Howard Estabrook

Howard Estabrook (née Bolles, July 11, 1884 – July 16, 1978) was an American actor, film director and producer, and screenwriter.

Biography Born Howard Bolles in Detroit, Michigan, Howard Estabrook began his career in 1904 as a stage actor in New York. He made his film debut in 1914 during the silent era, and would go on to appear in several features including Four Feathers. Estabrook left films in 1916 for a try at the business world, but returned in 1921.

Estabrook took on executive positions with various studios, and eventually began producing films in 1924. He soon found his calling in screenwriting. He was responsible for several of what have come to be regarded as classics of Hollywood including Hell's Angels (1930) and Street of Chance (1930), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. The following year, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Cimarron, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne. In 1935, he (along with Hugh Walpole and Lenore J. Coffee) adapted the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield for the 1935 film version starring W. C. Fields and Lionel Barrymore.

Estabrook continued in his screenwriting career for three decades, as well as directing and producing films before his death on July 16, 1978, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.

Selected filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 1914 Officer 666 Travers Gladwin 1915 M'Liss John Gray 1916 The Mysteries of Myra Dr. Payson Alden 1917 Giving Becky a Chance Director 1924 The Price of a Party Producer 1925 North Star Producer 1928 The Shopworn Angel Writer1928 Forgotten Faces Writer 1929 The Four Feathers Writer 1930 The Bad Man Writer 1930 Slightly Scarlet Writer 1931 Are These Our Children? Adaptation and dialogueDirector (Uncredited) 1932 A Bill of Divorcement Screenplay 1933 The Bowery Writer 1935 Way Down East Writer 1937 Wells Fargo Producer 1938 The Cowboy and the Lady Contributing writer, uncredited 1943 The Human Comedy Writer 1944 The Bridge of San Luis Rey Adaptation, screenplay 1945 Dakota Adaptation 1946 The Virginian Adaptation 1948 The Girl from Manhattan Screenplay, story 1952 Lone Star Story 1954 Cattle Queen of Montana Screenplay 1959 The Big Fisherman Writer Television Year Title Role Notes 1958 The Millionaire Writer, 1 episode 1959 DuPont Show of the Month Writer, 1 episode

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1930 3rd Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay 1931 4th Academy Awards