J. Searle Dawley | |
|---|---|
 Dawley, c. 1919 | |
| Born | James Searle Dawley October 4, 1877[1] Del Norte, Colorado, USA |
| Died | March 20, 1949 (aged 71) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, producer, screenwriter, stage actor, playwright |
| Years active | 1894–1938 |
| Spouse(s) | Grace Owen Givens (1918–1949; his death) |
| Children | None |
James Searle Dawley (October 4, 1877 – March 30, 1949) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, stage actor, and playwright. Between 1907 and the mid-1920s, while working for Edison, Rex Motion Picture Company, Famous Players, Fox, and other studios, he directed more than 300 short films and 56 features, which include many of the early releases of stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Pearl White, Marguerite Clark, Harold Lloyd, and John Barrymore.[2][3] He also wrote scenarios for many of his productions, including one for his 1910 horror film Frankenstein, the earliest known screen adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel.[4] While film direction and screenwriting comprised the bulk of Dawley's career, he also had earlier working experience in theater, performing on stage for more than a decade and managing every aspect of stagecraft. Dawley wrote at least 18 plays as well for repertory companies and for several Broadway productions.[5]
- ^ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", New York City, Local Board for Division 158; digital copy of original card with entries, including Dawley's birthdate, personally handwritten and autographed by him, September 12, 1918; subscribed archival database, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (TCJCLDS), Salt Lake City, Utah.
- ^ "J. Searle Dawley", career profile, The Film Daily (New York, N.Y.), June 7, 1925, p. 71. Internet Archive, San Francisco, California. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Katz, Ephraim; revised edition by Fred Klein and Ronald Dean Nolan. "Dawley, J. Searle." The Film Encyclopedia. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2001, p. 340. ISBN 0-06-273755-4.
- ^ Picart, Caroline Joan; Smoot, Frank; Blodgett, Jayne (2001). The Frankenstein Film Sourcebook. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 86–87. ISBN 978-0-313-31350-9.
- ^ "J. Searle Dawley", Internet Broadway Database (IBDB), The Broadway League, Manhattan, New York. Retrieved July 23, 2020.