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Gladys Atwater

1899 – 1988

American screenwriter

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About Gladys Atwater

Lived 1899 – 1988 (aged 88). Gladys Atwater was an American screenwriter and writer.

Gladys Atwater (born Gladys Valerga, 1899–1988) was an American screenwriter active from the 1930s through the 1950s. She was sometimes credited as G.V. Atwater.

Biography Gladys was one of five daughters born to Thomas Valerga and Hannah Surphlis in Oakland, California. Valerga attended Oakland High School, and graduated from the school in June 1917. In Oakland, she married Curtiss Atwater in 1922.

By 1940, Gladys had obtained a divorce and moved to Beverly Hills, where she began working for film studios. Her first known contribution while under contract at RKO was to the 1937 screenplay for Criminal Lawyer, which she co-wrote with Tom Lennon.

Through the 1960s, she continued working, often collaborating with writer-producer (and second husband) J. Robert Bren. Together, they had a company called Bremex and worked on more than 60 scripts and stories together.

Selected filmography

The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955) Overland Pacific (1954) The Great Sioux Uprising (1953) El Paso (1949) First Yank into Tokyo (1945) American Empire (1942) Underground Agent (1942) In Old California (1942) Argentine Nights (1940) Parents on Trial (1939) Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (1939) Crime Ring (1938) This Marriage Business (1938) Crashing Hollywood (1938) Criminal Lawyer (1937) (as G.V. Atwater) The Man Who Found Himself (1937) (as G.V. Atwater)

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Important facts

Family & relationships

Spouse
Curtis Atwater
Spouse
J. Robert Bren

People in Gladys Atwater's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Gladys Atwater's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Gladys Atwater?

American screenwriter

When was Gladys Atwater born?

Gladys Atwater was born on 12 August 1899 in Oakland.

When did Gladys Atwater die?

Gladys Atwater died on 25 March 1988 in California, Los Angeles.

What was Gladys Atwater's occupation?

Gladys Atwater was a screenwriter and writer.

What nationality was Gladys Atwater?

Gladys Atwater was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Gladys Atwater

· Wikidata: Q60813344

· DBpedia: Gladys Atwater

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gladys Atwater. https://biography.guide/gladys-atwater/

MLA: "Gladys Atwater." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gladys-atwater/.

Chicago: "Gladys Atwater." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gladys-atwater/.

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