Robert Buckner
Robert Henry Buckner was an American screenwriter and producer born in 1906 in Crewe, Virginia. After studying at Davidson College and the University of Virginia, he took on various roles in publishing and writing, including becoming the London correspondent for the New York World. He gained recognition in the film industry after moving to Hollywood in 1936, where he worked for Warner Bros. for over a decade, contributing to several notable films such as *Yankee Doodle Dandy*, *Gentleman Jim*, and *Mission to Moscow*. His screenplay for *Bright Victory* earned him both a Golden Globe Award and accolades from the Writers Guild of America.
Buckner later ventured into independent writing, focusing on British-American coproductions and finding success with Western films in his later career, including *Return of the Gunfighter*, which featured elements of historical characters like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He continued to work in the film industry until his retirement in 1967. Buckner's career reflects a blend of literary and cinematic contributions that shaped the entertainment landscape during his time.
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Robert Buckner
Writer
- Born: May 28, 1906
- Birthplace: Crewe, Virginia
- Died: August 1, 1989
Biography
Robert Henry Buckner, the son of Robert Henry and Inez Katherine James Buckner, was born in Crewe, Virginia, in 1906. He entered Davidson College in 1923, and after a year there he transferred to the University of Virginia, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1926. That year, he became the London correspondent for the New York World. In 1927, he married Mary Duckett Doyle, who joined him in Scotland, where he studied at the University of Edinburgh and received an M.A. in 1928.
Upon his return to the United States, he became a salesperson for Alfred A. Knopf in New York City, leaving that position in 1929 to join Doubleday, Doran in New York as the company’s advertising manager. In 1931, he became a copywriter for the Charles Denhard Company, but in 1934 he went abroad again to become an instructor at the Belgian Military Academy. During 1935, three of his short stories and a humorous piece were published in Esquire magazine. The following year, he received the O’Brien Award for the Best American Short Story.
In 1936, Buckner moved to Hollywood to work for Warner Bros. studios, where he remained as a screenwriter and producer until 1948. His screenplay for Yankee Doodle Dandy brought him an Academy Award nomination. During his twelve years at Warner Bros., Buckner produced several celebrated films, including Gentleman Jim, Mission to Moscow, Confidential Agent, and Life with Father.
Buckner left Warner Bros. for a four-year stint as a writer and producer for Universal- International Pictures. In 1951, he won a Golden Globe Award for his screenplay, Bright Victory, which he produced as well as wrote. This play also earned him the Robert Metzer Award from the Writers Guild of America and Look magazine’s Award for Best Play of the Year. He left Universal in 1952 to work independently as a freelance writer.
In the ensuing years, Buckner worked on a number of British-American coproductions. He was always comfortable working in Great Britain, where he had established significant ties during his early days as a correspondent in London and later as a student at the University of Edinburgh. In his later years, Buckner became interested in writing screenplays for Western films, which enjoyed considerable popularity in Great Britain.
He continued to produce scripts until he retired in 1967, after collaborating with Burt Kennedy on the screenplay for Return of the Gunfighter. This film, starring Robert Taylor and Chad Everett, enjoyed considerable success. It is the story of a Mexican girl, Ana Martín, whose parents are killed by thugs who want their land. Wyatt, the gunslinger played by Taylor, comes to Martín’s aid. The film was aired in its television version by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and was widely distributed abroad. When it was released as a videocassette, the title was changed to Wyatt, and it enjoyed a revival of interest. An interesting sidelight is that Buckner included in his cast of characters two historical figures, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, two years before a film about them made their names familiar to a broad audience.