Anthony Veiller (23 June 1903 – 27 June 1965) was an American

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 film producer. He wrote for 41 films between

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

and

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

Life and career

Veiller was born on 23 June 1903 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to playwright and screenwriter

Bayard Veiller Bayard Veiller (January 2, 1869 – January 16, 1943) was an American playwright, screenwriter, producer and film director. He wrote for 32 films between 1915 and 1941. Biography He was born on January 2, 1869, in Brooklyn, New York to Phi ...

and English-born actress

Margaret Wycherly Margaret De Wolfe Wycherly (26 October 1881 – 6 June 1956) was an English actress. A prolific stage and screen performer, she spent many years in the Cinema of the United States, United States and is best remembered for her Broadway theatre, B ...

. He moved to Hollywood in 1930. Veiller was twice nominated for 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 ...

for Best Screenplay. In 1937, he co-wrote (with

Morrie Ryskind Morris Ryskind (October 20, 1895 – August 24, 1985) was an American dramatist, lyricist and writer of theatrical productions and movies who became a conservative political activist later in life. Life and career Ryskind was born in Brooklyn, ...

) the screenplay for ''

Stage Door ''Stage Door'' is a 1937 American Tragicomedy, tragicomedy film directed by Gregory La Cava, and starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds, and Lucille Ball. Adapt ...

'', starring

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

and

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor whose career spanned both silent films and talkies. He became a leading man during the 1920s, known for his debonair and sophisticated screen presence. He was no ...

. This very loose adaptation of the play by George S. Kaufman and

Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 – April 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' So Big'' (1924), '' Show Boat'' (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), '' Cima ...

was also nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...

. Veiller was also Oscar-nominated for writing (with uncredited help from

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

and

Richard Brooks Richard Brooks (born Reuben Sax; May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. Nominated for eight Academy Awards in his career, he was best known for ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955), '' ...

) ''

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

'' (1946), an adaptation of the short story by

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

. The film introduced

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...

to filmgoers, and won an

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...

as best mystery film of 1946. In 2008, it was included in the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he worked with

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

on several films in the documentary/propaganda film series collectively titled ''

Why We Fight ''Why We Fight'' is a series of seven propaganda films produced by the US Department of War from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. It was originally written for American soldiers to help them understand why the United States was involved in the ...

''. In 1946 (the same year as ''The Killers''), Veiller co-wrote ''The Stranger'', directed by and starring

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

. For ''

State of the Union The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a Joint session of the United States Congress, joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning ...

'' (1948), again directed by Capra, Veiller was credited as co-producer as well as co-writer. Veiller worked with director

on several films: ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...

'' (1952), '' Beat the Devil'' (1953), '' The List of Adrian Messenger'' (1963), and ''

The Night of the Iguana ''The Night of the Iguana'' is a stage play written by American author Tennessee Williams. It is based on his 1948 short story. In 1959, Williams staged it as a one-act play, and over the next two years he developed it into a full-length play, p ...

'' (1964), the film of the

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

play that became Veiller's final screen credit. Veiller died on 27, June 1965 of

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 ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, four days after his 62nd birthday. He was buried in the St. Mary Churchyard, Bepton,

Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...

West Sussex West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...

, England as was his mother.''Accustomed to her Face''
/ref>

Filmography

* '' The Witching Hour'' (1934) - screenplay, producer * '' Menace'' (1934) - screenplay * '' The Notorious Sophie Lang'' (1934) - screenplay * '' Break of Hearts'' (1935) - screenplay * '' Star of Midnight'' (1935) - screenplay *'' College Scandal'' (1935) - uncredited writer *'' Jalna'' (1935) - screenplay * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1935) - screenplay * '' The Lady Consents'' (1936) - screenplay * '' The Ex-Mrs. Bradford'' (1936) - screenplay * '' Swing Time'' (1936) - uncredited writer * '' A Woman Rebels'' (1936) - screenplay * '' Winterset'' (1936) - screenplay * '' The Soldier and the Lady'' (1937) - screenplay * ''

'' (1937) - screenplay * '' Radio City Revels'' (1938) - screenplay *'' The Saint in New York'' (1938) - screenplay * '' Gunga Din'' (1939) - uncredited writer * '' Let Us Live'' (1939) - screenplay * ''

Disputed Passage ''Disputed Passage'' is a 1939 American drama war film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Dorothy Lamour, Akim Tamiroff, John Howard, Judith Barrett and William Collier Sr. Set in war-torn China, the film was described by ''The New York Ti ...

