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Robert Buckner | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1906-05-28)May 28, 1906 Crewe, Virginia, United States |
| Died | August 18, 1989 (aged 83) |
| Occupation | Writer |
Robert Buckner (May 28, 1906 – August 18, 1989) was an American film screenwriter, producer and short story writer.
Buckner studied at theUniversity of Virginia and theUniversity of Edinburgh. He began his professional writing career at age 20, as London correspondent for theNew York World.
He wrote a playAn Affair of the State;[1] the novelsSigrid and Sergeant (1959),Tiger By the Tail (1960) andStarfire (1960); and the short story "The Man Who Won the War" (1936).[2]
Buckner joined Warner Bros as a writer. His first credit wasGold Is Where You Find It (1938).[3] He did some uncredited work onJezebel (1938) and wroteLove, Honor and Behave (1938),Comet Over Broadway (1939),The Oklahoma Kid (1939), andYou Can't Get Away with Murder (1939).
Buckner had a big hit withDodge City (1939) starringErrol Flynn, based on his original screenplay. He was credited onAngels Wash Their Faces (1939), andEspionage Agent (1939) was based on his story.[4]
Buckner wrote a follow-up toDodge City,Virginia City (1940) with Flynn, and worked on the script forMy Love Came Back (1940).
Buckner received acclaim for a biopic,Knute Rockne All American (1940). He did a third Western for Flynn,Santa Fe Trail (1940) and was put on a war film for Flynn,Dive Bomber (1941).
Buckner had a huge success with his script forYankee Doodle Dandy (1942) a biopic ofGeorge M Cohan. This resulted in Bucker being promoted to producer at Warners.
Buckner's first film as producer wasGentleman Jim (1943) a biopic ofJim Corbett starring Flynn. He producedMission to Moscow (1943) a biopic of Joseph E Davies and wrote and producedThe Desert Song (1943).
Buckner made another movie with Flynn,Uncertain Glory (1944). He madeGod Is My Co-Pilot (1945), and wrote and producedConfidential Agent (1945) withCharles Boyer.
Buckner produced a popular Western with Flynn,San Antonio (1945). He did a biopic of theBrontë family,Devotion (1946), and did a crime drama,Nobody Lives Forever (1946).
Buckner produced a Western,Cheyenne (1947), and the prestigious stage hitLife with Father (1947).
In June 1947 Buckner left Warner Bros for Universal.[5]
Buckner's first film at Universal wasRogues' Regiment (1948), which he wrote and produced, from a story by Buckner and directorRobert Florey.
He went on to wrote and produceSword in the Desert (1948), based on an old story of Buckner's which he had turned into a novel calledNight Watch.[6] It helped make a star ofJeff Chandler.[7]
He wrote and producedFree for All (1949),Deported (1950), shot in Italy with Chandler, andBright Victory (1951).
Buckner provided the story forWhen in Rome (1952) andThe Man Behind the Gun (1953). He went to England to writeTo Paris with Love (1955),House of Secrets (1956) and two forWarwick Films,A Prize of Gold (1956) andSafari (1956).[8][9]
Buckner began writing for TV, adaptingTwentieth Century andA Bell for Adano forFord Star Jubilee.
Back in Hollywood Buckner wroteLove Me Tender (1956) at20th Century Fox, a film best remembered asElvis Presley's debut movie. In 1957 he wroteSigrid and the Sergeant, his first prose in almost twenty years.[10] The following year he wrote and producedFrom Hell to Texas (1958) directed byHenry Hathaway at Fox.
Also for Fox Bucker created a TV seriesHong Kong (1960–61) starringRod Taylor. It only lasted a season, Bucker produced the pilot for a follow up,Dateline: San Francisco but it did not result in a regular series.[11]
At Disney, his 1960 novelStarfire provided the story forMoon Pilot (1962).
Buckner went on to write episodes ofThe Rogues,Burke's Law,The Wackiest Ship in the Army,The Name of the Game andBonanza. He also wrote the featuresReturn of the Gunfighter (1967).
In his later life, Buckner lived inSan Miguel de Allende,Mexico. He was an artist and recognized leader in the art community there.[citation needed] He died and was buried in San Miguel in 1989.
