Elmer Blaney Harris
Encyclopedia
Elmer Blaney Harris was an American author
, dramatist, and playwright
.
, after his father's broom factory burned to the ground. After high school, he attended the University of California, Berkeley
, graduating in 1901 with a B.S. in Writing, and as an actor for the university theater troupe would gain him a patron, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, mother of William Randolph Hearst
. With her financial backing, Harris was able to study in New York City
and Europe
for the next four years. When he returned to San Francisco he became a newspaper reporter for the San Francisco Call-Bulletin, and he lectured at clubs and universities on authors and playwrights, such as George Bernard Shaw
and Henrik Ibsen
. This didn't last very long; when the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed the newspaper's office and the newspaper, Harris left for New York City. He would write feverously for newspapers and magazines, contributing articles, reviews, and short stories, all the while translating with Cora Older. He would travel back and forth from Manhattan
to the Bay Area
, and in California he helped to found the Carmel-by-the-Sea artist colony. At Carmel he dramatized his first play, Sham, a short story by Geraldine Bonner
.
Harris got married in 1908, and after his honeymoon he built a summer home in Fortune Bridge, Prince Edward Island
, also helping set up an artist colony there. At Fortune Bridge he would work on his next three plays, The Offenders (1908), Trial Marriage (1909), and Thy Neighbor’s Wife (1911). During this period, he divided his time between Fortune Bridge and New York City. He saw the transitions of the motion picture industry of both the move from New York to Hollywood, and from silent films to sound. For the next twenty years he was very prolific, collaborating on, directing, adapting, or supervising the production of almost 35 silent and "sound" films, while also writing seven original screenplays of his own.
When World War I
broke out he was 39, which was too old at the time for combat. He went to work for the Food Board under Herbert Hoover
, but sick of working with graham flour
, he took a new position as civil aide to the commander in charge of amusements and morale at Camp Bowie
, Texas
as a dramatic director with the Fosdick Commission. He was also stationed in San Diego
.
He wrote his first screenplay
in 1919, Lottery Man. He would live half the time in New York City, writing for the stage, and Hollywood, writing for the motion picture
industry. He would base the story of Johnny Belinda
on the residents in the local area of his summer home in Fortune Bridge, and actual events that occurred there. The title character is based on Lydia Dingwell (1852–1931), of Dingwells Mills, Prince Edward Island
.
Elmer Blaney Harris died at age 88 in Washington, D.C.
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, dramatist, and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
Biography
He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of eight children. He moved with his family to Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, after his father's broom factory burned to the ground. After high school, he attended the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, graduating in 1901 with a B.S. in Writing, and as an actor for the university theater troupe would gain him a patron, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, mother of William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
. With her financial backing, Harris was able to study in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for the next four years. When he returned to San Francisco he became a newspaper reporter for the San Francisco Call-Bulletin, and he lectured at clubs and universities on authors and playwrights, such as George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
and Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
. This didn't last very long; when the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed the newspaper's office and the newspaper, Harris left for New York City. He would write feverously for newspapers and magazines, contributing articles, reviews, and short stories, all the while translating with Cora Older. He would travel back and forth from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, and in California he helped to found the Carmel-by-the-Sea artist colony. At Carmel he dramatized his first play, Sham, a short story by Geraldine Bonner
Geraldine Bonner
Geraldine Bonner was an American author, born on Staten Island, New York. As a child, she moved to Colorado where she lived in mining camps. After moving to San Francisco, California, she worked at a newspaper, the Argonaut, in 1887, and subsequently...
.
Harris got married in 1908, and after his honeymoon he built a summer home in Fortune Bridge, Prince Edward Island
Fortune Bridge, Prince Edward Island
Fortune Bridge is a small unincorporated area on Lot 43, East Parish, King County, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is located west of the Town of Souris....
, also helping set up an artist colony there. At Fortune Bridge he would work on his next three plays, The Offenders (1908), Trial Marriage (1909), and Thy Neighbor’s Wife (1911). During this period, he divided his time between Fortune Bridge and New York City. He saw the transitions of the motion picture industry of both the move from New York to Hollywood, and from silent films to sound. For the next twenty years he was very prolific, collaborating on, directing, adapting, or supervising the production of almost 35 silent and "sound" films, while also writing seven original screenplays of his own.
When World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out he was 39, which was too old at the time for combat. He went to work for the Food Board under Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, but sick of working with graham flour
Graham flour
Graham flour is a type of whole wheat flour named after the American Presbyterian minister Rev. Sylvester Graham , an early advocate for dietary reform...
, he took a new position as civil aide to the commander in charge of amusements and morale at Camp Bowie
Camp Bowie
Camp Bowie is a United States National Guard training center located in west central Texas near the cities of Brownwood and Early.-History:Camp Bowie, in honor of the Texas patriot James Bowie, was a military training facility during World War II, and was the third camp in Texas to be so named...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
as a dramatic director with the Fosdick Commission. He was also stationed in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.
He wrote his first screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
in 1919, Lottery Man. He would live half the time in New York City, writing for the stage, and Hollywood, writing for the motion picture
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
industry. He would base the story of Johnny Belinda
Johnny Belinda (1948 film)
Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco....
on the residents in the local area of his summer home in Fortune Bridge, and actual events that occurred there. The title character is based on Lydia Dingwell (1852–1931), of Dingwells Mills, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
.
Elmer Blaney Harris died at age 88 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.