Jay Dratler (September 14, 1910 – September 25, 1968) was an American screenwriter and novelist."Jay Dratler, Screenwriter, Dies in Mexico" (8 Oct 1968) ''Los Angeles Times''"Jay Dratler Dies; Wrote for Screen" (October 16, 1968) ''New York Times''

Biography

Born in New York City to a mother originally from Austria, he attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

in the late 1920s, then studied at the Sorbonne in France and the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

, achieving fluency in French and German. After his return to the United States in 1932, he worked as an editor for a New York publisher and translated the books ''Goya'' and ''Zeppelin'' from German to English. He then moved to Hollywood, becoming a successful novelist and rising to prominence as a screenwriter during the classic era of

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

in the 1940s. He wrote six novels, many screenplays and more than twenty television scripts. He won an

Edgar Allan Poe 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 honor ...

for ''

Call Northside 777 ''Call Northside 777'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film parallels the true story of a Chicago newspaper reporter who proved that a man jailed for murder 11 years previously was wrongly convicted. James Stewart ...

'', and was an Oscar nominee for the 1944 film noir, ''Laura''. The 1948 film noir'', Pitfall,'' was based on Dratler's novel of the same title. Later in life, Dratler became conversant in Spanish, moving to Mexico in the 1960s. Dratler died of a heart attack in 1968 at the British-American Hospital in Mexico City. His body was returned to New York. He was survived by his widow, Berenice, and their two children, a daughter and son. The latter, Jay Dratler Jr., became a professor at the University of Akron School of Law, specializing in intellectual property law.

Works

Novels

* ''Manhattan Side Street'' (1936)

Longmans, Green and Co. Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in 1724 in London, England, which is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is ...

, New York * ''Ducks in Thunder'' (1940)

Reynal & Hitchcock Reynal and Hitchcock was a publishing company in New York City. Founded in 1933 by Eugene Reynal and Curtice Hitchcock, in 1948 it was absorbed by Harcourt, Brace.'' American Authors and Books: 1640 to Present Day'' Third Revised Edition, Crow ...

, New York (later re-titled ''All for a Woman'') * ''The Pitfall'' (1947)

Thomas Y. Crowell Co. Thomas Y. Crowell Co. was a publishing company founded by Thomas Y. Crowell. The company began as a bookbindery founded by Benjamin Bradley in 1834. Crowell operated the business after Bradley's death in 1862 and eventually purchased the compan ...

, New York * ''The Judas Kiss'' (1955) Henry Holt and Co., New York * ''Doctor Paradise'' (1957)

Popular Library Popular Library is a New York paperback book company established in 1942 by Leo Margulies and Ned Pines, who at the time were major pulp magazine and newspaper publishers. The company's logo of a pine tree was a tribute to Pines, and another ...

, New York * ''Without Mercy'' (1957) Robert Hale, London * ''Dream of a Woman'' (1958) Popular Library, New York

Translations

* ''Goya. A portrait of the artist as a man'' (1936) Knight Publications, New YorkTranslated by Clement Greenberg, Emma Ashton and Jay Dratler,from the German by Manfred Schneider (1935) ''Don Francisco de Goya'' * ''Zeppelin, the story of lighter-than-air craft'' (1937) Longmans & Co., LondonTranslated by Jay Dratler from the German by Ernst A Lehmann and Leonhard Adelt (1936)''Auf Luftpatrouille und Weltfahrt - Erlebnisse eines Zeppelinführers in Krieg und Frieden - Zeppelin'',Schmidt & Günther, Kelkheim, Germany

Screenplays

Dratler's films as screenwriter, often with collaborators, include: * ''La Conga Nights'' (1940) Universal * ''Girls Under 21'' (1940) Columbia * '' Confessions of Boston Blackie'' (1941) * ''

Meet Boston Blackie ''Meet Boston Blackie'' is a 1941 American mystery crime film directed by Robert Florey starring Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Richard Lane. Morris plays Boston Blackie, a notorious, but honorable jewel thief. Although the character had been ...

'' (1941) Columbia * ''

The Wife Takes a Flyer ''The Wife Takes a Flyer'' (aka ''Highly Irregular'', UK title: ''A Yank in Dutch'') is a 1942 romantic comedy film made by Columbia Pictures, directed by Richard Wallace. The film stars Joan Bennett and Franchot Tone. The screenplay of ''The Wi ...

'' (1942) * '' Fly-by-Night'' (1942) * ''

Get Hep to Love Get or GET may refer to: Businesses and brands * GetTV, an American television network * Get AS, a Norwegian cable and Internet provider * GET-ligaen, a Norwegian ice hockey league (now ''Eliteserien'') * Get 27, a French mint liqueur Educat ...

'' (1942) * '' Laura'' (1944) * '' Higher and Higher'' (1944) * ''

It's in the Bag! ''It's in the Bag!'' is a 1945 comedy film featuring Fred Allen in his only starring film role. The film was released by United Artists at a time when Allen was at the peak of his fame as one of the most popular radio comedians. The film has bee ...

'' (1945) * ''

The Dark Corner ''The Dark Corner'' is a 1946 American crime film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, William Bendix and Mark Stevens.. The film was not a commercial success but has since been described as a "Grade A exampl ...

'' (1946) * ''

'' (1948) * ''

That Wonderful Urge ''That Wonderful Urge'' is a 1948 American screwball comedy film directed by Robert B. Sinclair and starring Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney and Reginald Gardiner.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; November 27, 1948, page 190. Produced by 20th Centur ...

'' (1948) * '' Dancing in the Dark'' (1949) * ''

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a large force or mechanical shock over a short period of time * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...

'' (1949) * '' The Las Vegas Story'' (1952) * ''

We're Not Married! ''We're Not Married!'' is a 1952 American anthology romantic comedy film directed by Edmund Goulding. It was released by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay was written by Nunnally Johnson, while the story was adapted by Dwight Taylor from Gina ...

'' (1952) * ''

I Aim at the Stars ''I Aim at the Stars'' is a 1960 West German-American biographical film which tells the story of the life of Wernher von Braun. The film covers his life from his early days in Germany, through Peenemünde, until his work with the U.S. Army, NAS ...

'' (1960)

Plays

* ''A Grape for Seeing'' (1965) * ''The Women of Troy'' (1966)"Cornell Pledges Aid for Theater" (May 11, 1966) ''New York Times''

References

External links

*
NY Times Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dratler, Jay American male screenwriters Screenwriters from New York City Edgar Award winners 1910 births 1968 deaths University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters