About

Known credits:
191
Birthday:
1878-06-27
Place of birth:
West Middlebury, Ohio, USA
Website:
N/A

H.M. Walker

Overview

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

Writing
1935 Public Ghost # 1 Writing Writer 59
Average
1934 Them Thar Hills Writing Writer 60
Fair
1933 Her First Mate Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1933 They Just Had to Get Married Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1932 Girl Grief Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1932 Alum and Eve Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1932 Pack Up Your Troubles Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 Scram! Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1932 Scram! Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 Young Ironsides Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1932 Show Business Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1932 What Price Taxi Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1932 What Price Taxi Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 County Hospital Writing Dialogue 60
Fair
1932 County Hospital Writing Writer 60
Fair
1932 The Pooch Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 The Old Bull Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1932 First in War Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1932 The Chimp Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 Choo-Choo! Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 Strictly Unreliable Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 In Walked Charley Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1932 The Music Box Writing Dialogue 63
Fair
1932 You're Telling Me Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1932 The Music Box Writing Writer 63
Fair
1932 Spanky Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 Red Noses Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1932 The Nickel Nurser Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1932 Any Old Port! Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 Free Eats Writing Writer 59
Average
1932 The Tabasco Kid Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1932 Helpmates Writing Dialogue 60
Fair
1931 On the Loose Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 Hasty Marriage Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Beau Hunks Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 War Mamas Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 What a Bozo! Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 One Good Turn Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Shiver My Timbers Writing Writer 58
Average
1931 The Pajama Party Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Skip the Maloo! Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 Come Clean Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Call a Cop! Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Catch-As Catch-Can Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 Pardon Us Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Let's Do Things Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 One of the Smiths Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 Haunted at Midnight Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 Our Wife Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Playing at Politics Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 Rough Seas Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 Messing Around Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1931 Little Daddy Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 The soul of the party Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 Chickens Come Home Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1931 Love Business Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 Be Big! Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 The Chiselers Writing Writer 59
Average
1931 Thundering Tenors Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1931 Helping Grandma Writing Writer 59
Average
1930 High C's Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1930 Another Fine Mess Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 School's Out Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 A gray in the air Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1930 Night of Goblins Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 Teacher's Pet Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 Gold Diggers Writing Story N/A
N/A
1930 The prince of the dollar Writing Story N/A
N/A
1930 Dollar Dizzy Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 Dollar Dizzy Writing Story 59
Average
1930 Doctor's Orders Writing Writer 59
Average
1930 Follies of love Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1930 Girl Shock Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1930 The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case Writing Writer 59
Average
1930 Fast Work Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 The King Writing Writer 58
Average
1930 Hog Wild Writing Dialogue 60
Fair
1930 Hog Wild Writing Writer 60
Fair
1930 Bear Shooters Writing Story Editor 58
Average
1930 The Shrimp Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1930 Below Zero Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 The golfer Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1930 The Night Life Writing Writer 59
Average
1930 The golf player Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1930 All Teed Up Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 When the Wind Blows Writing Story Editor 59
Average
1930 The Big Kick Writing Writer 58
Average
1930 Brats Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 Whispering Whoopee Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 The First Seven Years Writing Story Editor 58
Average
1930 Blotto Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1930 The Fighting Parson Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1930 Shivering Shakespeare Writing Story Editor 59
Average
1930 The Head Guy Writing Writer 58
Average
1930 Night Owls Writing Writer 59
Average
1929 Angora Love Writing Other 59
Average
1929 Moan & Groan, Inc. Writing Story Editor 59
Average
1929 Skirt Shy Writing Story 58
Average
1929 Bouncing Babies Writing Story Editor 58
Average
1929 Sky Boy Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1929 Boxing Gloves Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1929 Crazy Feet Writing Scenario Writer N/A
N/A
1929 Hotter Than Hot Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1929 Men O' War Writing Writer 59
Average
1929 Small Talk Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1929 Double Whoopee Writing Writer 59
Average
1929 Unaccustomed as We Are Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1929 Big Business Writing Writer 60
Fair
1929 Wrong Again Writing Writer 59
Average
1929 Liberty Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 Early to Bed Writing Writer 58
Average
1928 Should Married Men Go Home? Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 Their Purple Moment Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 You're Darn Tootin' Writing Writer 58
Average
1928 From Soup to Nuts Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 Came the Dawn Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 The Finishing Touch Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 Playin' Hookey Writing Writer 58
Average
1927 Putting Pants on Philip Writing Writer 59
Average
1927 Sailors, Beware! Writing Writer 59
Average
1927 Sugar Daddies Writing Writer 58
Average
1927 The Sting of Stings Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1927 Fluttering Hearts Writing Writer 58
Average
1927 Should Men Walk Home? Writing Writer 59
Average
1927 Many Scrappy Returns Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1926 The Nickel-Hopper Writing Writer 58
Average
1926 Get 'Em Young Writing Writer 58
Average
1926 Good Cheer Writing Writer 58
Average
1925 Black Cyclone Writing Writer 58
Average
1925 Papa Be Good! Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1924 Just a Good Guy Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1924 The Battling Orioles Writing Writer 58
Average
1924 A Truthful Liar Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1924 Wide Open Spaces Writing Writer 58
Average
1924 Brothers Under the Chin Writing Writer 58
Average
1923 Mother's Joy Writing Writer 58
Average
1923 Uncensored Movies Writing Writer 59
Average
1923 The Soilers Writing Writer 59
Average
1923 The Whole Truth Writing Writer 58
Average
1923 Heavy Seas Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1922 Grandma's Boy Writing Writer 59
Average
1921 Never Weaken Writing Writer 59
Average
1921 Now or Never Writing Writer 59
Average
1920 Number, Please? Writing Writer 59
Average
1920 Get Out and Get Under Writing Writer 59
Average
1920 High and Dizzy Writing Writer 59
Average
1920 An Eastern Westerner Writing Writer 59
Average
1920 Haunted Spooks Writing Writer 59
Average
1920 His Royal Slyness Writing Writer 58
Average
1919 Bumping Into Broadway Writing Writer 59
Average
1919 Heap Big Chief Writing Dialogue 58
Average
1919 Chop Suey & Co. Writing Writer 58
Average
1919 Ask Father Writing Writer 59
Average
1918 Fireman Save My Child Writing Writer 58
Average
1918 Here Come the Girls Writing Dialogue 58
Average
1918 A Gasoline Wedding Writing Writer 58
Average
1918 Beat It Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1918 The Tip Writing Dialogue N/A
N/A
1917 Step Lively Writing Writer 58
Average
1917 We Never Sleep Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1917 All Aboard Writing Writer 58
Average
1917 Clubs Are Trump Writing Writer 58
Average
1917 The Flirt Writing Writer 58
Average
1917 Love, Laughs and Lather Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1917 Rainbow Island Writing Writer 58
Average
1917 From Laramie to London Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1917 Bliss Writing Writer 58
Average
1917 Birds of a Feather Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1917 By the Sad Sea Waves Writing Writer 59
Average

