Robert Lees
Encyclopedia
Robert Lees was an American television and film screenwriter
. Lees was best known for writing comedy
, including several Abbott and Costello
films.
, Lees started in show business as a dancer before becoming a writer for MGM Studios, where he was paired with writer Frederic Rinaldo. Their first screenplay was for the 1936 short film, The Perfect Set-Up. The short film was the first in the "Crime Does Not Pay" series. The series, which was produced by MGM in the 1930s and 1940s, were based on real life crime cases. Lees and Rinaldo continued to work on comedy shorts
including, A Night At The Movies, starring Robert Benchley
and Penny Wisdom. The duo also worked on the 1937 films, Decathlon Champions and Candid Cameramaniacs from the Pete Smith
Specialty series. In 1939, Lees and Rinaldo were nominated for an Academy Award for the 1939 biographical short film, Prophet Without Honor.
After completing the comedy short An Hour For Lunch, in 1939, Lees and Rinaldo moved on to feature length films with the 1940 drama, Street Of Memories. The pair worked on the sci-fi/horror
films, The Invisible Woman
and The Black Cat
. In 1941, they wrote their first comedy for Abbott and Costello
entitled, Hold That Ghost
. In the following years, Lees and Rinaldo would go on to write five more movies for the comedy duo, namely, Hit the Ice
, Buck Privates Come Home, The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap, Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
. In 1952, they wrote Jumping Jacks for another comic duo, Martin and Lewis
.
In the early 1950s, Lees' career was virtually destroyed when he was put on the Hollywood blacklist
by movie studio
bosses during the McCarthy Era for alleged Communist activities. As a result of his blacklisting, he had associates submit manuscripts to the studios under the pseudonym
"J. E. Selby." Lees also wrote pseudonymously for the British
television series, The Adventures of Robin Hood
during the blacklist.
him. Graff then left the home, carrying Lees' severed head, and broke into a neighboring house. The occupant of the home was 69-year-old retired doctor, Morley Engleson. Graff then attacked and killed Engleson, who was on the telephone making a plane reservation. The Southwest Airlines
ticketing agent heard the attack and phoned police. Before police could arrive, Graff stole Engleson's 2001 Mercedes-Benz
and left the scene.
During a search through Engleson's house, police discovered Lees' severed head lying on a bed. Lees' longtime girlfriend, Helen Colton, discovered Lees' headless body, covered by blankets, in his bedroom some five hours later when she arrived to pick Lees up for an event at the Academy
headquarters in Beverly Hills.
The following day, Graff caught the attention of security guards at the gates of Paramount Pictures
when he began behaving erratically; talking to himself and yelling at passing cars. One security guard identified Graff from a picture that was shown on a televised news conference about the double murders, and phoned police.
When questioned about the crimes, Graff claimed that a man on the streets of Hollywood gave him methamphetamine
and Ecstasy
the night before the murders claiming he had no memory of committing the murders.
In February 2008, Graff, under a plea agreement
, pleaded guilty to ten felonies
for the murders of Lees and Engelson. Under the plea agreement, Graff will receive two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole
.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. Lees was best known for writing comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, including several Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
films.
Life and career
Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Lees started in show business as a dancer before becoming a writer for MGM Studios, where he was paired with writer Frederic Rinaldo. Their first screenplay was for the 1936 short film, The Perfect Set-Up. The short film was the first in the "Crime Does Not Pay" series. The series, which was produced by MGM in the 1930s and 1940s, were based on real life crime cases. Lees and Rinaldo continued to work on comedy shorts
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
including, A Night At The Movies, starring Robert Benchley
Robert Benchley
Robert Charles Benchley was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor...
and Penny Wisdom. The duo also worked on the 1937 films, Decathlon Champions and Candid Cameramaniacs from the Pete Smith
Pete Smith (film producer)
Pete Smith was a film producer and narrator of "short subject" films from 1931 to 1955....
Specialty series. In 1939, Lees and Rinaldo were nominated for an Academy Award for the 1939 biographical short film, Prophet Without Honor.
After completing the comedy short An Hour For Lunch, in 1939, Lees and Rinaldo moved on to feature length films with the 1940 drama, Street Of Memories. The pair worked on the sci-fi/horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
films, The Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman is a science fiction, comedy film that was released near the end of 1940 by Universal. It is the third film follow Invisible Man and The Invisible Man Returns which had been released earlier in the year. The comedic writers Robert Lees and Fred Rinaldo wrote the screenplay in...
and The Black Cat
The Black Cat (1941 film)
The Black Cat is a 1941 film based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Actor Bela Lugosi also appeared in the 1934 adaptation of the story. The comedy/horror film was directed by Albert S. Rogell, and starred Basil Rathbone.-Main cast:...
