrates ''Dr. Socrates'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by William Dieterle and starring Paul Muni as a doctor forced to treat a wounded gangster, played by Barton MacLane. Plot The death of his fiancée in a car crash so unnerves top surgeon Dr ...
'' (1935) (adaptation) *''
Snowed Under ''Snowed Under'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring George Brent as a playwright who is working under a tight deadline. He becomes snowed-in in his remote cabin with two ex-wives and a girlfriend, played ...
'' (1936) (uncredited contributor) *''
Craig's Wife ''Craig's Wife'' is a 1925 play written by American playwright George Kelly. It won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and has been adapted for three feature films. Production ''Craig's Wife'' premiered on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre on ...
'' (1936) *'' Ready, Willing, and Able'' (1936) (uncredited contributor) *''
Women of Glamour ''Women of Glamour'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Gordon Wiles and starring Virginia Bruce, Melvyn Douglas and Reginald Denny.Goble p.1022 It is a remake of the 1930 film ''Ladies of Leisure'', which was itself based on the 1926 si ...
'' (1937) *''
I Promise to Pay ''I Promise to Pay'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by D. Ross Lederman. Cast * Chester Morris as Eddie Lang * Leo Carrillo as Richard Farra * Helen Mack as Mary Lang * Thomas Mitchell as District Attorney J.E. Curtis * Thurston Hall ...
'' (1937) *''
It's All Yours ''It's All Yours'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Madeleine Carroll, Francis Lederer and Mischa Auer.Sikov p.218 Cast * Madeleine Carroll as Linda Gray * Francis Lederer as Jimmy Barnes * Mischa Auer ...
'' (1937) *''
A Slight Case of Murder ''A Slight Case of Murder'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film is based on the 1935 play by Damon Runyon and Howard Lindsay. The offbeat comedy stars Edward G. Robinson spoofing his own gangster image as Remy Marco. ...
'' (1938) *''
Secrets of an Actress ''Secrets of an Actress'' is a romantic drama film directed by William Keighley, and starring Kay Francis, George Brent, and Ian Hunter in 1938. It is about a love triangle between a stage actress, her financial backer, and his friend. Plot sum ...
'' (1938) (uncredited contributing writer) *'' Breaking the Ice'' (1938) *'' Dramatic School'' (1938) *''
Maisie Maisie Ravier is a fictional character, the leading character of ten films (1939–1947) and the radio show ''The Adventures of Maisie'' (broadcast 1945–1947, 1949–1953). She was played by actress Ann Sothern (1909–2001). Eight of the ten ...
'' (1939) *''
Congo Maisie ''Congo Maisie'' is a 1940 comedy-drama film directed by H. C. Potter and starring Ann Sothern for the second time in the ten film Maisie Maisie Ravier is a fictional character, the leading character of ten films (1939–1947) and the radio s ...
'' (1940) *''
Gold Rush Maisie ''Gold Rush Maisie'' is a 1940 drama film, the third of ten films starring Ann Sothern as Maisie Ravier, a showgirl with a heart of gold. In this entry in the series, she joins a gold rush to a ghost town. The film was directed by Edwin L. Marin. ...
'' (1940) *''
Maisie Was a Lady ''Maisie Was a Lady'' is a 1941 American comedy-drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin and is the fourth in a series of ten films starring Ann Sothern as good-hearted showgirl Maisie Ravier. Plot When wealthy drunkard Bob Rawlston causes Maisie ...
'' (1941) *''
Ringside Maisie ''Ringside Maisie'' is a 1941 film directed by Edwin L. Marin. It stars Ann Sothern, Robert Sterling and George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-danc ...
'' (1941) *'' Kathleen'' (1941) *'' On the Sunny Side'' (1942) (short story) *''
Maisie Gets Her Man ''Maisie Gets Her Man'' is a 1942 American romance film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Ann Sothern and Red Skelton. It is the sixth of the ten-film ''Maisie'' series. Cast * Ann Sothern as Maisie Rivier * Red Skelton as Herbert P. 'Hap' H ...
'' (1942) *''
Panama Hattie ''Panama Hattie'' is a 1940 American musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields and B. G. DeSylva. The musical is about a nightclub owner, Hattie Maloney, who lives in the Panama Canal Zone and ends up dealing with ...
'' (1942) (uncredited) *''
Swing Shift Maisie ''Swing Shift Maisie'' (also known as ''Swing It, Maisie'') is a 1943 romantic comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It is the seventh in a series of 10 films starring Ann Sothern as Maisie, preceded by ''Maisie Gets Her Man'' (1942) and fol ...
'' (1943) *''
The Fighting Sullivans ''The Fighting Sullivans'', originally released as ''The Sullivans'', is a 1944 American biographical war film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Edward Doherty, Mary C. McCall Jr., and Jules Schermer. It was nominated for a now-discontinued ...
'' (1944) *''
Reward Unlimited ''Reward Unlimited'' is a short film produced in 1944 by David O. Selznick's Vanguard Films, for the United States Public Health Service, dramatizing the need for volunteer military nurses for the U. S. Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II. Direc ...
'' (1944 short) *''
Maisie Goes to Reno ''Maisie Goes to Reno'' is the eighth film starring Ann Sothern as Maisie Ravier, preceded by ''Swing Shift Maisie'' and followed by ''Up Goes Maisie''. John Hodiak plays her love interest in this 1944 romantic comedy. Plot Overworked World War ...
'' (1944) *''
Keep Your Powder Dry ''Keep Your Powder Dry'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Lana Turner, Susan Peters, and Laraine Day. Its plot follows three women who join the Women's Army Corps during World War II. The screenplay was writt ...
'' (1945) *''
Mr. Belvedere Goes to College ''Mr. Belvedere Goes to College'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent. The screenplay written by Mary Loos, Mary C. McCall, Jr., and Richard Sale was based on characters created by Gwen Davenport. It follows on from '' Sitti ...
'' (1949) *'' Thunderbirds'' (1952) *''
Ride the Man Down ''Ride the Man Down'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane, written by Mary C. McCall, Jr., and starring Brian Donlevy, Rod Cameron, Ella Raines, Forrest Tucker, Barbara Britton, Chill Wills and J. Carrol Naish. The film wa ...
'' (1952) *''
Slim Carter ''Slim Carter'' is a 1957 American comedy film directed by Richard Bartlett and written by Montgomery Pittman. The film stars Jock Mahoney, Julie Adams, Tim Hovey, William Hopper, Ben Johnson and Joanna Moore. The film was released on October 2, ...
'' (1957) (story) *''
Juke Box Rhythm ''Juke Box Rhythm'' is a 1959 American musical film starring Brian Donlevy and Jo Morrow. The film was released on a double bill with ''The Tingler'' (1959). Plot Preparing for her coronation, Princess Ann flies to New York City along with her A ...
'' (1959)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCall, Mary C. Jr. 1904 births 1986 deaths American women screenwriters American magazine writers Vassar College alumni Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Writers from New York City Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters