Ronald Anstuther Davidson Sr (July 13, 1899 – July 28, 1965) was an American

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

story editor Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called supervising producer. The responsibilities of the story editor vary depending on the production; this article describes the duties the role most commo ...

and associate producer. Born in Arizona and reared in Los Angeles, he was the son of Dr.

Anstruther Davidson Anstruther Davidson (1860–1932) was a Scottish-American physician, professor of medicine, botanist, and entomologist. Biography Born in Scotland, Davidson attended the University of Glasgow, where he graduated CM MB in 1881 and received hi ...

and author Alice Jane Merritt. He married his wife, Anita Merle (Collins) Davidson, in 1937. Graduated from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, where he was a member of

Sigma Pi Sigma Pi () is a collegiate fraternity in North America. As of 2021, it had more than 5,000 undergraduate members and over 118,000 alumni. The fraternity is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded on February 26, 1897, at Vincennes Uni ...

and

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

fraternities, he began his career as a short story writer. Davidson worked on some feature films for

Republic Studios Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

as well as several highly successful

movie serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, ge ...

s, and was appointed their movie serials Story Editor in 1943. He also wrote for TV, films and serials, and was associate producer on several productions. He was a member of the

Screen Writers Guild The Screen Writers Guild was an organization of Hollywood screenplay authors, formed as a union in 1933. A rival organisation, Screen Playwrights, Inc., was established by the AMPP, film studios and producers, but after an appeal to the National ...

. Ronald Davidson Sr died on July 28, 1965, in San Diego, California, a few days past his 66th birthday.

Screenwriter filmography

Movie serials *''

The Painted Stallion ''The Painted Stallion'' is a 1937 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the sixth Republic serial of the sixty-six made by that company. Western serials such as this made up a third of the serials from Republic, a studi ...

'' (1937) *'' S.O.S. Coast Guard'' (1937) *''

Zorro Rides Again ''Zorro Rides Again'' (1937) is a 12-chapter Republic Pictures film serial. It was the eighth of the sixty-six Republic serials, the third with a Western theme (a third of Republic's serials were westerns) and the last produced in 1937. The ser ...

'' (1937) *''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'' (1938) *''

The Fighting Devil Dogs ''The Fighting Devil Dogs'' (1938) is a 12-chapter Republic Pictures, Republic Serial (film), movie serial starring Lee Powell (actor), Lee Powell and Herman Brix, the latter better known by his later stage name, Bruce Bennett. It was directed by ...

'' (1938) *''

Dick Tracy Returns ''Dick Tracy Returns'' (1938) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty-six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial ''Dick Tracy'', with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as t ...

'' (1938) *''

The Lone Ranger Rides Again ''The Lone Ranger Rides Again'' is a 1939 American Republic serial. It was a sequel to Republic's 1938 serial ''The Lone Ranger'', which had been highly successful, and the thirteenth of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic. The serial w ...

'' (1939) *''

Daredevils of the Red Circle ''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' (1939) is a 12-chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Charles Quigley, David Sharpe, Herman Brix (better known under his subsequent stage name, Bruce Bennett), Carole Landis, Miles Mander (in a dual role) a ...

'' (1939) *''

Dick Tracy's G-Men ''Dick Tracy's G-Men'' (1939) is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial based on the '' Dick Tracy'' comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by William Witney and John English. This serial was the fifteenth of the sixty-six produced by Re ...

'' (1939) *''

Zorro's Fighting Legion ''Zorro's Fighting Legion'' is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against ...

'' (1939) *''

Drums of Fu Manchu ''Drums of Fu Manchu'' (1940) is a 15-chapter Republic serial film based on the character created by Sax Rohmer. Though using the title of the ninth novel in the series, it actually is based on numerous elements from throughout the series to tha ...

'' (1940) *''

Adventures of Red Ryder ''The Adventures of Red Ryder'' is a 1940 American 12-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures, directed by William Witney and John English and starring Don "Red" Barry and Noah Beery, Sr., based on the Western comic strip ''Red Ryder'' b ...

'' (1940) *''

Mysterious Doctor Satan ''Mysterious Doctor Satan'' (also known as ''Doctor Satan's Robot'') is a 1940 American film serial directed by William Witney and John English. Produced by Republic Pictures, the serial stars Edward Ciannelli, Robert Wilcox, William Newell, ...

'' (1940) *''

Adventures of Captain Marvel ''Adventures of Captain Marvel'' is a 1941 American 12-chapter black-and-white movie serial from Republic Pictures. The serial was produced by Hiram S. Brown, Jr., directed by John English and William Witney, and stars Tom Tyler as the super ...

'' (1941) *''

Jungle Girl A jungle girl (so-called, but usually adult woman) is an archetype or stock character, often used in popular fiction, of a female adventurer, superhero or even a damsel in distress living in a jungle or rainforest setting. A prehistoric depiction ...

'' (1941) *'' King of the Texas Rangers'' (1941) *'' Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc'' (1941) *''

Spy Smasher Spy Smasher is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comics published by Fawcett and DC Comics. The first is a superhero that was formerly owned and published by Fawcett Comics. The second is a female anti-terrorism government agent a ...

'' (1942) *''

Perils of Nyoka ''Perils of Nyoka'' is a 1942 Republic serial directed by William Witney. It stars Kay Aldridge as Nyoka the Jungle Girl, a character who first appeared in the Edgar Rice Burroughs-inspired serial '' Jungle Girl''. Plot Nyoka, with help from ...

'' (1942) *''

King of the Mounties ''King of the Mounties'' is a 1942 Republic 12-chapter film serial, directed by William Witney. Allan Lane played Sgt. Dave King of the Mounties, with Peggy Drake as heroine Carol Brent, and Abner Biberman played the villainous Japanese admiral ...

'' (1942) *'' G-Men vs The Black Dragon'' (1943) *'' Daredevils of the West'' (1943) *'' Secret Service in Darkest Africa'' (1943) *''

The Masked Marvel ''The Masked Marvel'' (1943) is a 12-chapter film serial created by Republic Pictures, who produced many other well known serials. It was Republic's thirty-first serial, of the sixty-six they produced. Plot In ''The Masked Marvel'', a hero dres ...

'' (1943) *''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

'' (1944) *'' The Tiger Woman'' (1944) *'' The Invisible Monster'' (1950) *''

Desperadoes of the West ''Desperadoes of the West'' (1950) is a 12-chapter Republic film serial. Plot Cast * Tom Keene / Richard Powers as Ward Gordon * Judy Clark as Sally Arnold *Roy Barcroft as Hacker, a henchman * I. Stanford Jolley as J. B. "Dude" Dawson *Lee P ...

'' (1950) *'' Flying Disc Man from Mars'' (1950) *''

Don Daredevil Rides Again ''Don Daredevil Rides Again'' (1951) is a Republic Movie serial. It makes heavy use of stock footage from Republic's previous Zorro serials. The character of ''Don Daredevil'' (Ken Curtis) was created for this serial as the rights to Zorro b ...

'' (1951) *'' Government Agents vs Phantom Legion'' (1951) *''

Radar Men from the Moon ''Radar Men from the Moon'' is a 1952 Republic Pictures' 12-chapter movie serial, the first Commando Cody serial starring newcomer George D. Wallace, George Wallace as Cody, Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, and serial veteran Roy Barcr ...

'' (1952) *''

Zombies of the Stratosphere ''Zombies of the Stratosphere'' is a 1952 black and white Republic Studios serial directed by Fred C. Brannon, with a screenplay by Ronald Davidson, and special effects by Republic's Lydecker brothers. It was intended to be Republic's second s ...

'' (1952) *''

Jungle Drums of Africa ''Jungle Drums of Africa'' is a 1953 12-episode American Movie serial, serial film shot in black-and-white. It was an original commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon for Republic P ...

'' (1953) *'' Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders'' (1953) *'' Trader Tom of the China Seas'' (1954) *'' Man with the Steel Whip'' (1954) *''

Panther Girl of the Kongo ''Panther Girl of the Kongo'' is a 1955 Republic movie serial that contains a great deal of stock footage from the 1941 Republic serial ''Jungle Girl''. This was the penultimate of Republic's 66 serial films. Plot Mad scientist Dr. Morgan want ...

'' (1955) *''

King of the Carnival ''King of the Carnival'' is a 1955 Republic movie serial that contains a substantial amount of stock footage from the earlier Republic serial '' Daredevils of the Red Circle''. It is the 66th and final serial produced by Republic and is often ...

'' (1955) Feature films *''

Hi-Yo Silver ''Hi-Yo Silver'' is a 1940 American Western film, directed by William Witney and John English. It stars Lee Powell and Chief Thundercloud and was released on April 10, 1940. The film was created by condensing the fifteen chapters of the 1938 ...

'' (1940) *''

'' (1943) (Feature version of the 1938 serial) *'' Range Renegades'' (1948) *'' Triggerman'' (1948) *'' Cowboy Cavalier'' (1948) *'' The Fighting Ranger'' (1948) *'' Courtin' Trouble'' (1948) *'' Across the Rio Grande'' (1949) *''

Range Justice ''Range Justice'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and written by Ronald Davidson. The film stars Johnny Mack Brown, Max Terhune, Tris Coffin, Riley Hill, Sarah Padden and Eddie Parker. The film was released on July 16 ...

'' (1949) *''

Roaring Westward ''Roaring Westward'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Oliver Drake and written by Ronald Davidson. The film stars Jimmy Wakely, Dub Taylor, Dennis Moore, Lois Hall, Jack Ingram and Claire Whitney. The film was released on Septembe ...

'' (1949) *''

Black Hills Ambush ''Black Hills Ambush'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Harry Keller and starring Allan Lane, Leslie Banning and Eddy Waller.Drew, p. 18. Plot Cast * Allan Lane as Rocky Lane * Black Jack as Black Jack * Eddy Waller as Nugget Cl ...

'' (1952) *'' Satan's Satellites'' (1958) *'' Missile Monsters'' (1958) *''

'' (1959) (Feature version of the 1937 serial)

Story writer (feature films)

*''

Daredevils of the Clouds ''Daredevils of the Clouds'' (aka ''Daredevils of the Sky'') is a 1948 American drama film directed by George Blair and produced by Republic Pictures. The film stars Robert Livingston, Mae Clarke and James Cardwell. ''Daredevils of the Clouds ...

'' (1948) *''

The Young and The Brave ''The Young and The Brave'' (also known by the working title ''Attong'') is a feature film released in 1963 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which depicts the quality of bravery of a group of prisoners of war that escaped North Korean capture, their youthfu ...

'' (1963)

TV series and films

*''

Commando Cody Commando Cody is the hero in two 12-chapter science fiction serials made by Republic Pictures, played by George Wallace in ''Radar Men from the Moon'' (1952) and Judd Holdren in '' Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe'' (1953). ''Zombi ...

'' (1953 – TV series) *'' The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu'' (1956 – TV series) (episode: The Vengeance of Fu Manchu) *'' Torpedo of Doom'' (1966 – TV film version of ''Fighting Devil Dogs'' 1938 serial) *'' Sakima and the Masked Marvel'' (1966 – TV film version of ''The Masked Marvel'' 1943 serial) *''

Nyoka and the Lost Secrets of Hippocrates Nyoka the Jungle Girl is a fictional character created for the screen in the 1941 serial ''Jungle Girl'', starring Frances Gifford as Nyoka Meredith. After the initial film, Nyoka appeared in comic books published by Fawcett, Charlton, and AC ...

'' (1966 – TV film) *'' Target: Sea of China'' (1966 – TV film)

Associate producer filmography

*''

Haunted Harbor ''Haunted Harbor'' (1944) is a Republic serial, based on the novel by Ewart Adamson. Plot Sea captain Jim Marsden is about to be hanged for a murder he didn't commit, and is rescued from the gallows by two of his crewmen. To clear the captain ...

'' (1944) *''

Zorro's Black Whip ''Zorro's Black Whip'' is a 1944 12-chapter film serial by Republic Pictures starring Linda Stirling. The film was made after the 1940 20th Century-Fox remake of '' The Mark of Zorro'' in order to capitalize on it. Republic was not able to us ...

'' (1944) *''

Manhunt of Mystery Island ''Manhunt of Mystery Island'' is a 1945 science fiction movie serial. It was the thirty-sixth serial produced by Republic Pictures (of a total of sixty-six) and the first released in 1945. It is the penultimate 15-chapter serial to be release ...

'' (1945) *''

Federal Operator 99 ''Federal Operator 99'' is a 1945 American movie serial from Republic Pictures. It was later edited down into a feature version titled ''F.B.I. 99'' for television. The serial is about an FBI agent named Jerry Blake who battles gentleman thief ...

'' (1945) *''

The Purple Monster Strikes ''The Purple Monster Strikes'' is a 1945 Republic Movie serial. It was also released as a Century 66 television film under the title ''D-Day on Mars'' (1966). The original production title for the serial was ''The Purple Shadow Strikes''. The ...

'' (1945) *'' The Phantom Rider'' (1946) *''

King of the Forest Rangers ''King of the Forest Rangers'' (1946) is a Republic film serial. Plot Cast *Larry Thompson as Forest Ranger Captain Steve King *Helen Talbot as Marion Brennan *Stuart Hamblen as Prof Carver *Anthony Warde as Burt Spear *LeRoy Mason as "Flush" ...

'' (1946) *''

Daughter of Don Q ''Daughter of Don Q'' (1946) is a Republic Movie serial. It combines elements of the B-Western genre with contemporary crime films, especially the popular "land grab" plot in which the villain attempts to steal apparently worthless land from ...

'' (1946) *''

The Crimson Ghost ''The Crimson Ghost'' is a 1946 American film serial directed by Fred C. Brannon and William Witney. Produced by Republic Pictures and written by Albert DeMond, Basil Dickey, Jesse Duffy, and Sol Shor, it was the last serial directed by Wi ...

'' (1946) *''

Son of Zorro ''Son of Zorro'' is a 1947 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the 43rd of the 66 serials produced by that studio. The serial was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon. George Turner starred as a descend ...

'' (1947) *'' D-Day on Mars'' (1966) (TV – producer)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Ronald 1899 births 1965 deaths American male screenwriters Film serial crew University of California, Berkeley alumni 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters Sigma Pi members