Isabel Johnston (1898–1981) was an American screenwriter active during Hollywood's silent era. She also worked as a journalist and writer of short stories.

Isabel Johnston
BornJuly 16, 1898
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
DiedMarch 1981 (aged 82)
Suffolk County, New York, USA
EducationVassar College
OccupationScreenwriter
ParentIsabel M. Johnston
RelativesAgnes Christine Johnston (sister)

Biography

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Johnston was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Isabel McElheny and John Parry Johnson. Her work is often confused with that of her mother's, as her mother—a journalist—also wrote a few scenarios and was credited under her married name, Isabel M. Johnston. Her older sister, Agnes Christine, was a screenwriter in Hollywood.[1]

As a teenager she began reading scripts for Vitagraph, and after graduating from Vassar in 1919, she returned to the film industry to write a string of films between 1920 and 1923.[1] In 1921, she was added to the scenario staff at Goldwyn.[2]

After working in Hollywood, she moved back to London for a few years to work with producers over there.[1] She'd later follow in her mother's footsteps and become a journalist, working for papers in New York and Los Angeles, in addition to Liberty Magazine.[3][4] She'd also write short stories for several decades.

Johnston, who never married, died in New York in 1981.

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Colm, D.L.D. (December 24, 1922). "Behind the Screen". The Wichita Beacon. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Price, Guy (November 5, 1921). "Theatre Talk". The Los Angeles Herald. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  3. ^ Johnston, Isabel (March 25, 1934). "Happy Bridegroom". The New York Daily News. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  4. ^ Stackpole, Lyle (September 28, 1930). "Meet the Dazeys, Who Write Plays". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved January 11, 2019.