Lamar Jefferson Trotti (October 18, 1900 – August 28, 1952) was an American screenwriter, producer, and motion picture executive.

Early life and education

Trotti was born in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, US. He became the first graduate of the

Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is a constituent college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. Established in 1915, Grady College offers undergraduate degrees in journalism, advertising, public re ...

at the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

(UGA) in

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

, when he received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (ABJ) in 1921. While at UGA, he was the editor of the independent student newspaper '' The Red and Black''.

Professional career

In the

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

era, he was a reporter for the daily ''

Atlanta Georgian ''The Atlanta Georgian'' was an American daily afternoon newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History Founded by New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northea ...

'', where he interviewed many show business people, such as Viola Dana. Later, Trotti became an executive at

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox (producer), William Fox. It was the corporate successor to ...

in 1933 and after its 1935 merger with

Twentieth Century Pictures Twentieth Century Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film, independent Cinema of the United States, Hollywood motion picture production company created in 1933 by Joseph Schenck (the former president of United Artists) and Darryl F. Za ...

to become

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, he remained with the company until his death. He wrote about fifty films for the studio, producing many of them. He only wrote one screenplay for another studio, ''

You Can't Buy Everything ''You Can't Buy Everything'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Charles Reisner and Sandy Roth and starring May Robson, Jean Parker and Lewis Stone. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Working titl ...

'' (1934) for

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. He won an

Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

in 1944 for '' Wilson'' and was nominated for '' Young Mr. Lincoln'' (1939) and '' There's No Business Like Show Business'' (1952). He received the

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement The Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement (also known as the Screen Laurel Award) is a lifetime achievement award given by the Writers Guild of America. It is given "to that member of the Guild who, in the opinion of the current Board of Dir ...

, the lifetime achievement award of the WGA, in 1983.

Personal life

Trotti was in ill heath towards the end of his life and had taken six months leave from Fox when he died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at hospital near his summer home in St Malo in Oceanside, California. He was survived by a widow, a son and a daughter. His eldest son had died in a car crash in 1950.

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cin ...

later wrote that he thought Trotti died of "a broken heart" because of his son's death.

Partial filmography

* '' The Man Who Dared'' (1933) – writer (with

Dudley Nichols Dudley Nichols (April 6, 1895 – January 4, 1960) was an American screenwriter and film director. He was the first person to decline an Academy Award, as part of a boycott to gain recognition for the Screen Writers Guild; he would later accept ...

) *'' Hold That Girl'' (1934) – writer (with

) *'' Wild Gold'' (1934) – writer *'' Call It Luck'' (1934) – writer (with

) * '' Judge Priest'' (1934) – writer (with

) – directed by John Ford, with

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

*''

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

'' (1934) – writer *'' Life Begins at 40'' (1934) – writer – with Will Rogers *'' Mr. Faintheart'' (1935) – writer * '' Steamboat Round the Bend'' (1935) – writer (with Dudley Nichols) – directed by John Ford, with Will Rogers *'' This Is the Life'' (1935) – writer – with Jane Withers *'' The First Baby'' (1936) – writer * '' Gentle Julia'' (1936) – writer – with Jane Withers *'' The Country Beyond'' (1936) – writer *'' Pepper'' (1936) – writer – with Jane Withers *'' Ramona'' (1936) – writer – directed by Henry King * '' Can This Be Dixie?'' (1936) – writer – with Jane Withers *'' Career Woman'' (1936) – writer *'' Time Out for Romance'' (1936) – writer *'' This Is My Affair'' (1937) – writer *''

Slave Ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting Slavery, slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea ( ...

'' (1937) – writer *'' Wife, Doctor and Nurse'' (1937) – writer – directed by Walter Lang *'' Second Honeymoon'' (1937) – writer – directed by Walter Lang * '' In Old Chicago'' (1937) – writer – directed by Henry King *'' The Baroness and the Butler'' (1938) – writer – directed by Walter Lang * ''

Alexander's Ragtime Band "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is a Tin Pan Alley song by American composer Irving Berlin released in 1911; it is often inaccurately cited as his first global hit. Despite its title, the song is a march as opposed to a rag and contains little sync ...

'' (1938) – writer – directed by Henry King * '' Gateway'' (1938) – writer *''

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

'' (1938) – writer *'' The Story of Alexander Graham Bell'' (1939) – writer * '' Young Mr. Lincoln'' (1939) – writer – directed by John Ford *''

Drums Along the Mohawk ''Drums Along the Mohawk'' is a 1939 American historical drama film based upon a 1936 novel of the same name by American author Walter D. Edmonds. The film stars Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert, was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, and direct ...

'' (1939) – writer – directed by John Ford *'' Brigham Young: Frontiersman'' (1940) – writer – directed by

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Western (genre), Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven f ...

*'' Hudson's Bay'' (1941) – writer *'' Man Hunt'' (1941) – writer (with Dudley Nichols) – directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

*'' Belle Starr'' (1941) – writer *'' To the Shores of Tripoli'' (1942) – writer *'' Tales of Manhattan'' (1942) – writer *'' Thunder Birds'' (1942) – writer, producer – directed by

William Wellman William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and military pilot. He was known for his work in Crime film, crime, Adventure film, adventure, and Action film, a ...

*'' Immortal Sergeant'' (1942) – writer, producer * '' The Ox-Bow Incident'' (1943) – writer, producer – directed by William Wellman * '' Guadalcanal Diary'' (1943) – writer * '' Wilson'' (1944) – writer – directed by Henry King *'' A Bell for Adano'' (1945) – writer, producer – directed by Henry King * '' The Razor's Edge'' (1946) – writer * '' Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (1946) – producer * '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947) – writer, producer – directed by Walter Lang * '' Captain from Castile'' (1947) – writer, producer – directed by Henry King *'' The Walls of Jericho'' (1948) – writer, producer * '' When My Baby Smiles at Me'' (1948) – writer *'' Yellow Sky'' (1948) – writer, producer – directed by William Wellman *'' You're My Everything'' (1949) – writer, producer – directed by Walter Lang * ''

Cheaper by the Dozen ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bes ...

'' (1950) – writer, producer – directed by Walter Lang * '' My Blue Heaven'' (1950) – writer – directed by

*'' American Guerrilla in the Philippines'' (1950) – writer, producer – directed by Fritz Lang *'' I'd Climb the Highest Mountain'' (1951) – writer, producer – directed by Walter Lang *''

As Young as You Feel ''As Young as You Feel'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Harmon Jones and written by Lamar Trotti, based on a story by Paddy Chayefsky. It stars Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, David Wayne, and Jean Peters, and features Marilyn Mo ...

'' (1951) – writer, producer * '' With a Song in My Heart'' (1952) – writer, producer – directed by Walter Lang *'' O. Henry's Full House'' (1952) – writer * '' Stars and Stripes Forever'' (1952) – writer, producer – directed by Henry Koster * '' There's No Business Like Show Business'' (1954) – writer – directed by Walter Lang

References

External links

*
Lamar Trotti
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...