Frank S. Nugent

Writing

Frank S. Nugent

Born — Died

1908-05-27 — 1965-12-30

Place of birth

New York City, New York, USA

Known for

Writing

Credits

22 titles

Frank Stanley Nugent (May 27, 1908 – December 29, 1965) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and film reviewer. He wrote 21 film scripts, 11 for director John Ford. He wrote almost a thousand reviews for The New York Times before leaving journalism for Hollywood. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1953 and twice won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Comedy. The Writers Guild of America, West ranks his screenplay for The Searchers (1956) among the top 101 screenplays of all time.

Known for

Behind the camera

The Searchers poster
7.7

As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable.

The Searchers

1956

Fort Apache poster
7.0

Owen Thursday sees his new posting to the desolate Fort Apache as a chance to claim the military honour which he believes is rightfully his. Arrogant, obsessed with military form and ultimately self-destructive, he attempts to destroy the Apache chief Cochise after luring him across the border from Mexico, against the advice of his subordinates.

Fort Apache

1948

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon poster
6.9

On the eve of retirement, Captain Nathan Brittles takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

1949

Gunman's Walk poster
6.7

A powerful rancher always protects his wild adult son by paying for damages and bribing witnesses, until his crimes become too serious to rectify.

Gunman's Walk

1958

The Tall Men poster
6.4

Two brothers discharged from the Confederate Army join a businessman for a cattle drive from Texas to Montana where they run into raiding Jayhawkers, angry Sioux, rough terrain and bad weather.

The Tall Men

1955

3 Godfathers poster
6.8

Three outlaws on the run discover a dying woman and her baby. They swear to bring the infant to safety across the desert, even at the risk of their own lives.

3 Godfathers

1948

Donovan's Reef poster
6.2

After her great aunt's death, a high-society woman arrives on a Hawaiian island in search of the heir - the father she has never met.

Donovan's Reef

1963

The Quiet Man poster
7.3

An American man returns to the village of his birth in Ireland, where he finds love and conflict.

The Quiet Man

1952

Angel Face poster
7.1

Ambulance driver Frank Jessup is ensnared in the schemes of the sensuous but dangerous Diane Tremayne.

Angel Face

1953

Mister Roberts poster
7.0

Mr. Roberts is a Navy officer who's yearning for battle but is stuck in the backwaters of World War II on a non-commissioned ship run by the bullying Captain Morton.

Mister Roberts

1955

Incident at Phantom Hill poster
6.1

At the end of the Civil War, a major shipment of Union gold has been stolen and buried in the desert. Only one man knows the whereabouts of gold and the US Army sends captain Matt Martin to arrest him and come back with the gold. Martin, his prisoner and a handful of men enter Indian territory in search of the precious cargo. The Apaches, outlaws and storms will make it difficult.

Incident at Phantom Hill

1966

Two Rode Together poster
6.4

Two tough westerners bring home a group of settlers who have spent years as Comanche hostages.

Two Rode Together

1961

The Last Hurrah poster
7.2

In a changing world where television has become the main source of information, Adam Caulfield, a young sports journalist, witnesses how his uncle, Frank Skeffington, a veteran and honest politician, mayor of a New England town, tries to be reelected while bankers and captains of industry conspire in the shadows to place a weak and manageable candidate in the city hall.

The Last Hurrah

1958

Wagon Master poster
6.7

Two young horse traders guide a Mormon wagon train to the San Juan Valley and encounter rugged terrain, the cutthroat Clegg gang, hospitable Navajo, and moral challenges on the journey.

Wagon Master

1950

They Rode West poster
6.5

A young cavalry doctor treats very sick Indians against orders, whom are forced to stay on unhealthy land, which could lead to a war.

They Rode West

1954

Tulsa poster
6.3

It's Tulsa, Oklahoma at the start of the oil boom and Cherokee Lansing's rancher father is killed in a fight with the Tanner Oil Company. Cherokee plans revenge by bringing in her own wells with the help of oil expert Brad Brady and childhood friend Jim Redbird. When the oil and the money start gushing in, both Brad and Jim want to protect the land but Cherokee has different ideas. What started out as revenge for her father's death has turned into an obsession for wealth and power.

Tulsa

1949

North West Frontier poster
6.8

In the rebellious northern frontier province of colonial India, British Army Captain Scott, a young prince and the boy's governess escape by an obsolete train as they are relentlessly pursued by Muslim rebels intent on assassinating the prince.

North West Frontier

1959

The Rising of the Moon poster
6.8

Three vignettes of old Irish country life, based on a series of short stories. In "The Majesty of the Law," a police officer must arrest an old-fashioned, traditional fellow for assault. The man's principles have the policeman and the whole village, including the man he slugged, sympathizing with him. "One Minute's Wait" is about a little train station and glimpses into the lives of the passengers, with a series of comic setups. The third piece, "1921," is about a condemned Irish nationalist and his daring escape.

The Rising of the Moon

1957

The Red Beret poster
6.7

Steve MacKendrick resigns from the US Army after causing the needless death of a fellow officer. Wanting to serve in the war, he enlists as a Canadian in the British 1st Parachute Brigade. He proves himself exceptionally skilled for a recruit, arousing the suspicion of his commanding officer who starts an investigation. He redeems himself during combat. The film was titled "Paratrooper" in the US.

The Red Beret

1953

No artwork available
NR

A small town sportswriter attending the World Series recognizes a young ballplayer as the son of former baseball hero who was banned for throwing a game.

Rookie of the Year

1955

Trouble in the Glen poster
6.2

Major Jim "Lance" Lansing, an American ex-pilot of the U.S. Air Corps, returns to Scotland after the war and finds much trouble in the glen where he settles because of the high-handed activities of the local laird, Sandy Mengues, a wealthy South American who, with his daughter Marissa, has returned to the land of his forefathers. Led by Lansing, the people eventually prevail upon Mengues to restore peace to the glen, but not before a brief and unconvincing fight between Lansing and Dukes, the Mengues foreman. Written by Les Adams

Trouble in the Glen

1954

Mean Justice poster
7.0

Moreno (Bronson) is a tough ranch hand on the vast half million acre Garret Ranch. Rich in timber, gas, cattle and oil, the ranch is a major employer of rough rugged cowboys in northern New Mexico. Unexpectedly, Moreno has been accused , and tried for the murder of the daughter of the Garret ranch's popular foreman (Denver Pyle). As luck turns against the Garret ranch, each man endures struggles against nature, competitors, and each other in order to keep the operation profitable.

Mean Justice

1971