Joseph Farnham
Writing
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joseph White Farnham (December 2, 1884 – June 2, 1931) was an American playwright and a film writer and film editor of the silent movie era to the early 1930s. He was also a founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Born in Connecticut in 1884,Farnham got his start in film through his business relationship with theatre empresarios Gustave and Daniel Frohman who owned The Frohman Amusement Corp. The Big Parade is probably the most famous of his works adapted to film. In the 1st Academy Awards of 1929, nominees could be considered for an Oscar for an award on the basis of multiple films within the year. Joseph won his Best Writing - Title Cards award for the films Fair Co-Ed; Laugh, Clown, Laugh; and Telling the World. This was the only year that an Oscar for title cards would be awarded. Joseph Farnham was the very first Academy Award-winner to die. He died in 1931 of a heart attack while living in Los Angeles, California and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Known For
John, an ambitious but undisciplined New York City office worker, meets and marries Mary. They start a family, struggle to cope with marital stress, financial setbacks, and tragedy, all while lost amid the anonymous, pitiless throngs of the big city.
The Crowd
A photographer takes up newsreel shooting to impress a secretary.
The Cameraman
When housewife Trina wins the lottery, her comfortable life with her dentist husband John slowly deteriorates, in part by her own increasing paranoia and partly by the machinations of villainous acquaintance Marcus.
Greed
On the lam, criminal Alonzo hides in the circus as The Armless Wonder—a performer who uses his feet to hurl knives. Alonzo keeps the arms he really has concealed to hide his identity. Meanwhile, ringmaster's daughter Nanon has a phobia of being touched by men, but is romantically pursued by not only Alonzo but the strongman Malabar. Alonzo's desperation to remain with Nanon will only end in tragedy.
The Unknown
The story of an idle rich boy who joins the US Army's Rainbow Division and is sent to France to fight in World War I, becomes friends with two working class men, experiences the horrors of trench warfare, and finds love with a French girl.
The Big Parade
Maggie, a headlining comedienne with the Follies, takes a fall off the stage into the orchestra pit and lands on the drum of musician Al Cassidy. One thing leads to another, they fall in love and get married. Al becomes a famous songwriter and Maggie stays home and has children. One day Al is hired to write a big number for Selma Larson, one of the Follies' most beautiful stars, and falls for her.
Pretty Ladies
Convicted of manslaughter for a drunken driving accident, Kent Marlowe is sent to prison, where he meets vicious incarcerated figures who are planning an escape from the brutal conditions.
The Big House
Women from various backgrounds volunteer as nurses in France at the outbreak of World War I.
War Nurse
An all-star revue featuring MGM contract players.
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
A college football star falls for his mousy French tutor.
Good News
The snooty Fernanda decides to leave Spain to visit her uncle in San Francisco in order to escape the attentions of the dandy, amorous Don Diego, but he follows her. She is rescued from a wild taxi ride by a passerby who owns a huge plumbing company. Believing him to be a common plumber, she snubs him, but he pursues her and a romantic rivalry is born.
Proud Flesh
The abandoned Balfour House, the owner of which was found dead five years earlier, comes back to life with the arrival of two suspicious sinister-looking tenants. This film was lost in the 1965 MGM vault fire; only a few stills exist.
London After Midnight
A wild-partying flapper marries a cowboy and tries to adjust to life on a western ranch.
Montana Moon
California's gold discovery in 1848 draws a "tide of empire" to the area, which becomes ripe for bandits.
Tide of Empire
Arrogant and wise-cracking Brice Wayne enrolls at the United States Military Academy at West Point and adjusts to life as a plebe. He tries out for the plebe football team, where he excels and shows up the varsity team. However, his ego is unrivaled, especially in competition with upperclassman Bob Sperry. At the same time, Brice meets a local girl named Betty Channing who cheers for him at football practices.
West Point
Country girl Jolanda has lost her boyfriend, Nathaniel Huggins, to a "flapper" from the city. Jolanda blackmails Nathaniel's father into giving his permission for he and Jolanda to be married--but circumstances arise that may make Jolanda rethink her position.
The Country Flapper
A Chinese wife returns to the American family she left behind in Southeast Asia and then moves in on her daughter's (Lupe Velez) beau (Lloyd Hughes).
Where East Is East
Tom Brown shows up at Harvard, confident and a bit arrogant. He becomes a rival of Bob McAndrew, not only in football and rowing crew, but also for the affections of Mary Abbott, a professor's daughter.
Brown of Harvard
An inventor makes contact with Mars via television. The film is notable for using the 3-D process called Teleview, similar to today's alternating frame 3-D systems. Shown in 3-D only at the Selwyn Theater in New York City, it was previewed as Mars Calling at a trade and press screening on 13 October 1922, premiered as M.A.R.S. on 27 December 1922, and ran through 20 January 1923. A 2-D version was distributed as Radio-Mania in 1923–1924.
The Man from M.A.R.S.
While Joel and his older ship's captain brother Mark are at sea, the latter is abandoned in Singapore by devious ship's mate Finch who, upon their return, convinces the townspeople that Joel abandoned his brother. Joel, determined to not only find Mark but to see justice done, returns the ship to Singapore.