Garrett Fort

Frankenstein 1931
Written by Garrett Fort

Garrett Elsden Fort (June 5, 1900 - October 26, 1945) was an American short story writer, playwright, and prolific Hollywood screenwriter.

Fort made his screenwriting debut with the silent film, One of the Finest (1917). Early in his career Fort co-wrote the Broadway play Jarnegan (1928), based on the novel by Jim Tully. ^[1] Fort's first talkie effort was the ground-breaking Rouben Mamoulian production Applause (1929). In 2006 Applause was recognized as a culturally, historically and aesthetically significant film by the National Film Registry.^[2]

Fort was adept at alternating horrific highlights with bits of unexpected humor. ^[3] As a screenwriter he is best remembered for his work on the original screen adaptations of such horror/melodramas as Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), Dracula's Daughter (1936), and The Mark of Zorro (1940). ^[4]

Spiritual life and demise

Garrett Fort became deeply interested in the spiritual path and was a devotee of Indian guru Meher Baba who he met in Hollywood in 1934. He worked with Mercedes de Acosta to develop a screenplay based on Baba's philosophy. He eventually travelled to India in 1937 to continue the screenplay. However, he became depressed and returned to America. Upon returning he found it difficult to find profitable work and died penniless in a Hollywood hotel room in 1945 of an overdose of sleeping pills. ^[5] Fort remained in contact with Meher Baba until the end of his life and was included in Meher Baba's list of deceased male followers that Baba had a disciple read out to him in 1967.

Selected filmography

• The Lady Lies (1929)
• The Letter (1929)
• Dracula (1931)
• Frankenstein (1931)
• The Lost Patrol (1934)
• Dracula's Daughter (1936)
• The Devil-Doll (1936)
• Panama Lady (1939)
• Twelve Crowded Hours (1939)
• The Mark of Zorro (1940)
• Among the Living (1941)
• Ladies in Retirement (1941)
• Street of Chance (1942)
• Blood on the Sun (1945)

References

1. ^ Internet Broadway Database
2. ^ Librarian of Congress Adds Home Movie, Silent Films and Hollywood Classics to Film Preservation List
3. ^ New York Times, Movies, April 24, 2007 [1]
4. ^ Internet Movie Database
5. ^ Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, Manifestation Inc. 1986. pp.1942, 2141, 3039

External links

• Garrett Fort at the Internet Movie Database
• Garrett Fort at the Internet Broadway Database
• All Movie Guide
• Quotes by Garrett Fort

Donate to Wikimedia