Clara Beranger (' Strouse; January 14, 1886 – September 10, 1956) was an American screenwriter of the

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

era and a member of the original faculty of the

USC School of Cinematic Arts The USC School of Cinematic Arts is an academic unit of the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles. With a history that dates to the first years of Sound film, talkies, the school descends from America's first ...

Biography

Beranger was born Clara Strouse in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, to Benjamin and Fannie (Kahn) Strouse. Her family was of

German Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321 CE, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish commu ...

descent. Benjamin and his brothers had emigrated and opened a dry-goods store in

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

.DeMille. 1998. After graduating from The Baltimore Women's College, now known as

Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1885 as a Nonsectarian, nonsecterian Women's colleges in the United States, ...

, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1907,Who Was Who in America. 1976. Clara moved to New York City and went into journalism, writing for various popular magazines and devoting time to study the stage. On October 23, 1907,BERANGER, Clara (S.) (Mrs. Albert B. Berwanger)
in ''

Who's Who in America Marquis Who's Who, also known as A.N. Marquis Company ( or ), is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in A ...

'' (1926 edition); p. 264 she married Albert Berwanger, with whom she had a daughter, Frances Berwanger in 1909. When she began to write, Clara would change her name to Beranger.

Freelance

Using the pseudonym of Charles S. Beranger, her first screen employment was as a

freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

, writing for the Edison,

Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907 ...

and

Kalem The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to V ...

companies, to whom she furnished many originals as well as continuities. Her success attracted some attention and she was appointed as a staff writer for the

Fox Corporation Fox Corporation (commonly referred to as Fox Corp or simply Fox) is an American multinational mass media company headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, with offices also in Burbank, Cali ...

. She wrote several scripts for the popular child star Baby Marie Osborne as well as a much-praised adaptation of ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

''. Beranger also wrote ''The Interloper'' for Kitty Gordon, ''The Bluffer'' for June Elvidge and ''The Mirror'' for Marjorie Rambeau, though many of these films are considered lost.Lowrey. 1920. With

Forrest Halsey William Forrest Halsey (November 9, 1877 – September 30, 1949) was an American writer and screenwriter. Halsey's novels included ''Fate and the Butterfly'' (1909), ''The Bawlerout'' (1912), and ''The Shadow on the Hearth'' (1914). From 19 ...

, Beranger wrote the stage play, ''His Chinese Wife'', which received good reviews and became one of the successes of the 1919–1920 season.

Famous Players–Lasky

In 1921, Clara took Frances, then twelve, and migrated to

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 ...

to write for motion pictures, where she signed a long contract with

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

Famous Players–Lasky The Famous Players–Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Companyoriginally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Playsan ...

; the outfit with whom she is most associated. She wrote or contributed to more than 24 DeMille productions, and produced both ''Come Out of the Kitchen'' and ''Girls'' for

Marguerite Clark Helen Marguerite Clark (February 22, 1883 – September 25, 1940) was an American theatre, stage and silent film actress. As a movie actress, at one time Clark was second only to Mary Pickford in popularity. With a few Snow White (1916 film) ...

; '' Sadie Love'' and '' Wanted: A Husband'' for

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of t ...

; '' Judy of Rogue's Harbor'' for

Mary Miles Minter Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly ic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child" ...

; ''The Fear Market'' for

Alice Brady Alice Brady (born Mary Rose Brady; November 2, 1892 – October 28, 1939) was an American actress of stage and film. She began her career in the theatre in 1911, and her first important success came on Broadway in 1912 when she created the rol ...

; ''The Cost'' for

Violet Heming Violet Heming (27 January 1895 – 4 July 1981) was an English stage and screen actress. Her name sometimes appeared as Violet Hemming in newspapers. Biography Born Violet Hemming in Leeds, Yorkshire, she was the daughter of Alfred Hemming - ...

; ''Half an Hour'' for Dorothy Dalton; ''Civilian Clothes'' for

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he made ...

, ''Notoriety'' for

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" () Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals s ...

, and the classic ''

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is an 1886 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series ...

'' for

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...

. From an interview with Louella Parson in 1922:

I will be out in California when Mr. DeMille begins operations. Under my old contract I furnished eight continuities a year; now that I work only for William DeMille I only write four. That gives me an opportunity to see my work through from the story to the screen. It makes it possible for me to go over my script scene by scene with the producer, so he can make the picture with almost no changes. In the old days I had to keep my nose to the grindstone continually so as to finish the eight pictures in time for the different directors for whom I was writing.Parsons. 1922.

William DeMille

In 1921 Beranger met her future husband William DeMille and work on the adaptation of '' Miss Lulu Bett'', the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

-winning play about a young woman who discovers that she's married to a man who is already married. Not as famous today as Cecil, and though most of his silents have been lost, William is still considered one of the silents' most respected directors. ''Miss Lulu Bett'' shows a delicate touch in the telling of an impoverished spinster's misfortunes in a small town.Cripps. 1997. William had other affairs including

Lorna Moon Lorna Moon (born Nora Helen Wilson Low; 16 June 1886 – 1 May 1930) was a British author and screenwriter from the early days of Hollywood. She is best known as the author of the bestselling novel ''Dark Star'' (1929) and as one of the earlies ...

who had borne him a son out of wedlock, and with another screenwriter, Olga Printzlau; but he genuinely fell in love with Clara who had tolerated it all.Edwards. 1988. In June 1926, William to the surprise of his wife, announced that he wanted a divorce. Anna refused him and took their daughters, Agnes and Margaret, to Europe for a long trip. When the family returned, William announced that he had given up Beranger and would try again with his wife, but this arrangement only lasted about a year. Anna never recovered from the divorce, and took the children to live in New York permanently.Easton. 2000. William DeMille (50) and Clara Beranger (42) would be married in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

on August 14, 1928 in the drawing room aboard "The Chief", a transcontinental special train.

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

. August 27, 1928. William de Mille states that Beranger wrote all of his screen plays from 1921 - 1928. He writes in his book, ''Hollywood Saga''; "In April, 1928, I had just finished 'Tenth Avenue,' my forty - fifth production and was working on 'Craig's Wife' with Clara Beranger, who had written the screen plays of all my pictures for seven years and continued to do so even after our marriage." . After marrying into the DeMille dynasty, Beranger would continue to write, including ''Craig's Wife'' (1928) for

Irene Rich Irene Frances Rich ( Luther; October 13, 1891 – April 22, 1988) was an American actress who worked in both silent films, talkies, and radio. Early life Rich was born in Buffalo, New York. At age 17, she wed Elvo Elcourt Deffenbaugh at ...

and ''This Mad World'' (1930) for

Kay Johnson Catherine Townsend Johnson (November 29, 1904 – November 17, 1975) was an American stage and film actress. Family Johnson’s father was architect Thomas R. Johnson, the architect of several noteworthy buildings in New York City, inclu ...

. William would lose everything in the Depression and unhappily rely on Beranger to support him, until Beranger asked Cecil DeMille to employ him to write scenarios.

USC School of Cinematic Arts

Baranger would retire from writing pictures in 1934, though she remained a frequent contributor to magazines such as

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

and

Good Housekeeping ''Good Housekeeping'' is an American lifestyle media brand that covers a wide range of topics from home decor and renovation, health, beauty and food, to entertainment, pets and gifts. The Good Housekeeping Institute which opened its "Experiment ...

, and writer of inspirational books. Beranger's largest impact would be as one of the original faculty of

which had begun in 1929 as a collaboration between the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

and

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

.USCCA HomePage. Also among the original faculty were actors

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...

and

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

, directors D.W. Griffith and

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; ; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; a ...

, and producers

Irving Thalberg Irving Grant Thalberg (May 30, 1899 – September 14, 1936) was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. He was called "The Boy Wonder" for his youth and ability to select scripts, choose actors, gather productio ...

and

Darryl Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (; September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. Best known as a co-founder of 20th Century Fox, he played a ...

. Cecil would endow the Drama Department, to which William would be appointed as Director, at last allowing him to exploit his education and skills as a teacher and director. Beranger was a large proponent of the idea that Hollywood had a responsibility to teach the next generation of artists, and would write a much-used text ''Writing for the Screen'' in 1950 and continue to lecture on screenwriting for the rest of her life. She suffered a heart attack and died in 1956.

Filmography

* ''Memories of His Youth'' (1913, scenario) * '' The Master Mind'' (1914, scenario) * '' Cameo Kirby'' (1914, uncredited) * '' The Galley Slave'' (1915, scenario) * ''Princess Romanoff'' (1915, scenario) * ''From the Valley of the Missing'' (1915, scenario) * ''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, Анна Каренина, p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Tolstoy called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial in ...

'' (1915, writer) * ''Her Mother's Secret'' (1915/I, scenario, uncredited) * ''

Mary Moreland ''Mary Moreland'' is a 1917 American silent drama film starring stage actress Marjorie Rambeau that was released through Mutual Film. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Thomas Maughm (Elliott), a Wall Street broker and unhappily marri ...

'' (1917) * '' The Mirror'' (1917) * '' The Slave Market'' (1917, scenario) * '' The Greater Woman'' (1917, unconfirmed) * ''

The Dormant Power ''The Dormant Power'' is a 1917 American silent film, silent drama film, directed by Travers Vale and starring Ethel Clayton, Montagu Love and Muriel Ostriche. Plot Christine Brent, seeks refuge with her father in a western village because of ...

'' (1917, writer) * '' The Debt'' (1917, writer) * ''

Motherhood A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case ...

'' (1917/I, writer) * '' The Golden Wall'' (1918) * '' The Interloper'' (1918) * ''Appearance of Evil'' (1918, scenario) * ''Winning Grandma'' (1918, scenario) * ''The Way Out'' (1918, scenario) * ''Milady o' the Beanstalk'' (1918, scenario) * ''The Voice of Destiny'' (1918, screenplay) * ''The Love Net'' (1918, writer) * '' By Hook or Crook'' (1918, writer) * '' The Beloved Blackmailer'' (1918, writer) * ''Dolly Does Her Bit'' (1918, writer) * ''The Grouch'' (1918, scenario) * ''The Little Intruder'' (1919) * ''The Hand Invisible'' (1919) * ''Heart of Gold'' (1919) * ''The Praise Agent'' (1919, scenario) * '' Phil for Short'' (1919, scenario) * ''Hit or Miss'' (1919, scenario) * ''

The Unveiling Hand ''The Unveiling Hand'' is a 1919 silent film drama directed by Frank Hall Crane and starring Kitty Gordon. It was produced and distributed by World Film Company. Cast * Kitty Gordon - Margaret Ellis *Frederick Warde - Judge Ellis *Irving Cumming ...

'' (1919, scenario) * ''The Bluffer'' (1919, screenplay) * ''Dust of Desire'' (1919, story, writer) * '' Wanted: A Husband'' (1919, writer) * '' Sadie Love'' (1919, writer) * ''Bringing Up Betty'' (1919, writer) * ''

The Firing Line ''The Firing Line'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Charles Maigne and starring Irene Castle. It was based on the 1908 novel by Robert W. Chambers and produced by Famous Players–Lasky. Paramount Pictures distributed the fi ...

'' (1919, writer) * ''

Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. ''daughter'' or ''girlfriend'' regardless of age, ...

'' (1919, writer) * ''

Come Out of the Kitchen ''Come Out of the Kitchen'' is a 1919 American silent film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John S. Robertson and starred Marguerite Clark. The film is based on A. E. Thomas's 1916 Bro ...

'' (1919, writer) * '' Half an Hour'' (1920) * ''

White Youth ''White Youth'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Norman Dawn and starring Edith Roberts, Alfred Hollingsworth, Thomas Jefferson, Arnold Gray, and Hattie Peters. The film was released by Universal Film Manufacturing Company in Dec ...

'' (1920, story) * '' Flames of the Flesh'' (1920, story) * '' Blackbirds'' (1920, writer) * ''

Civilian Clothes ''Civilian Clothes'' is a surviving 1920 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It stars Thomas Meighan and was directed by Hugh Ford. This film is based on the 1919 Broadway play, ...

'' (1920, writer) * '' The Cost'' (1920, writer) * '' Judy of Rogue's Harbor'' (1920, writer) * ''

The Fear Market ''The Fear Market'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Kenneth Webb and written by Clara Beranger. The film stars Alice Brady, Frank Losee, Harry Mortimer, Richard Hatteras, Edith Stockton, and Bradley Barker. The film was releas ...

'' (1920, writer) * ''

'' (1920) * '' Miss Lulu Bett'' (1921, adaptation) * ''

Exit the Vamp ''Exit the Vamp'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Urson and written by Clara Beranger. The film stars Ethel Clayton, T. Roy Barnes, Fontaine La Rue, Theodore Roberts, William Boyd, and Michael D. Moore. The film was ...

'' (1921, screenplay, story) * '' The Gilded Lily'' (1921, story) * '' The Wonderful Thing'' (1921, writer) * ''

A Heart to Let ''A Heart to Let'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Edward Dillon and starring Justine Johnstone. It was produced by Adolph Zukor offshoot production company Realart. Plot Agatha inherits a southern estate, but cannot afford i ...

'' (1921, writer) * '' Sheltered Daughters'' (1921, writer) * ''

Her Husband's Trademark ''Her Husband's Trademark'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring Gloria Swanson and Richard Wayne. Produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film was shot on location in El P ...

'' (1922, story) * '' Clarence'' (1922, writer) * ''

Nice People Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Bought and Paid For ''Bought and Paid For'' is a 1922 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by William C. deMille and starred Agnes Ayres. It is based on a play by George Broadhurst pe ...

'' (1922, writer) * '' Grumpy'' (1923, adaptation, screenplay) * '' The World's Applause'' (1923, screenplay, story) * '' Don't Call It Love'' (1923, writer) * '' The Marriage Maker'' (1923, writer) * '' Only 38'' (1923, writer) * '' The Bedroom Window'' (1924, screenplay, story) * '' The Fast Set'' (1924, writer) * '' Icebound'' (1924, writer) * '' Locked Doors'' (1925, screenplay, story) * ''

New Brooms ''New Brooms'' is a 1925 American silent film, silent romantic comedy film, directed by William C. deMille, and starring Bessie Love, Neil Hamilton (actor), Neil Hamilton, and Phyllis Haver. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distribu ...

'' (1925, writer) * '' Lost: A Wife'' (1925, writer) * '' Men and Women'' (1925, writer) * ''

Don Juan's Three Nights ''Don Juan's Three Nights'' also known as ''Don Juan's 3 Nights'' is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by John Francis Dillon and starring Lewis Stone, Shirley Mason, and Malcolm McGregor. It was produced by Henry Hobart and ...

'' (1926, writer) * '' Nobody's Widow'' (1927, adaptation) * '' The Forbidden Woman'' (1927, adaptation, screenplay) * '' The Little Adventuress'' (1927, adaptation, screenplay) * '' Almost Human'' (1927, screenplay, titles) * ''

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 ...

'' (1928, adaptation) * '' The Idle Rich'' (1929, writer) * '' This Mad World'' (1930, adaptation, screenplay) * ''

His Double Life ''His Double Life'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy drama film directed by Broadway theatrical impresario and first time film director Arthur Hopkins with directorial input from the experienced William C. deMille, Cecil's older brother. It ...

'' (1933, adaptation) * ''

Social Register The ''Social Register'' is a semi-annual publication in the United States that indexes the members of American high society. First published in the 1880s by newspaper columnist Louis Keller, it was later acquired by Malcolm Forbes. Since 2014, ...

'' (1934, writer)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *

Bibliography

*''You Can Be Happy''. NY:Samuel Curl (1946) *''Writing for the Screen''. Dubuque, Iowa:Wm. C. Brown Company (1950) *''Peace Begins at Home''. Lee's Summit, MO:Unity School of Christianity (1954)

External links

*
Clara Beranger
at Women Film Pioneers Project
1920 passport photo of Clara Beranger, off to Cuba to film ''Civilian Clothes''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beranger, Clara 1886 births 1956 deaths American people of German-Jewish descent American women academics American women screenwriters Jewish American screenwriters Goucher College alumni Writers from Baltimore University of Southern California faculty Screenwriters from Maryland Women film pioneers Screenwriters from California 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters