John Howard Lawson

Writing

John Howard Lawson

Born — Died

1894-09-24 — 1977-08-11

Place of birth

New York City, New York, USA

Known for

Writing

Credits

23 titles

John Howard Lawson (September 25, 1894 – August 11, 1977) was an American writer. He was for several years head of the Hollywood division of the Communist Party USA. He was also the organization's cultural manager and answered directly to V.J. Jerome, the Party's New York-based cultural chief. He was the first president of the Writers Guild of America, West after the Screen Writers Guild divided into two regional organizations. Lawson was one of the Hollywood Ten, the first group of American film industry professionals to be blacklisted during the 1950s McCarthy era. Before going to Hollywood, Lawson wrote several minor pieces before World War I. After the war he wrote a few more pieces and …

Known for

The Majestic poster
6.8

Set in 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and settles down in a small town where he is mistaken for a long-lost son.

The Majestic

2001

Sahara poster
7.2

In Libya, an American tank commander, along with a handful of Allied soldiers, tries to defend an isolated well with a limited supply of water from a German Afrika Korps battalion during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II.

Sahara

1943

Action in the North Atlantic poster
7.1

Merchant Marine sailors Joe Rossi (Humphrey Bogart) and Steve Jarvis (Raymond Massey) are charged with getting a supply vessel to Russian allies as part of a sea convoy. When the group of ships comes under attack from a German U-boat, Rossi and Jarvis navigate through dangerous waters to evade Nazi naval forces. Though their mission across the Atlantic is extremely treacherous, they are motivated by the opportunity to strike back at the Germans, who sank one of their earlier ships.

Action in the North Atlantic

1943

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire poster
7.2

In his early days as an actor, Marlon Brando (1924-2004) was a shy young man with theatrical ambitions, like many others; but his charisma and superb acting skills made him truly unique, so that the doors to the starry sky of Hollywood opened for him. However, his peculiar manners, political commitment and complicated love life always overshadowed his artistic success.

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

2014

Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman poster
6.3

A nightclub singer uses alcohol in excess to sooth her painful life.

Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman

1947

Algiers poster
6.4

Pepe Le Moko is a notorious thief, who escaped from France. Since his escape, Moko has become a resident and leader of the immense Casbah of Algiers. French officials arrive insisting on Pepe's capture are met with unfazed local detectives, led by Inspector Slimane, who are biding their time. Meanwhile, Pepe meets the beautiful Gaby, which arouses the jealousy of Ines.

Algiers

1938

Film credits

2010s · 2 titles

Behind the camera

Sahara poster
7.2

In Libya, an American tank commander, along with a handful of Allied soldiers, tries to defend an isolated well with a limited supply of water from a German Afrika Korps battalion during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II.

Sahara

1943

Action in the North Atlantic poster
7.1

Merchant Marine sailors Joe Rossi (Humphrey Bogart) and Steve Jarvis (Raymond Massey) are charged with getting a supply vessel to Russian allies as part of a sea convoy. When the group of ships comes under attack from a German U-boat, Rossi and Jarvis navigate through dangerous waters to evade Nazi naval forces. Though their mission across the Atlantic is extremely treacherous, they are motivated by the opportunity to strike back at the Germans, who sank one of their earlier ships.

Action in the North Atlantic

1943

Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman poster
6.3

A nightclub singer uses alcohol in excess to sooth her painful life.

Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman

1947

Algiers poster
6.4

Pepe Le Moko is a notorious thief, who escaped from France. Since his escape, Moko has become a resident and leader of the immense Casbah of Algiers. French officials arrive insisting on Pepe's capture are met with unfazed local detectives, led by Inspector Slimane, who are biding their time. Meanwhile, Pepe meets the beautiful Gaby, which arouses the jealousy of Ines.

Algiers

1938

Counter-Attack poster
6.4

Two Russians fight to escape the seven Nazi soldiers trapped with them in a bombed building.

Counter-Attack

1945

They Shall Have Music poster
6.4

The future is bleak for a troubled boy from a broken home in the slums. He runs away when his step father breaks his violin, ending up sleeping in the basement of a music school for poor children.

They Shall Have Music

1939

Success at Any Price poster
4.1

A young man ruthlessly climbs the corporate ladder only to attempt suicide when the stock market crashes.

Success at Any Price

1934

Our Blushing Brides poster
5.6

Gerry, Connie, and Franky are small-town girls seeking wealthy husbands in New York City. But, while Connie and Franky are reckless with their affections — one bedding a married man and the other marrying a scoundrel — Gerry is determined to remain practical. As she mothers her wounded, heartbroken friends, she stalwartly but foolishly resists the advances of the good-hearted and affluent Tony Jardine.

Our Blushing Brides

1930

Earthbound poster
4.9

A murdered man helps his widow bring his killer to justice.

Earthbound

1940

The Careless Years poster
5.7

A high school girl from a wealthy family falls for a fellow student from a poor family. Both families disapprove, and, unable to stand the pressure, the couple quit school and flee to Mexico.

The Careless Years

1957

Blockade poster
5.8

A simple peasant is forced to take up arms to defend his farm during the Spanish Civil War. Along the way he falls in love with a Russian girl whose father is involved in espionage.

Blockade

1938

The Sea Bat poster
4.4

The sister of a sponge diver killed by a stingray loves an escaped convict posing as a priest.

The Sea Bat

1930

Cry, the Beloved Country poster
6.3

In the back country of South Africa, black minister Stephen Kumalo journeys to the city to search for his missing son, only to find his people living in squalor and his son a criminal. Reverend Misimangu is a young South African clergyman who helps find his missing son-turned-thief and sister-turned-prostitute in the slums of Johannesburg.

Cry, the Beloved Country

1951

The Ship from Shanghai poster
6.8

On a yacht sailing from Shanghai to the United States, the sailors, led by the megalomaniac steward, revolt and take control.

The Ship from Shanghai

1930

Good-bye Love poster
6.3

A sexy golddigger lands who she thinks is a wealthy big-game hunter from a royal family. What she doesn't know is that not only is he not wealthy, nor a big-game hunter nor from a royal family, but he's only a butler. Complications ensue as he tries to keep up the pretense.

Good-bye Love

1933

Party Wire poster
8.3

When a small-town girl's boyfriend leaves in disgrace, gossips spread false reports of her pregnancy.

Party Wire

1935

Bachelor Apartment poster
5.9

A New York playboy, Wayne Carter, dates wild women until he falls for a hard-working stenographer, Helene Andrews.

Bachelor Apartment

1931

Four Sons poster
7.0

Four Sons is a 1940 film directed by Archie Mayo. It stars Don Ameche and Eugenie Leontovich. It is a remake of the 1928 film of the same name.

Four Sons

1940