Writing
H.M. Walker
EN, ES, FR, DE cinema · 194 credits
Born
27 June 1878
Died
23 June 1937 (aged 58)
Birthplace
West Middlebury, Ohio, USA
Also known as H.W. Walker · Harley M. Walker
WALKER, H.M. (Harley Marquis Walker) started as a telegrapher, tapping out the descriptions of sportswriters at boxing matches and sending them to the offices of their newspapers. In 1903 he became a sportswriter himself and wrote a column, “The Wisdom of Blinkey Ben,” for the Los Angeles Examiner before joining Roach in 1917 as a part-time scenario and title writer for Harold Lloyd. In 1920, he left newspaper work and joined Roach full time as head of the editorial department. A brilliant title writer in the silent era, Walker was less skilled at dialogue; he was credited for providing these elements on more than 350 Roach comedies. He usually came up with the title for each film and also wrote fairly severe critiques after each preview. After leaving Roach in 1932 he wrote dialogue for some features, including Son of a Sailor (1933) with Joe E. Brown, W.C. Fields’ The Old Fashioned Way (1934), and the ZaSu Pitts picture Affair of Susan (1935). Walker died in the home of his good friend Leroy Shield, who had written scores at the Roach lot in 1930 and ’31. Died June 23, 1937, Chicago, Illinois, age 58; of a heart attack. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Harley M. "Beanie" Walker (June 27, 1878 – June 23, 1937) was a member of the Hal Roach movie production company from 1916 until his resignation in 1932. The title cards he wrote for Harold Lloyd, Charley Chase, Our Gang and Laurel and Hardy comedies "have entered legend, both for silent films, and as opening remarks for the earlier talkies." He was also an officer of the Roach Studio corporation. On Roach's "Lot of Fun", script development usually started with meetings among the gag men, who would develop what was known as an "action script": the outline of the story and a description of the scenes and some of the sight gags, which generally would run three to six legal-size pages. This document would then pass to Walker, the head of the editorial department, which oversaw not only script editing, but film editing as well. Walker usually came up with the title of each film, wrote "brilliantly witty" title cards which would be produced and inserted into the film, and wrote a critique before the picture went out to the distributors, Pathé Exchange, or later, M-G-M. Walker's writing did not transition well to talkies and by 1931 he had left Roach studio and wrote dialogue for comedies produced by ex-Roach general manager Warren Doane at Universal Pictures. Later, he worked at Paramount Pictures, where he contributed to the W. C. Fields picture The Old Fashioned Way (1934).
Known for
Filmography
Love Birds
Additional Dialogue
Her First Mate
Screenplay
They Just Had to Get Married
Screenplay
The Chimp
Writer
What Price Taxi
Dialogue, Writer
Red Noses
Dialogue
The Old Bull
Dialogue
Alum and Eve
Dialogue
The Music Box
Writer, Dialogue
County Hospital
Writer, Dialogue
Scram!
Writer, Dialogue
First in War
Dialogue
Young Ironsides
Dialogue
Girl Grief
Dialogue
Helpmates
Dialogue
The Pooch
Writer
Choo-Choo!
Writer
Spanky
Writer
Show Business
Dialogue
Free Eats
Writer
Be Big!
Writer
On the Loose
Writer
Beau Hunks
Writer
Our Wife
Dialogue
War Mamas
Dialogue
The Pajama Party
Dialogue
Let's Do Things
Dialogue
Catch-As Catch-Can
Dialogue
Thundering Tenors
Dialogue
Rough Seas
Dialogue
One of the Smiths
Dialogue
Skip the Maloo!
Dialogue
What a Bozo!
Dialogue
Hasty Marriage
Dialogue
Come Clean
Dialogue
One Good Turn
Dialogue
Chickens Come Home
Dialogue
Little Daddy
Writer
Pardon Us
Dialogue
Call a Cop!
Dialogue
Night Owls
Writer
Dollar Dizzy
Dialogue, Story
The Shrimp
Writer
The King
Writer
The Head Guy
Writer
The Big Kick
Writer
Below Zero
Dialogue
Hog Wild
Dialogue, Writer
All Teed Up
Dialogue
Fast Work
Dialogue
Girl Shock
Writer
High C's
Dialogue
Blotto
Dialogue
Brats
Dialogue
Shivering Shakespeare
Story Editor
The First Seven Years
Story Editor
When the Wind Blows
Story Editor
Teacher's Pet
Dialogue
Whispering Whoopee
Dialogue
Night of Goblins
Dialogue
Bear Shooters
Story Editor
Another Fine Mess
Dialogue
School's Out
Dialogue
The Real McCoy
Story Editor
Big Business
Writer
Liberty
Writer
Men O' War
Writer
Boxing Gloves
Dialogue
Small Talk
Dialogue
Berth Marks
Title Designer
Wrong Again
Writer
Moan & Groan, Inc.
Story Editor
Bouncing Babies
Story Editor
Crazy Feet
Scenario Writer
Should Tall Men Marry?
Title Graphics
Early to Bed
Writer
Fair and Muddy
Title Designer
The Battle of the Century
Title Designer
The Second 100 Years
Title Graphics
Hats Off
Title Designer
Ten Years Old
Title Designer
No Man's Law
Title Designer
Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes
Title Graphics
Wandering Papas
Title Designer
Thundering Fleas
Title Designer
Along Came Auntie
Title Designer
Crazy Like a Fox
Title Designer
Bromo and Juliet
Title Designer
Good Cheer
Writer
Should Sailors Marry?
Title Designer
Dog Days
Title Graphics
Heavy Seas
Writer
Dogs of War!
Title Graphics
The Soilers
Title Graphics
Mother's Joy
Writer
Dr. Jack
Title Designer
Now or Never
Writer
Never Weaken
Writer
From Hand to Mouth
Title Graphics
Ask Father
Writer
Count Your Change
Title Graphics
Don't Shove
Title Graphics
Captain Kidd's Kids
Title Graphics
Heap Big Chief
Dialogue
Beat It
Dialogue
Here Come the Girls
Dialogue
All Aboard
Writer
The Flirt
Writer
Bliss
Writer
Step Lively
Writer