Howard Higgin (February 15, 1891 – December 16, 1938) was an American

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

of motion pictures in the 1920s and 1930s.

Biography

After graduating from the

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

, Higgin began working at the architectural firm

McKim, Mead & White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm based in New York City. The firm came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in ''fin de siècle'' New York. The firm's founding partners, Cha ...

, but his interest in the theater resulted in his designing stages for John Cort and then at the

First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...

film studio as a property boy. Higgin was production manager on Cecil De Mille's ''

Forbidden Fruit In Abrahamic religions, forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden that God commands mankind Taboo#In religion and mythology, not to eat. In the biblical story, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of the know ...

'' (1921). Higgin's first directing job was a 1922 comedy for legendary

Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Lou ...

, '' Rent Free''. His later films include ''

High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...

'' and ''

Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

'', and he worked with

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

(as writer/director of Gable's screen breakthrough role as the unshaven villain in '' The Painted Desert''),

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard ...

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

(in ''

Hell's House ''Hell's House'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film starring Junior Durkin, featuring Bette Davis and directed by Howard Higgin. The screenplay by Paul Gangelin and Ben Orkow, B. Harrison Orkow, set during the waning days of the Prohibition ...

''), Pat O'Brien, Alan Hale, Sr.,

Blanche Sweet Sarah Blanche Sweet (June 18, 1896 – September 6, 1986) was an American silent film actress who began her career in the early days of the motion picture film industry. Early life Born Sarah Blanche Sweet (though her first name Sarah was ra ...

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...

, Robert Armstrong and

Mae Clarke Mae Clarke (born Violet Mary Klotz; August 16, 1910 – April 29, 1992) was an American actress. She is widely remembered for playing Henry Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth, who is chased by Boris Karloff in ''Frankenstein'', and for being o ...

, among many others. Higgins' movie career spanned 18 years, having begun working on film crews in 1919. He died in Los Angeles at age 47.Howard Higgin; allmovie bio
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Partial filmography

*'' Rent Free'' (1922) *'' Fashion Row'' (1923) (screenplay) *'' Don't Doubt Your Husband'' (1924) (screenplay) *'' Changing Husbands'' (1924) (screenplay) *'' Broken Barriers'' (1924) (scenario) *'' The Trouble with Wives'' (1925) (screenplay) *'' The New Commandment'' (1925) (screenplay and direction) *'' In the Name of Love'' (1925) (screenplay and direction) *'' The Reckless Lady'' (1926) (direction) *'' The Wilderness Woman'' (1926) *'' The Great Deception'' (1926) *'' The Perfect Sap'' (1927) *''

'' (1928) *'' Sal of Singapore'' (1928) *''

Power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...

'' (1928) *''

The Leatherneck ''The Leatherneck'' is a 1929 American sound part-talkie drama film directed by Howard Higgin. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects along with Eng ...

'' (1929) *''

'' (1929) *'' The Racketeer'' (1929) *'' Her Man'' (1930) (screenplay) *'' The Painted Desert'' (1931) (screenplay and direction) *''

'' (1932) * '' The Last Man'' (1932) *''

The Final Edition ''The Final Edition'' is a 1932 American crime drama film directed by Howard Higgin and starring Pat O'Brien, Mae Clark and Morgan Wallace. Made by Columbia Pictures, it is based on a story by Roy Chanslor.Langman p.127 Synopsis The squabbl ...

'' (1932) *'' Carnival Lady'' (1933) *'' Marriage on Approval'' (1933) (screenplay and direction) *'' The Line-Up'' (1934) *'' I Conquer the Sea!'' (1936) (screenplay) *'' The Invisible Ray'' (1936) (screenplay) *'' Revolt of the Zombies'' (1936) (screenplay) *'' Raw Timber'' (1937) *'' Cafe Hostess'' (1940) (screenplay)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Higgin, Howard American male screenwriters Film directors from Colorado 1891 births 1938 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters