Robert Riskin
Robert Riskin was an influential American screenwriter and film producer, born in New York City in 1897 to Russian immigrant parents. His upbringing in a household that balanced serious discussions with humor shaped his creative voice. Despite dropping out of school at thirteen to support his family, Riskin pursued writing and gained initial experience in the film industry by working on short silent films. His collaboration with director Frank Capra marked a significant turning point in his career, leading to successful projects including the Academy Award-winning film "It Happened One Night." Riskin's knack for capturing the language and themes of everyday people resonated with audiences, contributing to the widespread popularity of his films. In 1940, he and Capra attempted to establish their own production company, producing "Meet John Doe." However, despite his success, his later years were marked by personal challenges, including a stroke in 1950 that left him paralyzed. Robert Riskin passed away on September 20, 1995, after spending years bedridden due to his condition. His legacy remains significant in the history of American cinema.
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Robert Riskin
Screenwriter
- Born: March 30, 1897
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: September 20, 1955
- Place of death: Beverly Hills, California
Biography
The son of Russian immigrants, Robert Riskin was born in New York City in 1897, one of five children. His household provided a balance between serious discussion and humor. His father and grandfather engaged in philosophical give-and-take, while his mother infused their ontological discussions with flashes of humor. As a writer, Riskin would draw on both of these currents.
Riskin attended elementary school in New York City and Baltimore, Maryland. By age thirteen, he had dropped out of school to work in a factory in order to contribute to his family’s strained finances. During these years, Riskin began writing short stories, but editors regularly rejected them. His employer, however, enlisted Riskin’s aid in writing a love letter to send to a woman he admired and, pleased with the results, solicited Riskin’s criticism of some short films he and some of his employees had produced for Famous Players- Lasky.
Riskin’s insights into the flaws in these films and his suggestion that his boss might concentrate on writing short silent films with one distinguished star led to his promotion and the title “studio manager.” As such, he wrote and directed ten-minute one-reelers for the munificent sum of five thousand dollars each. Before he turned eighteen and joined the navy during World War I, Riskin had made many such films.
Home from the war, Riskin wrote several films coproduced with his brother, Everett. Riskin was gaining recognition as a screenwriter when he was wiped out by the stock market crash in 1929. His efforts to get a job writing screenplays for Paramount Pictures were rejected. This rejection by B. P. Schulberg, infuriated Riskin, who collaborated on three plays with Edith Fitzgerald and promptly sold them.
Columbia Pictures bought the rights to his collaboration with John Meehan, Bless You Sister, a play based on the life of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. It ran on Broadway in 1927, where it was directed by Frank Capra, and was filmed as The Miracle Woman in 1931. The staging of Bless You Sister brought Riskin and Capra together for what would be a long and productive professional association. Capra greatly appreciated Riskin’s ear for the language of common people and the depth of his understanding of commonplace themes and populist issues.
In 1933, Riskin’s screenplay Lady for a Day, directed by Capra, was a great box office success and brought Columbia Pictures its first Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actress. The following year, It Happened One Night received Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress, establishing a record for its clean sweep of the Oscars.
The Riskin-Capra combination seemed unbeatable. Their films set box office records and won enthusiastic public recognition. In 1940, the two formed their own production company, but it turned out only one film, Meet John Doe, for which Capra and Riskin each received a payment of $500,000. Shortly afterwards, in 1942, Riskin married actress Fay Wray and later established his own production company. In 1950, Riskin suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on his left side. On September 20, 1995, having been bedridden since his stroke, Riskin died.