Josephine Quirk

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Josephine Quirk
BornApril 1882[1]
New York, New York, USA
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, film producer
Years active1921–1929

Josephine L. Quirk (April 1882 – ) was an American screenwriter, film producer, and writer active during Hollywood's silent era.[2][3]

Biography[edit]

Quirk was born in New York City into an Irish family, the daughter of Irish emigrants Timothy and Kate Quirk. She had two siblings who died young and three brothers who survived into adulthood: Cornelius, James, and John. Cornelius was a successful cotton merchant and left her $2,000 (equivalent to $40,000 in 2023) when he died in 1931.[4][5]

Quirk began her career as a publicity woman and magazine writer on the East Coast before transitioning into scenario writing in Los Angeles.[6][7] She worked as a scenarist at Famous Players–Lasky before writing scripts for Chadwick Pictures.[8] In 1929, she was hired to write a series of 12 two-reel stories featuring actor George McIntosh.[9]

A devout Catholic, she eventually became disenchanted with Hollywood and what she perceived as its moral failings, and became a contributing editor at The Victorian (a Catholic magazine) and The Catholic Boy[10] during the 1940s and 1950s, where she covered topics like juvenile delinquency,[11] the ills of marijuana, the perils of alcohol,[12] and Communism.[13][14][15]

Selected filmography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 1900 United States census; 1940 United States census
  2. ^ "14 Mar 1920, 27 - The Vancouver Sun at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  3. ^ Motion Picture. Macfadden-Bartell. 1923.
  4. ^ "Cornelius J. Quirk – Clothing Trade Veteran Dies". Brooklyn Times-Union. Brooklyn, New York. June 4, 1931. p. 70. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Widow Gets Life Interest in Bulk Of Quirk Estate". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 25, 1931. p. 19. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "13 May 1922, Page 2 - The Galveston Daily News at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  7. ^ Hallett, Hilary (2013-01-15). Go West, Young Women!: The Rise of Early Hollywood. Univ of California Press. ISBN 9780520274099.
  8. ^ "25 Nov 1920, 32 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  9. ^ "23 Mar 1929, 10 - The Courier at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  10. ^ Horten, Gerd (October 2003). Radio Goes to War: The Cultural Politics of Propaganda During World War II. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520240612.
  11. ^ "18 Sep 1942, Page 7 - The Catholic Advance at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  12. ^ "15 Aug 1949, Page 10 - The Times Record at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  13. ^ Hartel, Heather A. (2006). "Producing Father Nelson H. Baker". University of Iowa Research Online: 117–118. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010.
  14. ^ "19 Oct 1950, 36 - The Capital Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  15. ^ "31 Jul 1938, 85 - The San Francisco Examiner at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.