James R. Quirk (September 4, 1884 – August 1, 1932) was an American magazine editor.

Career

Quirk was the vice president and editor of ''

Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film fan magazines, its title another word for screenplay. It was founded in Chicago in 1911. Under early editors Julian Johnson and James R. Quirk, in style and reach it became a pacesetter for fan m ...

'' magazine, one of the earliest film or fan glamour magazines and particularly popular in the silent film era. Quirk had been with the magazine since its founding in 1911. Quirk's magazine had many popular rivals such as ''

Motion Picture Magazine ''Motion Picture'' was an American monthly fan magazine about film, published from 1911 to 1977.Fuller, Kathryn H. “Motion Picture Story Magazine and the Gendered Construction of the Movie Fan.” ''At the Picture Show: Small-Town Audiences a ...

'', ''

Modern Screen ''Modern Screen'' was an American fan magazine published between 1930 and 1985 that featured articles, pictorials and interviews with film stars (and later television and music personalities). Founding ''Modern Screen'' magazine debuted on ...

'', ''Classic Screen'', '' Screenland'', ''Movie Story'', ''Screen Book'', ''

Silver Screen A silver screen, also known as a silver lenticular screen, is a type of projection screen that was popular in the early years of the motion picture industry and passed into popular usage as a metonym for the cinema industry. The term silver scr ...

'', ''Moving Picture Stories'', ''Theatre Magazine'', ''Screen Play'', '' Picture Play'', ''Screen Guide'', ''

The Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. ...

'' etc. Quirk had also been editor of the first ''Washington Times'' prior to his involvement with ''Photoplay'' and editor of the periodical ''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (often abbreviated as ''PM'' or ''PopMech'') is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do it yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation an ...

'' during his involvement with ''Photoplay''. For two years (1928–30) he was publisher of ''

The Smart Set ''The Smart Set'' was an American monthly literary magazine, founded by Colonel William d'Alton Mann and published from March 1900 to June 1930. Its headquarters was in New York City. During its Jazz Age heyday under the editorship of H. L. Men ...

'' magazine. He was the uncle of Lawrence J. Quirk who gave out an annual award in James's memory that covered many aspects of the film business.

Personal

Quirk was of Irish descent. He was married to Elizabeth North with whom he had 3 children, Frances, Jean, and James (died as infant). Quirk was the second husband of film star May Allison from 1926 until his death in 1932.

Death

Quirk died August 1, 1932, of bronchial

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

and heart disease. He was memorialized in the October 1932 ''Photoplay''.Kathryn Dougherty, "As I Knew Him," ''Photoplay'', October 1932, p. 27. He had also been a hard drinker. He is buried at

Kensico Cemetery Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, New York, Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city ...

Valhalla, New York Valhalla ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the New York City metropolitan area. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The name wa ...

. The cemetery is last resting place to many famous Broadway and film celebrities.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Quirk, James R. 1884 births 1932 deaths American magazine editors American magazine founders American publishers (people) American people of Irish descent Mass media people from Boston