John Howard Lawson
Lawson Comments
Early History
John Howard Lawson was born September 25, 1894 in New York, New York.
He attended college at Williams University from 1910 to 1914 and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in (). After graduating, he wrote three marginally successful plays: Souls in 1915, Standards in 1916, and Servant-Master-Lover also in 1916. Of these, Souls deserves some notice for its use of the aside. Later emulated by Eugene O'Neil in his () play, Strange Interlude.
Lawson joined the American Field Service in 1917 as an ambulance driver. He met John Dos Passos, who would later be a fellow proletarian author, during his tour in France. After World War I, Lawson moved to Rome where he edited a newspaper. He moved back to the United States soon after in order to refocus on Drama.
Style
Lawson liberally disregarded playwriting conventions, affecting an avant-garde style. This worked for and against him. His plays, while unique, were not terribly popular with critics of the time. Lawson focused on politics and social constructs in his plays, sometimes venturing too far into the expressionistic style for his own good. Even though he clearly had many opinions on current events and political philosophies, the messages were often muddled under his unique style. Furthermore, Lawson used the score to produce and ironic and sometimes pathetic counterpoint to the action on stage.
Important Works
Lawson is most known in literature for his work in the mid to early twenties, with Roger Bloomer in 1923 and The Processional in 1925 being his most famous works. Both plays focused on the faults of capitalism and the problems inherent in the proletariat. Lawson's messages of socialism come through clearly in both plays, even in their dissonant storytelling. The Processional in particular used jazz music to drive the mood and flow of the play, providing a cacophonous and disjointed feeling throughout. This, along with its controversial subject matter, cause The Processional to be Lawson's biggest hit. The show did so well, both at selling tickets and sparking conversation, that a debate was held on February 1, 1925 at the same theater to discuss the play's themes, expressionism, and theatrical art in general.
Lawson in Hollywood
In 1928, Lawson moved to Hollywood in order to pursue a screen writing career, at which he was quite successful. Lawson Penned many Humphrey Bogart vehicles, including Sahara. During his stay in Hollywood, Lawson was able to inject many of his socialist ideologies into his pictures. In 1933 he helped Lester Cole and Samuel Ornitz to create the Writer's Guild of America, and he served as the Screenwriter's Guild President from 1933 through 1934, the same year he joined the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).
1947, however, is the year that he is currently remembered for. During the House Un-American Activities Committee's investigation into Hollywood, John Howard Lawson was called in for questioning. Lawson asked to read a statement before the committee, but was denied after the chairman read the first sentence. At this point, Lawson refused to answer any questions presented to him. For his defiance, Lawson earned a one-year prison sentence, a $1,000 fine, and a blacklisting in Hollywood. He would literally never work in that town again (except under pen name). This also earned him a spot in the Hollywood Ten, amongst the others who refused to bow down before the HUAC.
Lawson moved to Mexico in 1949, where he worked further on his film career before returning to the United States. He died in San Francisco, California on August 14, 1977, at the age of 82.
Sources
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