Barré Lyndon
Encyclopedia
Barré Lyndon (12 August 1896 – 23 October 1972) was a British
playwright and screenwriter. The pseudonym was presumably taken from the title character of Thackeray's novel
.
Born in London
, he may be best remembered for three screenplays from the 1940s: The Lodger
(1944), Hangover Square
(1945) and The Man in Half Moon Street
(1945). The latter was remade by Hammer Film Productions in 1959 as The Man Who Could Cheat Death
.
Lyndon began his writing career as a journalist, particularly about motor-racing, and short-story writer before becoming a playwright. His first play, The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
, was made into an Edward G. Robinson
film in 1939. After that success, Lyndon moved to Los Angeles, California
, in 1941 to concentrate on writing for films full time.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
playwright and screenwriter. The pseudonym was presumably taken from the title character of Thackeray's novel
The Luck of Barry Lyndon
The Luck of Barry Lyndon is a picaresque novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in serial form in 1844, about a member of the Irish gentry trying to become a member of the English aristocracy...
.
Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he may be best remembered for three screenplays from the 1940s: The Lodger
The Lodger (1944 film)
The Lodger is a 1944 horror film about Jack the Ripper, based on the novel of the same name by Marie Belloc Lowndes. It stars Merle Oberon, George Sanders and Laird Cregar, features Sir Cedric Hardwicke and was directed by John Brahm from a screenplay by Barré Lyndon.Lowndes' story had previously...
(1944), Hangover Square
Hangover Square (film)
Hangover Square is a film noir directed by John Brahm, based on the novel Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton. The screenplay was written by Barré Lyndon who made a number of changes to the novel, including the transformation of George Harvey Bone into a classical composer-pianist and filming the...
(1945) and The Man in Half Moon Street
The Man in Half Moon Street
The Man in Half Moon Street is a fantasy film dealing with a man who retains his youth and cannot die, living throughout the ages. It bears some comparison to Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray, except that there are more logical explanations for the eternal youth of the main character...
(1945). The latter was remade by Hammer Film Productions in 1959 as The Man Who Could Cheat Death
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
The Man Who Could Cheat Death is a 1959 British Hammer Film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Anton Diffring and Christopher Lee. It was based on the play The Man in Half Moon Street by Barré Lyndon which had been previously filmed in 1945....
.
Lyndon began his writing career as a journalist, particularly about motor-racing, and short-story writer before becoming a playwright. His first play, The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is a 1938 American crime film starring Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart. It was directed by Anatole Litvak for Warner Bros. and written by John Wexley and John Huston, based on the first play written by short-story writer Barré Lyndon, which ran for...
, was made into an Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
film in 1939. After that success, Lyndon moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, in 1941 to concentrate on writing for films full time.
Partial filmography
- SundownSundown (film)Sundown is a 1941 war film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Bruce Cabot and Gene Tierney. The film's adventure story, set against a war backdrop was well received by critics, earning three Academy Award nominations and was a box office success....
(1941) - The House on 92nd StreetThe House on 92nd StreetThe House on 92nd Street is a 1945 black-and-white spy film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film, shot mainly in New York City, was released shortly after the end of World War II. The House on 92nd Street was made with the full cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , and its head, J....
(1945) - Night Has a Thousand EyesNight Has a Thousand EyesNight Has a Thousand Eyes is a 1948 film noir, starring Edward G. Robinson and directed by John Farrow. The screenplay was written by Barré Lyndon and Jonathan Latimer. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Cornell Woolrich.- Plot :...
(1948) - The Greatest Show on EarthThe Greatest Show on EarthThe Greatest Show on Earth is a 1952 drama film set in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The film was produced, directed, and narrated by Cecil B. DeMille, and won the Academy Award for Best Picture...
(1952) - Man in the AtticMan in the AtticMan in the Attic is a 1953 mystery film directed by Hugo Fregonese. It was released in the United States on December 23 by Twentieth Century Fox...
(1953) (based on the novel The Lodger) - The War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds (1953 film)The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on-screen loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name...
(1953) (screenplay) - Omar KhayyamOmar KhayyámOmar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
(1957) - Dark IntruderDark IntruderDark Intruder is a 1965 television movie that was released theatrically. It is a horror film starring Leslie Nielsen, Mark Richman and Judi Meredith set in San Francisco in 1890 concerning playboy sleuth Brett Kingsford...
(1965)