Jack Wagner(1891-1963)
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Wagner was among the legions of unsung writers of the silent film
era who pioneered the art of comedy construction from staging car
chases in Keystone Kops shorts to sight gags, pratfalls and later
comedy bits for A-list actors in sound films.
Born on May 20, 1891, in Los Angeles, Jack was one of four brothers --
all of whom worked in the motion picture business -- born to William
and Edith Wagner. William Wagner was a railroad train conductor in
Mexico and Jack and his brothers -- Blake, Bob and Max -- grew up in
Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. The Mexican Revolution forced the family to
return to California after William Wagner was fatally wounded by rebels
attacking his train. Max Wagner moved to Salinas with his mother while
Jack, Black and Bob found work in the infant film industry. Max would
later join the family in films in 1924.
Jack and Blake found work with D.W. Griffith, first painting furniture
and sets and later as an assistant cameramen. Jack eventually left D.W.
Griffith to work as a gag writer and assistant cameraman for Mack
Sennett. He engineered much of the auto and train chases and sight gags
involving the Keystone Kops. He worked with Chester Conklin, Ben
Turpin, Charley Chase, Slim Summervile, Edgar Kennedy and many others.
When World War I broke out Jack and Blake joined the U.S. Army. They
were assigned to the first motion picture combat unit for the Signal
Corps. Jack was assigned to filming Air Corps footage. He also filmed
battles involving American forces at the Marne, St. Mihiel and
Meuse-Argonne.
After the war, Jack returned to Hollywood, first to Mack Sennet's
studios and later joining Hal Roach. He was a favorite of director
Harry Sweet, filming a number of shorts with Turpin, Natalie Kingston
and others.
By 1924, he joined Harry Langdon, working with Frank Capra among other
directors. He also continued working on feature-length movies for Allan
Dwan and William A. Seiter. His work included writing scenes for "The
Sea Beast" (1926) starring John Barrymore. Jack's brother, Bob, was a
cameraman for the movie.
Like many silent film writers, Jack had great difficulty making the
transition from silents to talkies. His production dropped off
significantly. But a short film, "La Cucaracha" (1934), he co-wrote
with Lloyd Corrigan earned an Academy Award for best short.
Most of his work in the 1930s and '40s was uncredited as he was
considered a "what-if" man. In comedy films and the occasional drama,
he would stand next to the director and offer "what-if" comedy gags
that would be inserted into the script. This worked especially well for
Mae West and Lupe Velez in their films.
During World War II, Jack kicked around an idea of a film about a young
man who was marginalized by the citizens of his hometown but treated as
a hero after his death in the war. Jack had trouble putting the story
on paper and he couldn't interest studio executives in it. He decided
to enlist the aid of his long-time friend John Steinbeck to help him
write the screenplay and use his influence to get the film made. The
Steinbeck magic worked. Paramount Pictures produced "A Medal for Benny"
(1945) starring Dorothy Lamour and J. Carrol Naish. Steinbeck and Jack
were nominated for an Academy Award for best writing/original story.
Naish was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor. It
was the crowning achievement of Jack's career.
But shortly after the film was released, Jack dropped off the Hollywood
landscape. Fluent in Spanish, he went to Mexico and produced several
films there, including "La Otra" (1946) that starred Dolores Del Rio.
Jack Wagner died on July 13, 1963, in Los Angeles.
era who pioneered the art of comedy construction from staging car
chases in Keystone Kops shorts to sight gags, pratfalls and later
comedy bits for A-list actors in sound films.
Born on May 20, 1891, in Los Angeles, Jack was one of four brothers --
all of whom worked in the motion picture business -- born to William
and Edith Wagner. William Wagner was a railroad train conductor in
Mexico and Jack and his brothers -- Blake, Bob and Max -- grew up in
Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. The Mexican Revolution forced the family to
return to California after William Wagner was fatally wounded by rebels
attacking his train. Max Wagner moved to Salinas with his mother while
Jack, Black and Bob found work in the infant film industry. Max would
later join the family in films in 1924.
Jack and Blake found work with D.W. Griffith, first painting furniture
and sets and later as an assistant cameramen. Jack eventually left D.W.
Griffith to work as a gag writer and assistant cameraman for Mack
Sennett. He engineered much of the auto and train chases and sight gags
involving the Keystone Kops. He worked with Chester Conklin, Ben
Turpin, Charley Chase, Slim Summervile, Edgar Kennedy and many others.
When World War I broke out Jack and Blake joined the U.S. Army. They
were assigned to the first motion picture combat unit for the Signal
Corps. Jack was assigned to filming Air Corps footage. He also filmed
battles involving American forces at the Marne, St. Mihiel and
Meuse-Argonne.
After the war, Jack returned to Hollywood, first to Mack Sennet's
studios and later joining Hal Roach. He was a favorite of director
Harry Sweet, filming a number of shorts with Turpin, Natalie Kingston
and others.
By 1924, he joined Harry Langdon, working with Frank Capra among other
directors. He also continued working on feature-length movies for Allan
Dwan and William A. Seiter. His work included writing scenes for "The
Sea Beast" (1926) starring John Barrymore. Jack's brother, Bob, was a
cameraman for the movie.
Like many silent film writers, Jack had great difficulty making the
transition from silents to talkies. His production dropped off
significantly. But a short film, "La Cucaracha" (1934), he co-wrote
with Lloyd Corrigan earned an Academy Award for best short.
Most of his work in the 1930s and '40s was uncredited as he was
considered a "what-if" man. In comedy films and the occasional drama,
he would stand next to the director and offer "what-if" comedy gags
that would be inserted into the script. This worked especially well for
Mae West and Lupe Velez in their films.
During World War II, Jack kicked around an idea of a film about a young
man who was marginalized by the citizens of his hometown but treated as
a hero after his death in the war. Jack had trouble putting the story
on paper and he couldn't interest studio executives in it. He decided
to enlist the aid of his long-time friend John Steinbeck to help him
write the screenplay and use his influence to get the film made. The
Steinbeck magic worked. Paramount Pictures produced "A Medal for Benny"
(1945) starring Dorothy Lamour and J. Carrol Naish. Steinbeck and Jack
were nominated for an Academy Award for best writing/original story.
Naish was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor. It
was the crowning achievement of Jack's career.
But shortly after the film was released, Jack dropped off the Hollywood
landscape. Fluent in Spanish, he went to Mexico and produced several
films there, including "La Otra" (1946) that starred Dolores Del Rio.
Jack Wagner died on July 13, 1963, in Los Angeles.