# Garrett Fort > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Garrett_Fort > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Garrett_Fort.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Fort > Source revision: 1263213047 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American dramatist}} {{distinguish|Garrett Ford (disambiguation){{!}}Garrett Ford}} {{Infobox writer |name = Garrett Elsden Fort |image = Garrett Fort.jpg |imagesize = 250px |caption = Garrett Fort in 1937 |pseudonym = |birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|6|5}} |birth_place = [New York City](/source/New_York_City), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|1945|10|26|1900|6|5|mf=y}} |death_place = [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California), U.S. |occupation = [Playwright](/source/Playwright), [Screenwriter](/source/Screenwriter) |nationality = American |period = |genre = [Drama](/source/Drama_film), [Horror](/source/Horror_film) |subject = |movement = |influences = |influenced = |signature = |website = }} '''Garrett Elsden Fort''' (June 5, 1900 – October 26, 1945) was an American short story writer, playwright, and Hollywood screenwriter. He is mostly known for his connections with 1930s [horror films](/source/horror_films), with film historian [Gary Don Rhodes](/source/Gary_Don_Rhodes) describing him as "one of, if not the pre-eminent horror film screenwriters of the classic era."{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=135}} He was a close follower of [Meher Baba](/source/Meher_Baba), and travelled to India while developing a screenplay based on Baba's philosophy. ==Biography== [[File:Garrettfort.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Fort in [Nashik](/source/Nashik) with [Meher Baba](/source/Meher_Baba) (1937)]] Fort was born in New York on June 5, 1900.{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=135}}{{sfn|Wilson|2016|p=253}} According to Fort, he tried to make a career as an attorney in the 1920s and wrote what he described as "true confession stories as a sideline."{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=135}} He began working as a gateman at the [Famous Players Film Company](/source/Famous_Players_Film_Company). From this position he eventually moved on as a writer under contract to [Cecil B. DeMille](/source/Cecil_B._DeMille) and later at [Paramount Pictures](/source/Paramount_Pictures).{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=135}} Fort became more prominently known as a screenwriter during the early era of [sound film](/source/sound_film) with ''[The Film Daily](/source/The_Film_Daily)'' stating that he was gaining reputation as "The [Edgar Wallace](/source/Edgar_Wallace) of the Movies" based on how he turned out adaptations and original scripts that had performed well.{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=136}} Film historian [Gary Don Rhodes](/source/Gary_Don_Rhodes) described Fort as "one of, if not the pre-eminent horror film screenwriters of the classic era."{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=135}} Among the films Fort was hired to work on in the 1930s included ''[Dracula](/source/Dracula_(1931_English-language_film))'' (1931), ''[Frankenstein](/source/Frankenstein_(1931_film))'' (1931), ''[Island of Lost Souls](/source/Island_of_Lost_Souls_(1932_film))'' (1932), ''[The Invisible Man](/source/The_Invisible_Man_(1933_film))'' (1933), ''[Dracula's Daughter](/source/Dracula's_Daughter)'' (1936), and ''[The Devil-Doll](/source/The_Devil-Doll)'' (1936).{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=135}}{{sfn|Mank|2022|p=147}} In 1931, Fort referred to himself in an ad as "a specialist in sin and jitters."{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=136}}{{sfn|Rhodes|2014|p=144}} [Hal Erickson](/source/Hal_Erickson_(author)) also stated the Fort contributed to scripts of other non-horror film "of note", including: ''[The Lost Patrol](/source/The_Lost_Patrol_(1934_film))'' (1934), ''[Panama Lady](/source/Panama_Lady)'' (1939), ''[The Mark of Zorro](/source/The_Mark_of_Zorro_(1940_film))'' (1940) and ''[Blood on the Sun](/source/Blood_on_the_Sun)'' (1945).{{sfn|Erickson}} Erickson noted that Fort was "adept at alternating horrific highlights with bits of unexpected humor."{{sfn|Erickson}} === Spiritual life and demise === Garrett Fort became deeply interested in the spiritual path and was a devotee of Indian guru [Meher Baba](/source/Meher_Baba) whom he met in Hollywood in 1934. He worked with [Mercedes de Acosta](/source/Mercedes_de_Acosta) to develop a screenplay based on Baba's philosophy. Fort eventually traveled to India in 1937 to continue the screenplay. However, he became depressed and returned to America. Upon returning he found it difficult to find profitable work and died penniless in a Hollywood hotel room on October 26, 1945, of an overdose of [Nembutal](/source/Pentobarbital).