Writing
F. McGrew Willis
Born — Died
1891-08-18 — 1957-10-13
Place of birth
Pleasanton, Iowa, USA
Known for
Writing
Credits
40 titles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia F. McGrew Willis (August 18, 1891 – October 13, 1957) was an American screenwriter of the silent and early sound film eras. Born Frank McGrew Willis on August 18, 1891, in Pleasanton, Iowa, he broke into the film industry writing film shorts in 1914 and 1915 as a freelance screenwriter. His first feature credit came in 1915, with The Quest, the first of three features he would pen in 1915. Over the next fourteen years he would write the scripts or stories for 43 silent films, three of which, The Girl in the Pullman (1927), Annapolis (1928), and A Blonde for a Night (1928), he also produced for either De Mille Pictures and/or Pathé Exchange. He would als…
Known for
6.1A gambler, hopelessly in debt, agrees to pay off his debt by allowing his creditor to take out a life insurance policy on him and collecting once the one-year suicide clause has elapsed.
The Big Gamble
1931
9.0The story of Ethel Armstrong and her father Henry looking forward to her marriage to the ambitious attorney Bruce Steele. Bruce is elected district attorney and goes after a group of food profiteers. Ethel breaks the engagement when her father falls under suspicion as one of the food hoarders.
Everyman's Price
1921
7.0Produced under the supervision of the U.S. Navy. James Randall, an upperclassman at the Naval Academy, falls in love with Patricia Lawrence, the sister of a plebe. She is engaged to Basil Courtney, a wealthy reprobate who arranges with Rita to discredit James.
The Midshipman
1925
6.0A cross-dressing farce, adapted from "Madame Lucy" by Jean Arlette, in which to help a friend in a lawsuit, Jack Mitchell disguises himself as the mysterious "Madame Brown," a missing witness important to the case of the plaintiff. He attracts the romantic attention of two old roués and one hot Broadway showgirl.
Madame Behave
1925
10.0A young husband just wants to spend a quiet evening at home with his wife, but her collection of zany friends make hash of his hopes.
Twin Beds
1929
NRGeorge Bell, a wild young man, lives with his rancher father, Thomas Bell, in Paradise Valley, California. When George sells his father's favorite horse, Mr. Bell turns him out, and George becomes a grain salesman in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Polly Martin lives with her father Bill, an ex-businessman who has sunk to day-labor because of his addiction to alcohol. Bill frequently abuses Polly, and when he falls to his death from a high girder, Polly becomes a nurse in the Salvation Army in St. Louis. George falls in love with Polly after he saves her from the advances of a drunk, but she will not marry him because of his wild past.
The Whirlpool of Destiny
1916
Behind the camera
6.1A gambler, hopelessly in debt, agrees to pay off his debt by allowing his creditor to take out a life insurance policy on him and collecting once the one-year suicide clause has elapsed.
The Big Gamble
1931
9.0The story of Ethel Armstrong and her father Henry looking forward to her marriage to the ambitious attorney Bruce Steele. Bruce is elected district attorney and goes after a group of food profiteers. Ethel breaks the engagement when her father falls under suspicion as one of the food hoarders.
Everyman's Price
1921
7.0Produced under the supervision of the U.S. Navy. James Randall, an upperclassman at the Naval Academy, falls in love with Patricia Lawrence, the sister of a plebe. She is engaged to Basil Courtney, a wealthy reprobate who arranges with Rita to discredit James.
The Midshipman
1925
6.0A cross-dressing farce, adapted from "Madame Lucy" by Jean Arlette, in which to help a friend in a lawsuit, Jack Mitchell disguises himself as the mysterious "Madame Brown," a missing witness important to the case of the plaintiff. He attracts the romantic attention of two old roués and one hot Broadway showgirl.
Madame Behave
1925
10.0A young husband just wants to spend a quiet evening at home with his wife, but her collection of zany friends make hash of his hopes.
Twin Beds
1929
NRGeorge Bell, a wild young man, lives with his rancher father, Thomas Bell, in Paradise Valley, California. When George sells his father's favorite horse, Mr. Bell turns him out, and George becomes a grain salesman in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Polly Martin lives with her father Bill, an ex-businessman who has sunk to day-labor because of his addiction to alcohol. Bill frequently abuses Polly, and when he falls to his death from a high girder, Polly becomes a nurse in the Salvation Army in St. Louis. George falls in love with Polly after he saves her from the advances of a drunk, but she will not marry him because of his wild past.
The Whirlpool of Destiny
1916
8.0Blanche will inherit her aunt's large estate, providing that she gets married within 24 hours. She chooses to wed John, an old man living at a rest home who is not expected to live much longer.
Her Temporary Husband
1923
7.2Mabel catches her husband buying lingerie, and he won't explain who it's for. She divorces him, but later learns he was buying her an anniversary gift. She becomes determined to win him back.
Up in Mabel's Room
1926
1.0Gubernatorial candidate Walter Croyden is in love with Beatrice, but he acts obnoxiously when he drinks, so she flees to Europe to re-evaluate the relationship.
The Way of the World
1916
8.0An Irish policeman handles gangsters, a mystery woman and a wise-guy reporter.
The Costello Case
1930
5.3A love story that takes place at the time of the gold rush. Prospector Allister Burke is in love with Mary, but he believe the slanderous lies that are spread by Burke, his competitor.
The End of the Game
1919
6.2World War I drama about a soldier and the wild horse he befriends.
Keep 'Em Rolling
1934
7.0Fred Prouty and his wife, Nettie, are living happily until the day that his aged father shows up on their doorstep. He immediately begins creating havoc, upsetting the once-orderly household and trying to force his opinions on everyone. Nettie does her best to be patient with the old man, but the day comes when he brings a group of his pals over while she is holding a meeting of a fashionable club.
Welcome Home
1925
NRA rancher moves to the city, and finds competition for the affections of an heiress in the form of a doppelganger.
A Stranger from Somewhere
1916
9.0About Dick Heldar, an aspiring artist. Although he is devoted to his childhood sweetheart, Maisie Wells, his ambition drives him to faraway places. He meets Torpenhow, a war correspondent, at Port Said, and accompanies him into battle.
The Light That Failed
1923
NRHenry Egbert Xerxes' big chance as a cub reporter comes when he is assigned to track down a gang of counterfeiters which gathers regularly at the Red Dog Inn. As he leaves the office, Henry witnesses a girl being dragged into a cab -- the same girl he had seen that morning passing counterfeit money. Henry follows, but on overtaking the cab, he finds it empty. At the Red Dog Inn, he discovers that the girl is being held captive. After a series of rough and tumble adventures with the resident thugs, he and the girl escape, after which he rushes home to write up the story. When it fails to appear in print, Henry storms into the city room only to discover that the entire business was a hoax, intended to test his reporter's instincts.
The Empty Cab
1918
8.0Director Christy Cabanne's 1933 film dramatizes one year in the lives of four midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Midshipman Jack
1933
6.3Henry Williams, out in Arizona looking for a cure for his imaginary ills, stops at the ranch of Jud Morgan, and decides to stay. Jud's daughter, Sally, attracts his attention, although she is engaged to be married to Sheriff Bob Wells. Henry rides with her to town, where she wants to go shopping for her wedding clothes, but they run out of gas. No, problem' Henry holds up a passing motorist, with a monkey-wrench, and takes gasoline out of his car. They stop at a ranch where the foreman makes them become the cook and dishwasher. Then Jerome Underwood and his daughter, Harriet, arrive and they recognize Henry and Sally as the ones who held them up for gas. The jealous sheriff adds to the complications.
The Nervous Wreck
1926
NRInheriting his father's alcoholism, Lawyer Tom Gallatin goes into the woods to rehabilitate himself. Once there, he loses his way and then meets Jane Loring, who is also lost. They are attracted to each other, but when Jane offers him a drink from a flask, Tom takes more than just a few sips, and then tries to rape her.
The Silent Battle
1916
5.7After an argument, a newlywed decides to test her husband's fidelity by disguising herself as a blonde.
A Blonde for a Night
1928
5.7After an argument, a newlywed decides to test her husband's fidelity by disguising herself as a blonde.
A Blonde for a Night
1928
NRA husband orders his wife to keep their marriage a secret, in order to better continue his affair with a married woman.
The Bride's Awakening
1918
NROn a beach in southern Italy, Gianna Russelli practices her dancing with her devoted brother Russino, looking forward to the day when she will begin formal dance studies. One day the beautiful Countess Michetti comes to the village and engages in a flirtation with Russino, but when her former lover, Prince Viscomte, arrives with his closest friend, Count Paul Trovelli, the countess resumes her affair with the prince.
The Velvet Hand
1918
6.0A London nightclub hostess pretends to fall for the mobster who killed her husband.
Murder in Soho
1939
9.0Marcia, a pretty young girl, goes to work as a model for a lecherous dress-shop owner. She resists his advances, despite his giving her expensive gifts. One day Mrs. Reilly, a prominent society woman and a customer of the shop, invites Marcia to a party she's throwing. Marcia winds up impersonating a famous writer in order to impress a "duke" for Mrs. Reilly, who doesn't know the "duke" isn't really a duke. Complications ensue.
Almost a Lady
1926
Gertrude Lennox, a dominating woman who controls every aspect of her household, is preparing a reception for famous novelist Philip Lord, who is to arrive shortly from England. Gertrude is also laying plans to marry Doris Bellamy, her ward and the sister of her first husband, to Victor Staunton.
Meet the Wife
1931
5.5Bill is a young man who arrives at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He is an incorrigible know-all, and emerges a sober man. Meanwhile, Bill is accused of a crime committed by his friend, and because he doesn't squeal, he wins the heart and hand of the blond Betty. She is his friend's girl.
Annapolis
1928
5.5Bill is a young man who arrives at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He is an incorrigible know-all, and emerges a sober man. Meanwhile, Bill is accused of a crime committed by his friend, and because he doesn't squeal, he wins the heart and hand of the blond Betty. She is his friend's girl.
Annapolis
1928
NRAfter political boss Tim Noland adopts Roy, the infant son of a dead crony, he reluctantly gives the boy up to a doctor who claims that, if raised in an respectable environment, the child will grow into a model citizen. Twenty years later, Roy comes back to live with Tim, and is appalled at his unscrupulous methods of conducting business. Then, he falls in love with Enid Winslow, the daughter of a social reformer who is running for office against Tim. Largely due to Roy's financial support, Winslow wins the election, but, holding a grudge against Tim and anyone connected to him, he refuses to let Enid marry Roy.
The Iron Hand
1916
Elinor Chalmers, head saleslady in a department store, loves architect Harry Edmonds. They marry in haste but keep their union secret due to the store’s policy of dismissal of married women. Harry is offered a substantial commission by wealthy businessman Henry Allison for a new home and meets his daughter Alice. The couple still living apart attract new suitors, Alice for Harry and Gardner, the store’s floorwalker for Elinor. Elinor calls at Harry’s office and tells Harry that their baby will soon arrive. Harry ignores her but Gardner is still in love with Elinor, and she realizes she cares for him. Harry is injured in an accident, calls for Elinor and begs forgiveness before he dies. After her mourning period Gardner proposes to Elinor and they marry.
The Burden Bearer
1915
1.0William Armstrong, an American whose family is from France, inherits an iron mine in France. With his sister Betty, he travels to France to take over the business. In the village near the mine lives Claire, the daughter of a wealthy family, who is engaged to the scheming Duc de Bligny. When Claire's family loses all their money, the Duc dumps her for the daughter of a wealthy manufacturer. Armstrong and his sister find themselves caught up in this intrigue, which becomes more complicated when Armstrong falls for Claire.
American Methods
1917
9.0Bruce Winthrop, disguised as a clerk in the American consulate near the Mongolian border, is actually a secret United States government operative sent to quell a Chinese rebellion led by Tai Chen.
The Pagan God
1919
8.0Wall Street financier Frederick Searles goes bankrupt, prompting his mercenary wife to marry their eldest daughter Needa to the wealthy, disreputable John Davis Warren, despite Needa's love for Hugh Stanton.
The Common Sin
1920
Jerry Warner (Barnes) and Edith Somers (Breamer) are in love, but her father Judge Somers (Marshall) will not allow them to marry because he sees Jerry as a poor prospect. When Jerry's uncle sends him ten thousand dollars to set up a business Judge Somers tells him if he has that money at the end of six months, he can marry Edith. After several close calls all turns out all right for the lovebirds.
Reckless Romance
1924
7.0Count Camello lives on his fine estate in Italy, near the home occupied by Sir James Drake and his family. Gregory Baldi, a parasitical cousin of the count, is courting Mary Drake, and although the count also loves the girl, he conceals his feelings out of respect for his cousin. When war breaks out, Camello enlists while Gregory convinces Mary's brother Oliver that Oliver has killed an opponent in a duel and that the only way to escape a murder charge is to disguise himself by going to war under Gregory's name. Wounded, Count Camello returns from the front and, after Gregory is reported dead, proposes to Mary. On the eve of their wedding, Gregory returns unexpectedly and, in dire need of money, buries his cousin alive in the family vault.
The Phantom Melody
1920
9.0Frances, a salesgirl, is planning a summer vacation at the beach with a girlfriend, who also works at her store. Just as she is getting ready to leave home, Dave, a handsome young plumber, arrives to repair a leaky faucet. Her vacation turns into a bust when it rains at the beach, but a hunky lifeguard shows up to brighten her day. Then, of all people, Dave the plumber shows up, too. Complications ensue.
Two Weeks Off
1929
NRCarter Raymond is a New York playboy who squanders his inherited fortune. All he has left is an abandoned mine in California, so Carter goes West to work it. "Big Jim" Helton and his daughter Mary have been squatters on the mine for years, and "Placer" Murray, from an adjoining camp, has been trying to run them off. When Carter arrives, Mary shoots him, thinking he works for Murray. Mary soon realizes her mistake, and she and her father agree to nurse Carter back to health.
The Beckoning Trail
1916
6.7A wealthy young socialite gets the gambling bug, and soon it goes from being just a fun pastime to an addiction, and she begins to lose more and more of her fortune.
The Gambling Sex
1932
9.0O'Hara has been hired to lead a wagon train west. Instead he has led it off the trail to where it can be attacked by his Indian friends. But Tennessee Mathews is familiar with O'Hara's tactics and sends for the soldiers.
The Forty-Niners
1932
In Paris a leading theatre impresario is murdered on opening night, shortly after replacing his leading lady. A police Inspector in the audience takes over the investigation. The film was shot at Elstree Studios. It was a close remake of the 1937 Austrian film Premiere and re-used a number of musical scenes from the original which were dubbed into English.
Premiere
1938