Art
1929 Berth Marks Art Title Designer 59
Average
1927 The Battle of the Century Art Title Designer 59
Average
1927 Hats Off Art Title Designer 58
Average
1926 Bromo and Juliet Art Title Designer 59
Average
1926 Along Came Auntie Art Title Designer 59
Average
1926 Thundering Fleas Art Title Designer 59
Average
1926 Wandering Papas Art Title Designer 58
Average
1925 Should Sailors Marry? Art Title Designer 59
Average
1922 Dr. Jack Art Title Designer 59
Average

Crew
1934 Love Birds Crew Additional Dialogue 59
Average
1928 Should Tall Men Marry? Crew Title Graphics 59
Average
1927 Putting Pants on Philip Crew Script N/A
N/A
1927 The Second Hundred Years Crew Title Graphics 59
Average
1927 With Love and Hisses Crew Script N/A
N/A
1927 Duck Soup Crew Script N/A
N/A
1926 Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes Crew Title Graphics 59
Average
1925 Dog Days Crew Title Graphics 59
Average
1923 Dogs of War! Crew Title Graphics 58
Average
1919 From Hand to Mouth Crew Title Graphics 59
Average
1919 Captain Kidd's Kids Crew Title Graphics 59
Average
1919 Don't Shove Crew Title Graphics 58
Average
1919 Count Your Change Crew Title Graphics 58
Average