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Robert Riskin is a Director, Scriptwriter, Associate Producer and treatment American born on 30 march 1897 at New York City (USA)

Robert Riskin

Robert Riskin
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Nationality USA
Birth 30 march 1897 at New York City (USA)
Death 20 september 1955 (at 58 years) at Beverly Hills (USA)

Robert Riskin (March 30, 1897 – September 20, 1955) was an American screenwriter and playwright, best known for his collaborations with director-producer Frank Capra.

Biography

Riskin nait à New York dans le Lower East Side de parents juifs, qui ont émigré de la Russie tsariste. Il se rend à l'âge de 17 ans en Floride où il tourne des courts-métrages, avant de s'engager dans l'armée. À la fin de la guerre il retourne à New York où il produit des pièces pour Broadway, dont certaines comme Bless You, Sister et Many a Slip rencontrent un certain succès. Il poursuit cette activité jusqu'à la crise de 1929 où de nombreux théâtres ferment. Le cinéma passant alors à l'ère du parlant, a besoin de scénariste pour les dialogues. Riskin se rend alors à Hollywood en 1931, la firme Columbia ayant acheté les droits de certaines de ses pièces; sa rencontre avec Frank Capra donnera le film The Miracle Woman, qui sera le début d'une fructueuse collaboration.

À partir de 1941, il est recruté pour diriger le service de communication des États-Unis à l'étranger. Il en résulte une large campagne de propagande destinée : les "Projections of America", une série de vingt-six courts métrages documentaires projetée vers tous les pays européens.

Best films

You Can't Take It with You (1938)
(Scenario Writer)
It Happened One Night (1934)
(Scriptwriter)
Here Comes the Groom (1951)
(Story)
Meet John Doe (1941)
(Scriptwriter)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
(Scriptwriter)
Lost Horizon (1937)
(Scriptwriter)

Usually with

Frank Capra
Frank Capra
(13 films)
Bess Flowers
Bess Flowers
(11 films)
Joseph Walker
Joseph Walker
(11 films)
Irving Bacon
Irving Bacon
(10 films)
Ann Doran
Ann Doran
(7 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Robert Riskin (36 films)

Display filmography as list

Director

When You're in Love, 1h50
Directed by Robert Riskin, Harry Lachman
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Romantic comedy, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Grace Moore, Cary Grant, Thomas Mitchell, Aline MacMahon, Luis Alberni, Henry Stephenson
Rating61% 3.0997553.0997553.0997553.0997553.099755
Louise Fuller, grande cantatrice australienne, voudrait se produire sur une grande scène américaine. Mais elle ne le peut à moins d'être mariée. Elle emploie dans ce but les services d'un charmant artiste dénommé Jimmy Hudson...

Scriptwriter

Pocketful of Miracles, 2h16
Directed by Frank Capra
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Action, Crime
Actors Glenn Ford, Bette Davis, Hope Lange, Arthur O'Connell, Peter Falk, Mickey Shaughnessy
Roles Original Film Writer
Rating71% 3.550623.550623.550623.550623.55062
Dave the Dude (Glenn Ford) is a successful, very superstitious New York City gangster who buys apples from street peddler Apple Annie (Bette Davis) to bring him good luck. On the eve of a very important meeting, he finds Annie terribly upset.
You Can't Run Away from It, 1h35
Directed by Dick Powell
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about writers, Films about journalists, Musical films
Actors June Allyson, Jack Lemmon, Charles Bickford, Paul Gilbert, Jim Backus, Stubby Kaye
Rating58% 2.9495452.9495452.9495452.9495452.949545
Because she married an international playboy, Ellie Andrews (June Allyson) is kidnapped by her own father, Texas cattleman A. A. Andrews (Charles Bickford). She escapes, managing to evade his nationwide search for her with the help of Peter Warne (Jack Lemmon), a jobless reporter, who sees himself getting the biggest story of the year - until he and Ellie fall in love. When Ellie suspects Peter has sold her out, she returns home. Realizing his daughter really loves the newspaperman, Andrews tries to persuade Ellie to run away again, this time from her own wedding ceremony. Who will Ellie choose, her husband or the man who has stolen her heart?
Half Angel
Half Angel (1951)
, 1h17
Directed by Richard Sale
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Loretta Young, Joseph Cotten, Cecil Kellaway, Jim Backus, Irene Ryan, John Ridgely
Rating60% 3.0004253.0004253.0004253.0004253.000425
No-nonsense nurse Nora Gilpin (Loretta Young) doesn't care much for John Raymond Jr. (Joseph Cotten), a famous rich lawyer. Her immediate plans are to marry Tim McCarey (John Ridgely), a building contractor, and settle down to a nice, normal life.
Here Comes the Groom, 1h53
Directed by Elliott Nugent, Frank Capra
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman, Alexis Smith, James Barton, Franchot Tone, Ethel Barrymore
Roles Story
Rating62% 3.14363.14363.14363.14363.1436
Newspaper reporter Pete (Bing Crosby) works in a Paris orphanage. His charming way with children and music enables him to find homes for even the most troubled kids. One afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey (Alan Reed and Minna Gombell), an American couple, come to the orphanage to adopt Bobby, a boy they saw in one of the ads Pete ran in his newspaper. Bobby misbehaves, but when Pete discovers that Mr. Godfrey plays for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he quickly produces a young blind opera wunderkind, Theresa (Anna Maria Alberghetti), who sings her way into the Godfreys' hearts.
Mister 880
Mister 880 (1950)
, 1h30
Directed by Edmund Goulding
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Crime, Romance
Actors Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire, Edmund Gwenn, Millard Mitchell, Minor Watson, Howard St. John
Rating69% 3.4955653.4955653.4955653.4955653.495565
Un faux-monnayeur parvient depuis vingt ans à échapper aux agents du Trésor Américain, non pas qu'il soit expert, mais au contraire, son amateurisme fait qu'il n'imprime que cinquante dollars par mois. L'agent Buchanan tente de l'épingler. On ne peut pas se tromper sur l'origine de ses billets, ils sont mal imités et comportent une faute à Washington !
Riding High, 1h52
Directed by Frank Capra, George Marshall
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical
Themes Films about animals, Sports films, Films about horses, Musical films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Horse sports in film, Sport hippique
Actors Bing Crosby, Coleen Gray, Charles Bickford, William Demarest, Frances Gifford, James Gleason
Rating61% 3.0975253.0975253.0975253.0975253.097525
Yale grad Dan Brooks is expected to marry wealthy boss J.L. Higgins' daughter Margaret and join the family box-making business. He is far more interested in racing a horse he owns, Broadway Bill.
Magic Town
Magic Town (1947)
, 1h43
Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Actors James Stewart, Jane Wyman, Kent Smith, Ned Sparks, Wallace Ford, Ann Doran
Roles Story
Rating64% 3.2000453.2000453.2000453.2000453.200045
Lawrence "Rip" Smith (James Stewart) is a former basketball player and ex-military who now runs a company that perform polls and consumer surveys. Lately he has started obsessing about being able to find a perfect mathematical "miracle" formula to perform the perfect survey, and compete for real with his rival companies. Because he lacks funds, he is far behind his number one rival George Stringer.
The Thin Man Goes Home, 1h40
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Comedy, Comedy thriller
Actors William Powell, Myrna Loy, Lucile Watson, Gloria DeHaven, Anne Revere, Harry Davenport
Roles Story
Rating72% 3.6470953.6470953.6470953.6470953.647095
Nick and Nora visit Nick's parents (Lucile Watson and Harry Davenport) in Nick's hometown, Sycamore Springs, in New England. The residents are convinced that Nick is in town on an investigation, despite Nick's repeated denials. However, when aircraft factory employee Peter Berton (Ralph Brooks) seeks out Nick and is shot dead before he can reveal anything, Nick is on the case.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, 1h56
Directed by Lewis Milestone, Byron Haskin
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Noir, Romance
Actors Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Roman Bohnen, Judith Anderson
Rating73% 3.696873.696873.696873.696873.69687
On a rainy night in 1928 in a Pennsylvania factory town called Iverstown, Martha Ivers (Janis Wilson), thirteen years old, is trying to escape from the guardianship of her wealthy, domineering aunt. Her friend, the street-smart, poor Sam Masterson (Darryl Hickman), comes for her through her bedroom window, but Martha's aunt catches them. While Sam slips out unnoticed, Martha hits Mrs. Ivers on the head, causing her to fall down the long staircase and die. Though Sam saw nothing, the event was witnessed by Walter O'Neil (Mickey Kuhn), the son of Martha's tutor (Roman Bohnen), known as Mr. O'Neil. Martha lies about the incident to Mr. O'Neil, and Walter supports her.
Meet John Doe, 2h2
Directed by Frank Capra
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Films about writers, Films about journalists
Actors Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan, Spring Byington, James Gleason
Rating75% 3.796823.796823.796823.796823.79682
Infuriated at being told to write one final column after being laid off from her newspaper job, Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) prints a letter from a fictional unemployed "John Doe" threatening suicide on Christmas Eve in protest of society's ills. When the letter causes a sensation among readers, and the paper's competition suspects a fraud and starts to investigate, editor Henry Connell (James Gleason) is persuaded to rehire Mitchell, who schemes to boost the newspaper's sales by exploiting the fictional John Doe. From a number of derelicts who show up at the paper claiming to have written the original letter, Mitchell and Connell hire John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), a former baseball player and tramp in need of money to repair his injured arm (by Bonesetter Brown), to play the role of John Doe. Mitchell starts to pen a series of articles in Doe's name, elaborating on the original letter's ideas of society's disregard for people in need.
You Can't Take It with You, 2h6
Directed by Frank Capra
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays
Actors James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, Edward Arnold, Mischa Auer, Ann Miller
Roles Scenario Writer
Rating77% 3.8973153.8973153.8973153.8973153.897315
Successful banker Anthony P. Kirby (Edward Arnold) has just returned from Washington, D.C., where he was effectively granted a government-sanctioned munitions monopoly, which will make him very rich. He intends to buy up a 12-block radius around a competitor's factory to put him out of business, but there is one house that is a holdout to selling. Kirby instructs his real estate broker, John Blakely (Clarence Wilson), to offer a huge sum for the house, and if that is not accepted, to cause trouble for the family.
Lost Horizon, 2h12
Directed by Frank Capra, Andrew Marton
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Romance
Themes Films about Tibet, Political films
Actors Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, Sam Jaffe, John Howard, H. B. Warner, Edward Everett Horton
Rating75% 3.795223.795223.795223.795223.79522
Before returning to England to become the new Foreign Secretary, writer, soldier and diplomat Robert Conway (Ronald Colman) has one last task in 1935 China: to rescue 90 Westerners in the city of Baskul. He flies out with the last few evacuees, just ahead of armed revolutionaries.
When You're in Love, 1h50
Directed by Robert Riskin, Harry Lachman
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Romantic comedy, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Grace Moore, Cary Grant, Thomas Mitchell, Aline MacMahon, Luis Alberni, Henry Stephenson
Rating61% 3.0997553.0997553.0997553.0997553.099755
Louise Fuller, grande cantatrice australienne, voudrait se produire sur une grande scène américaine. Mais elle ne le peut à moins d'être mariée. Elle emploie dans ce but les services d'un charmant artiste dénommé Jimmy Hudson...