Born Today October 24: Ben Landeck

Ben Landeck

1864-1928

British playwright Benjamin Landeck was born on this day in London.  Almost nothing is known about his life (a Google book search turns up a few indexes that list a few of his plays in both the UK and the US--that is it).  He did start writing plays in the 19th century and his plays ran in both London and New York.  Several of his plays had runs on Broadway, yet not even their database lists information on him beyond run times.  His plays were certainly popular enough to be used for film scenarios starting in 1908 with Saved From The Sea.  As has been previously mentioned, the play was written with the equally obscure English writer Arthur Shirley (I) (not to be confused with the Australian Arthur Shirley (II)).  In fact, he and Shirley were writing partners and a great number of films made from Landeck's writing were also co-penned by Shirley.  Though, Landeck did write plays and stories on his own and several films using these works were also produced.  In all, 13 films have been produced using his writing as source material; all of them in the silent era; and nearly all of them productions in the United Kingdom (The Model from 1915 was a World Film production).  The last film using his (and Shirley's) work came in 1928, the year of his death, with What Money Can Buy. Landeck died in London at the age of 63 on the 6th of January.  As with all the other unknown aspects of this writer's life, his burial or interment are not known.  

 

 

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Born Today February 17: Arthur Shirley (I)

1853-1925

British writer and actor Arthur Shirley was born on this date in London, England, UK.  He started out as writer.  This first film to make use of his written work as a source for a screenplay came in 1908 with Saved From The Sea, which is based on a play that he co-wrote with Ben Landeck.  The first film that he worked directly for in crafting a "Scenario"--in other words, a screenplay--came in 1913 with Sixty Years A Queen, which he worked on with two other writers, from source material from a book of the same name (this is again, another unfortunately lost film).  He made his filmed acting debut in 1915 in the serial short The Girl Detective, in the role of John Talcott, a role that he would reprise many times over during that year.  He did not act in any films beyond the year 1916.  Also in 1915, his My Old Dutch was given full film treatment (see poster above); the play had already been filmed once before in 1911.  That same play would be the only work used as source material in a full sound film, and that came in 1934.  Shirley died in London on 22 August 1925; he was 72 years of age. He had been married to one Florence Mary Allen; together they had 5 children.  

Scene from The Girl Detective (1915)

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