{{sfn|Wilson|2016|p=253}}''Lord Meher'', Bhau Kalchuri, Manifestation Inc. 1986. pp. 1942, 2141, 3039{{cite news|newspaper=[Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)|title=Obituary|date=October 27, 1945|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114857352/obituary-for-garrett-fort/|accessdate=December 19, 2022|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} Fort remained in contact with Meher Baba until the end of his life and was included in Meher Baba's list of deceased male followers that Baba had a disciple read out to him in 1967.''Lord Meher,'' Bhau Kalchuri, Manifestation Inc. 1986. pp. 1942, 6550 ==Selected filmography== * ''[Five Days to Live](/source/Five_Days_to_Live)'' (1922) * ''[Gay and Devilish](/source/Gay_and_Devilish)'' (1922) * ''[In Fast Company](/source/In_Fast_Company_(1924_film))'' (1924) * ''[On Time](/source/On_Time_(film))'' (1924) with [Richard Talmadge](/source/Richard_Talmadge), [Billie Dove](/source/Billie_Dove), [Stuart Holmes](/source/Stuart_Holmes) * ''[The Fire Patrol](/source/The_Fire_Patrol)'' (1924) with [Anna Q. Nilsson](/source/Anna_Q._Nilsson), [Madge Bellamy](/source/Madge_Bellamy) and [Helen Jerome Eddy](/source/Helen_Jerome_Eddy) * ''[The Midnight Girl](/source/The_Midnight_Girl)'' (1925) with [Lila Lee](/source/Lila_Lee) and [Bela Lugosi](/source/Bela_Lugosi) * ''[Made for Love](/source/Made_for_Love_(film))'' (1926) with [Leatrice Joy](/source/Leatrice_Joy) and [Edmund Burns](/source/Edmund_Burns) * ''[The Prince of Headwaiters](/source/The_Prince_of_Headwaiters)'' (1927) * ''[Applause](/source/Applause_(1929_film))'' (1929) with [Helen Morgan](/source/Helen_Morgan_(singer)) * ''[The Lady Lies](/source/The_Lady_Lies_(film))'' (1929) with [Walter Huston](/source/Walter_Huston) and [Claudette Colbert](/source/Claudette_Colbert) * ''[The Letter](/source/The_Letter_(1929_film))'' (1929) with [Jeanne Eagels](/source/Jeanne_Eagels) * ''[Jealousy](/source/Jealousy_(1929_film))'' (1929) with Jeanne Eagels * ''[Outside the Law](/source/Outside_the_Law_(1930_film))'' (1930) with [Edward G. Robinson](/source/Edward_G._Robinson) * ''[Dracula](/source/Dracula_(1931_English-language_film))'' (1931) with [Bela Lugosi](/source/Bela_Lugosi) and [Edward Van Sloan](/source/Edward_Van_Sloan) * ''[Frankenstein](/source/Frankenstein_(1931_film))'' (1931) with [Boris Karloff](/source/Boris_Karloff) and [Colin Clive](/source/Colin_Clive) * ''[The Lost Patrol](/source/The_Lost_Patrol_(1934_film))'' (1934) with [Victor McLaglen](/source/Victor_McLaglen) and [Boris Karloff](/source/Boris_Karloff) * ''[Dracula's Daughter](/source/Dracula's_Daughter)'' (1936) with [Gloria Holden](/source/Gloria_Holden) and [Edward Van Sloan](/source/Edward_Van_Sloan) * ''[The Devil-Doll](/source/The_Devil-Doll)'' (1936) with [Lionel Barrymore](/source/Lionel_Barrymore) and [Maureen O'Sullivan](/source/Maureen_O'Sullivan) * ''[Panama Lady](/source/Panama_Lady)'' (1939) with [Lucille Ball](/source/Lucille_Ball) and [Evelyn Brent](/source/Evelyn_Brent) * ''[Twelve Crowded Hours](/source/Twelve_Crowded_Hours)'' (1939) with [Richard Dix](/source/Richard_Dix_(actor)) and [Lucille Ball](/source/Lucille_Ball) * ''[The Mark of Zorro](/source/The_Mark_of_Zorro_(1940_film))'' (1940) with [Tyrone Power](/source/Tyrone_Power) and [Basil Rathbone](/source/Basil_Rathbone) * ''[Among the Living](/source/Among_the_Living_(film))'' (1941) with [Susan Hayward](/source/Susan_Hayward) and [Frances Farmer](/source/Frances_Farmer) * ''[Ladies in Retirement](/source/Ladies_in_Retirement)'' (1941) with [Ida Lupino](/source/Ida_Lupino) and [Louis Hayward](/source/Louis_Hayward) * ''[Street of Chance](/source/Street_of_Chance_(1942_film))'' (1942) with [Claire Trevor](/source/Claire_Trevor) and [Louise Platt](/source/Louise_Platt) * ''[Blood on the Sun](/source/Blood_on_the_Sun)'' (1945) with [James Cagney](/source/James_Cagney) and [Sylvia Sidney](/source/Sylvia_Sidney) == References == {{Reflist}} ===Sources=== * {{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/garrett-elsden-fort-p90197|publisher=[AllMovie](/source/AllMovie)|title=Garrett Elsden Fort|accessdate=June 13, 2024|last=Erickson|first=Hal|authorlink=Hal Erickson (author)|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219124951/https://www.allmovie.com/artist/garrett-elsden-fort-p90197|archivedate=December 19, 2022}} * {{cite book|title=Angels and Ministers of Grace Defend Us!|last=Mank|first=Gregory William|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=2022|edition=Kindle|ISBN=9781476644035}} * {{cite book|last=Rhodes|first=Gary D.|title=Tod Browning's Dracula|publisher=Tomahawk Press|year=2014|ISBN=978-0-9566834-5-8|authorlink=Gary D. Rhodes}} * {{cite book|title=Resting Places|last=Wilson|first=Scott|publisher=McFarland|ISBN=9781476625997|edition=3rd|year=2016}} == External links == {{wikiquote}} * {{IMDb name}} * {{IBDB name}} * [http://www.meherbabatravels.com/his-close-ones/men/garrett-fort/ Images of Garrett Fort] at Meher Baba Travels {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fort, Garrett}} Category:1900 births Category:1945 deaths Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century American short story writers Category:American male screenwriters Category:Writers from New York City Category:American male dramatists and playwrights Category:American male short story writers Category:20th-century mystics Category:Followers of Meher Baba Category:Screenwriters from New York (state) Category:20th-century American male writers Category:20th-century American screenwriters Category:Drug-related deaths in California --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Garrett Fort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Fort) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Fort?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.