Josephine L. Quirk (May 15, 1882 – July 1976) was an American screenwriter, film producer, and writer active during Hollywood's silent era.

Biography

Quirk was born in New York City into an Irish family, the daughter of Irish emigrants Timothy and Kate Quirk. She had two siblings who died young and three brothers who survived into adulthood: Cornelius, James, and John. Cornelius was a successful cotton merchant and left her $2,000 () when he died in 1931. Quirk began her career as a publicity woman and magazine writer on the East Coast before transitioning into scenario writing in Los Angeles. She worked as a scenarist at

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 ...

before writing scripts for

Chadwick Pictures Chadwick Pictures was an American film production and distribution company active during the silent and early sound eras. It was originally established in New York by Isaac E. Chadwick (1884 – 1952) in 1920 to release films, but from 1924 also ...

. In 1929, she was hired to write a series of 12 two-reel stories featuring actor George McIntosh. A devout Catholic, she eventually became disenchanted with Hollywood and what she perceived as its moral failings, and became a contributing editor at ''The Victorian'' (a Catholic magazine) and ''The Catholic Boy'' during the 1940s and 1950s, where she covered topics like juvenile delinquency, the ills of marijuana, the perils of alcohol, and Communism.

Selected filmography

* ''

Blondes by Choice ''Blondes by Choice'' is an American silent comedy film directed by Hampton Del Ruth and starring Claire Windsor. The script was written by Josephine Quirk and Paul Perez. Plot When a man named Cliff's car breaks down, he is towed into the n ...

'' (1927) * '' The Love Wager'' (1927) * ''

Sunshine of Paradise Alley ''Sunshine of Paradise Alley'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Jack Nelson (actor), Jack Nelson and starring Barbara Bedford (actress), Barbara Bedford, Kenneth MacDonald (American actor), Kenneth MacDonald, and Max ...

'' (1926) * '' Friendly Enemies'' (1925) * ''

Bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...

'' (1924) * ''

Daughters of the Rich ''Daughters of the Rich'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and starring Miriam Cooper, Gaston Glass, and Ethel Shannon based upon the 1900 novel of the same name by Edgar Saltus. Cast * Miriam Cooper as Maud Bar ...

'' (1923) * '' Lovebound'' (1923) * '' A Question of Honor'' (1922) * ''

Her Mad Bargain ''Her Mad Bargain'' is a 1921 American drama film directed by Edwin Carewe and written by Josephine Quirk. The film stars Anita Stewart, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Helen Raymond, Adele Farrington, Margaret McWade, and Percy Challenger. The film was re ...

'' (1921)

References

American women screenwriters American women film producers 1882 births Year of death missing Screenwriters from New York City Film producers from New York (state) American people of Irish descent 20th-century American writers 20th-century American women writers {{US-screen-writer-1900s-stub