. In 1941, they wrote their first comedy for Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
entitled, Hold That Ghost
Hold That Ghost
Hold That Ghost is a 1941 comedy horror film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and featuring Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers, and Shemp Howard....
. In the following years, Lees and Rinaldo would go on to write five more movies for the comedy duo, namely, Hit the Ice
Hit the Ice (film)
Hit the Ice is a 1943 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and directed by Charles Lamont, who took over after the original director, Erle C. Kenton, was fired.-Plot:...
, Buck Privates Come Home, The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap, Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a 1948 American comedy horror film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is the first of several films where the comedy duo meets classic characters from Universal's horror film stable...
, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man is a 1951 comedy horror film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the team of Abbott and Costello alongside Nancy Guild.The film depicts the misadventures of Lou Francis and Bud Alexander, two private detectives investigating the murder of a...
. In 1952, they wrote Jumping Jacks for another comic duo, Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis were an American comedy team, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis as the comedic "foil". The pair first met in 1945; their debut as a duo occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24/25, 1946....
.
In the early 1950s, Lees' career was virtually destroyed when he was put on the Hollywood blacklist
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
by movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
bosses during the McCarthy Era for alleged Communist activities. As a result of his blacklisting, he had associates submit manuscripts to the studios under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"J. E. Selby." Lees also wrote pseudonymously for the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series, The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV in London in the...
during the blacklist.
Murder
On June 13, 2004, sometime around 11 a.m., Keven Lee Graff, a 27-year-old homeless man, broke into Lees' home. Graff attacked the 91-year-old Lees and decapitatedDecapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
him. Graff then left the home, carrying Lees' severed head, and broke into a neighboring house. The occupant of the home was 69-year-old retired doctor, Morley Engleson. Graff then attacked and killed Engleson, who was on the telephone making a plane reservation. The Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
ticketing agent heard the attack and phoned police. Before police could arrive, Graff stole Engleson's 2001 Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
and left the scene.
During a search through Engleson's house, police discovered Lees' severed head lying on a bed. Lees' longtime girlfriend, Helen Colton, discovered Lees' headless body, covered by blankets, in his bedroom some five hours later when she arrived to pick Lees up for an event at the Academy
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
headquarters in Beverly Hills.
The following day, Graff caught the attention of security guards at the gates of Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
when he began behaving erratically; talking to himself and yelling at passing cars. One security guard identified Graff from a picture that was shown on a televised news conference about the double murders, and phoned police.
When questioned about the crimes, Graff claimed that a man on the streets of Hollywood gave him methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
and Ecstasy
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
the night before the murders claiming he had no memory of committing the murders.
In February 2008, Graff, under a plea agreement
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
, pleaded guilty to ten felonies
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
for the murders of Lees and Engelson. Under the plea agreement, Graff will receive two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
.
Writer
- The Perfect Set-up (1936)
- How to BehaveHow to BehaveHow to Behave is a short film released through MGM Studios starring Robert Benchley. The short, released in 1936, spoofs the social etiquette films and norms of the time.-References:...
(1936) - How to Train a DogHow to Train a DogHow to Train a Dog is a 1936 short film released through MGM Studios starring Robert Benchley. The short film demonstrates how not to train a dog, following Benchley's character getting the dog from a pet shop.-References:...
(1936) - How to Be a Detective (1936)
- Penny WisdomPenny WisdomPenny Wisdom is a 1937 short comedy film directed by David Miller and produced by Pete Smith. The film won an Academy Award in 1938 for Best Short Subject ....
(1937) - How to Start the Day (1937)
- A Night at the Movies (1937)
- Decathlon Champion: The Story of Glenn Morris aka Decathlon Champion (1937)
- Candid Cameramaniacs (1937)
- Music Made Simple (1938)
- An Evening Alone (1938)
- The Story of Doctor Carver (1938)
- It's in the Stars (1938)
- An Hour for Lunch (1939)
- Weather Wizards (1939)
- Prophet Without HonorProphet Without HonorProphet Without Honor is a 1939 short documentary film that was nominated for an Academy Award in 1940 for Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel. It was directed by Felix E. Feist...
aka Carey Wilson's Prophet Without Honor (1939) - Let's Talk Turkey (1939)
- Street of Memories (1940)
- The Invisible WomanThe Invisible WomanThe Invisible Woman is a science fiction, comedy film that was released near the end of 1940 by Universal. It is the third film follow Invisible Man and The Invisible Man Returns which had been released earlier in the year. The comedic writers Robert Lees and Fred Rinaldo wrote the screenplay in...
(1940) - The Black CatThe Black Cat (1941 film)The Black Cat is a 1941 film based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Actor Bela Lugosi also appeared in the 1934 adaptation of the story. The comedy/horror film was directed by Albert S. Rogell, and starred Basil Rathbone.-Main cast:...
(1941) - Bachelor Daddy (1941)
- Hold That GhostHold That GhostHold That Ghost is a 1941 comedy horror film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and featuring Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers, and Shemp Howard....
aka Oh Charlie (1941) - Juke Box Jenny (1942)
- No Time For Love (1943)
- Hit the IceHit the Ice (film)Hit the Ice is a 1943 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and directed by Charles Lamont, who took over after the original director, Erle C. Kenton, was fired.-Plot:...
aka Oh Doctor (1943) - Crazy House (1943)
- Hell-Bent for ElectionHell-Bent for ElectionHell-Bent For Election was a 1944 two-reel animated cartoon short subject. The short was one of the first major films from United Productions of America , which would go on to become the most influential animation studio of the 1950s...
(1943) - Buck Privates Come Home aka Rookies Come Home (1947)
- The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap aka The Wistful Widow (1947)
- Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet FrankensteinAbbott and Costello Meet FrankensteinAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a 1948 American comedy horror film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is the first of several films where the comedy duo meets classic characters from Universal's horror film stable...
(1948) - Holiday in Havana (1949)
- You Asked For ItYou Asked For ItYou Asked for It is a popular human-interest show created and hosted by Art Baker. Initially titled The Art Baker Show, the program originally aired on American television between 1950 and 1959...
(Unknown episodes, 1950) - Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible ManAbbott and Costello Meet the Invisible ManAbbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man is a 1951 comedy horror film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the team of Abbott and Costello alongside Nancy Guild.The film depicts the misadventures of Lou Francis and Bud Alexander, two private detectives investigating the murder of a...
(1951) - Comin' Round the MountainComin' Round the MountainComin' Round The Mountain is a 1951 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.-Plot:Theatrical agent Al Stewart has successfully booked his client, Dorothy McCoy , "The Manhattan Hillbilly", at a New York nightclub. Unfortunately, he has also booked an inept escape artist, The Great...
(1951) - Jumping JacksJumping JacksJumping Jacks is a 1952 film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. The movie was released by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:Chick Allen is a paratrooper. He invites his former partner, Hap Smith , to help out with a show that he and the other soldiers are preparing...
(1952) - GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
(Unknown episodes, 1955) - The Adventures of Robin HoodThe Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV in London in the...
(Unknown episodes, 1955) - The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (Unknown episodes, 1955)
- Hotel de Paree (Unknown episodes, 1959)
- Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(1 episode, 1959) - LassieLassie (1954 TV series)Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 24, 1973...
(14 episodes, 1957–1961) - RawhideRawhide (TV series)Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
(3 episodes, 1961–1962) - FlipperFlipper (1964 TV series)Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park...
(Unknown episodes, 1964) - DaktariDaktariDaktari is an American children's drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series, an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television, stars Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a veterinarian at the fictional Wameru Study Centre for Animal Behaviour in East...
(Unknown episodes, 1966) - The Green Hornet (1 episode, 1967)
- The Second Hundred Years (Unknown episodes, 1967)
- Land of the GiantsLand of the GiantsLand of the Giants was an hour-long American science fiction television program lasting two seasons beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. Land of the Giants was the fourth of Allen's science fiction TV series. The show was...
(1 episode, 1968)
Actor
- The Sin of Madelon Claudet aka The Lullaby (Uncredited, 1931)
- Grand HotelGrand Hotel (film)Grand Hotel is a 1932 American drama film directed by Edmund Goulding. The screenplay by William A. Drake and Béla Balázs is based on the 1930 play of the same title by Drake, who had adapted it from the 1929 novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum...
(Uncredited, 1932) - Rasputin and the Empress aka Rasputin the Mad Monk (Uncredited, 1932)
- Dancing LadyDancing LadyDancing Lady is a 1933 musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, the fourth of eight collaborations between Crawford and Gable. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, produced by John W. Considine Jr. and David O. Selznick, and was based on the novel of the...
(Uncredited, 1933)