'' (1939) - screenplay * ''Typhoon'' (1940) - producer *''

Safari A safari (; originally ) is an overland journey to observe wildlife, wild animals, especially in East Africa. The so-called big five game, "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, African leopard, leopard, rhinoceros, African elephant, elep ...

'' (1940) - producer *'' The Quarterback'' (1940) - producer *'' Moon Over Burma'' (1940) - producer *''

Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

'' (1940) - producer *'' New York Town'' (1941) - producer * '' Her Cardboard Lover'' (1942) - screenplay * '' Why We Fight: Prelude to War'' (1942) (documentary) - uncredited writer * '' Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia'' (1943) (documentary) - uncredited writer, narrator * '' Why We Fight: The Nazis Strike'' (1943) (documentary) - uncredited writer, narrator * '' Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain'' (1943) (documentary) - uncredited director, narrator * ''

Assignment in Brittany ''Assignment in Brittany'' is a 1943 war film directed by Jack Conway and starring French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and Swedish actress Signe Hasso, both in their American film debuts, and American actress Susan Peters. The film was adapted f ...

'' (1943) - screenplay *'' Know Your Ally: Britain'' (1944) (documentary) - uncredited director * '' Tunisian Victory'' (documentary) (1944) - uncredited writer * ''

Adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

'' (1945) - screenplay * ''

War Comes to America ''War Comes to America'' is the seventh and final film of Frank Capra's ''Why We Fight'' World War II propaganda film series. Synopsis The early part of the film is an idealized version of American history, which mentions the first settlements, ...

'' (1945) (documentary) - uncredited writer * ''

Two Down and One to Go ''Two Down and One to Go'' was a short propaganda film produced in 1945 directed by Frank Capra; as its title might suggest, its overall message was that the first two Axis powers, Italy and Germany, had been defeated, but that one, Japan, still ...

'' (1945) (documentary) - screenplay * '' Here is Germany'' (1945) (documentary) - uncredited writer, narrator * '' The Stranger'' (1946) - screenplay * ''

'' (1946) - screenplay * ''

'' (1948) - screenplay, associate producer *''

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the 38th State of Colorado. The territory was organized ...

'' (1949) - producer *'' Backfire'' (1950) - producer *'' Chain Lightning'' (1950) - producer *''

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

'' (1950) - producer *'' Along the Great Divide'' (1951) - producer *''

Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

'' (1951) - producer *''

Force of Arms ''Force of Arms'' (reissued under the title ''A Girl for Joe'') is a 1951 romantic war drama film set in the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian campaign of World War II, starring William Holden, Nancy Olson, and Frank Lovejoy. Directed ...

'' (1951) - producer *'' Red Planet Mars'' (1952) - screenplay, producer * ''

'' (1952) - screenplay * '' Beat the Devil'' (1953) - uncredited writer * '' That Lady'' (1955) - screenplay * ''

'' (1956) - screenplay * '' Monkey on My Back'' (1957) - screenplay *'' The Adventures of Tugboat Annie'' (1958) (TV series) - executive producer * '' Solomon and Sheba'' (1959) - screenplay * ''

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...

'' (1959) - screenplay *'' Markham'' (1960) (TV series) writer of episodes * '' The List of Adrian Messenger'' (1963) - screenplay * ''

'' (1964) - screenplay

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Veiller, Anthony American male screenwriters 1903 births 1965 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters