Edward Salisbury Field Jr. (February 28, 1878 – September 20, 1936) was an American author, playwright, artist, poet, and journalist.

Biography

He was born on February 28, 1878, in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, to Edward Salisbury and Sarah Mills Hubbard Field. He was the husband of Isobel Osbourne (the step-daughter of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

) and he was step-father of playwright Austin Strong (Isobel's son from a former marriage). Field was an employee and friend of William Randolf Hearst where he made drawings for Hearst newspapers, signing his drawings with the nom de plume Childe Harold. As a young news man in his 20s, Field became the secretary, protégé, and possibly lover of

Fanny Stevenson Frances Matilda Van de Grift Osbourne Stevenson (10 March 1840 – 18 February 1914) was an American magazine writer. She became a supporter and later the wife of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the mother of Isobel Osbourne, Samuel Lloyd Osbourne, ...

(who was 38 years older), after the death of her husband

. After Fanny's death in 1914, Field married her daughter, Isobel Osbourne, who was 20 years his senior. Field became a successful Southern California real estate developer. In the 1920s, oil was discovered on some of his property which made them wealthy. In 1926, Field purchased Zaca Lake and surrounding land on Figueroa Mountain near

Los Olivos, California Los Olivos (; Spanish language, Spanish for "the olive trees") is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tourism is popular in this rural area ...

. His wife, Isobel, built an artists studio there, and the Field home became a popular meeting place for writers and actors. Field's best known works were the film scripts for ''Wedding Bells'' (based on his play of the same name) and ''Twin Beds'' (based on his 1913

screwball comedy Screwball comedy is a film subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1950s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary charact ...

novel and its stage adaptation). ''Twin Beds'' was filmed four times:Twin Beds
at The Neglected Books Page, February 2011 as '' Twin Beds'' in 1920 starring

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter ...

and Flora Parker DeHaven; '' Twin Beds'' in 1929 starring

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

; as ''The Life of the Party'' in 1934; and as '' Twin Beds'' in 1942 with

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included ''Jezebel'' and ''Dark Victory ...

and

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress, one of three acting sisters from a show-business family. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 fil ...

. Field died September 20, 1936, at Zaca Lake, of an apparent heart attack while taking a nap. He was 58 years old.

Bibliography

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Notes

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Field, Edward Salisbury 1878 births 1936 deaths Writers from Indianapolis Robert Louis Stevenson American male novelists Novelists from Indiana