Screenwriter, Producer. After studies at the Universities of Virginia and Edinburgh (Scotland), Robert Henry Buckner started at 20 as London correspondent for the New York World. Later he worked as an instructor for the Belgian Military Academy and as editor with several large American publishers. Besides contributing many fictional stories and magazin articles to British and US periodicals, in the early 30s he also started to write plays on and off-Broadway, finally getting a Hollywood-contract with Warner Brothers where he stayed from 1937 till 48. Writing original material and screenplays, before long he was handed several prestige projects like "The Oklahoma Kid" (starring James Cagney), "Dodge City" (with Errol Flynn/both 1939), "Knute Rockne - All American", "Santa Fé Trail" (both 1940), "Dive Bomber" (1941) and "Confidential Agent" (1945), culminating with an Oscar-nomination for "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in 1943. From 1942 on he was also active as a producer, among his credits are box-office hits like "Gentleman Jim" (starring Errol Flynn/1942), "San Antonio" (1945) and "Life With Father" (with William Powell/1947). In 1948 he moved to Universal, producing and writing "Sword in the Desert" (1949), "Deported" (with Jeff Chandler/1950) and "Bright Victory", earning a Golden Globe for best screenplay for the latter in 1952. From then on he worked as a freelancer, concentrating more and more on television, retiring around 1970. Noteworthy credits of this era are "Love Me Tender" (with Elvis Presley/1956), "From Hell to Texas" (1958) and "Return of the Gunfighter" (with Robert Taylor/1967). In his last years he lived in Mexico.
Screenwriter, Producer. After studies at the Universities of Virginia and Edinburgh (Scotland), Robert Henry Buckner started at 20 as London correspondent for the New York World. Later he worked as an instructor for the Belgian Military Academy and as editor with several large American publishers. Besides contributing many fictional stories and magazin articles to British and US periodicals, in the early 30s he also started to write plays on and off-Broadway, finally getting a Hollywood-contract with Warner Brothers where he stayed from 1937 till 48. Writing original material and screenplays, before long he was handed several prestige projects like "The Oklahoma Kid" (starring James Cagney), "Dodge City" (with Errol Flynn/both 1939), "Knute Rockne - All American", "Santa Fé Trail" (both 1940), "Dive Bomber" (1941) and "Confidential Agent" (1945), culminating with an Oscar-nomination for "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in 1943. From 1942 on he was also active as a producer, among his credits are box-office hits like "Gentleman Jim" (starring Errol Flynn/1942), "San Antonio" (1945) and "Life With Father" (with William Powell/1947). In 1948 he moved to Universal, producing and writing "Sword in the Desert" (1949), "Deported" (with Jeff Chandler/1950) and "Bright Victory", earning a Golden Globe for best screenplay for the latter in 1952. From then on he worked as a freelancer, concentrating more and more on television, retiring around 1970. Noteworthy credits of this era are "Love Me Tender" (with Elvis Presley/1956), "From Hell to Texas" (1958) and "Return of the Gunfighter" (with Robert Taylor/1967). In his last years he lived in Mexico.
Bio by: Fritz Tauber
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