About

Known credits:
30
Birthday:
1903-06-23
Place of birth:
Guanajuato, Mexico
Website:
N/A

J. Robert Bren

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

J. Robert Bren (July 23, 1903 – October 1, 1981) was a Mexican-American screenwriter and producer who was active from the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s. He wrote either the story or screenplay for thirty feature films, as well as producing at least two of those films. Born Jose Roberto Bustamante Gutierrez on July 23, 1903 in Guanajuato, Mexico, he entered the film industry, working on the sound crew for the 1933 film, Face in the Sky. The following year he began writing stories for films, the first of which was the 20th Century Fox film, Looking for Trouble, starring Spencer Tracy and Jack Oakie. He was also one of the story authors for The Band Plays On (1933), starring Robert Young. In 1937 he was one of three writers who expanded an unpublished Damon Runyon story which was turned into the screenplay for Racing Lady, which starred Ann Dvorak, Smith Ballew, and Harry Carey. Bren was one of the writers of the screenplay for The Man Who Found Himself, also in 1937, featuring Joan Fontaine in her first starring role, along with John Beal.

In 1942, Bren co-wrote the original story for the film, In Old California, starring John Wayne. Bren produced the 1945 film, First Yank into Tokyo, from a screenplay he wrote. The film stars Tom Neal and Barbara Hale, and was directed by Gordon Douglas. To open the film, Bren secured the rights to a tape of Japan's prime minister, Kuniaki Koiso, in which he exhorts the Japanese population to "sacrifice everything to repulse the enemy." Bren served on the California State Welfare Board in 1949. Also on the board was Hazel Hurst, a blind young lady who was famous for advocacy for the blind, especially for the use of guide dogs. She was one of the founders of the Hurst Foundation. Bren wrote a screenplay based on Hurst's life. The 1954 film, Naked Alibi, directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Sterling Hayden and Gloria Grahame, was based on a story by Bren and his long-time writing partner, Gladys Atwater. Bren's last big screen writing credit was again as story co-writer with Atwater for The Treasure of Pancho Villa, directed by George Sherman, and starring Rory Calhoun, Shelley Winters and Gilbert Roland.

Known for

Writing
1955 The Treasure of Pancho Villa Writing Story 59
Average
1954 Overland Pacific Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1954 Naked Alibi Writing Story 58
Average
1954 The Siege at Red River Writing Story 58
Average
1953 The Great Sioux Uprising Writing Story 59
Average
1953 The Great Sioux Uprising Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1949 El Paso Writing Story 58
Average
1945 First Yank into Tokyo Writing Story 59
Average
1945 First Yank into Tokyo Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1945 The Gay Senorita Writing Story N/A
N/A
1942 American Empire Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1942 American Empire Writing Story 58
Average
1942 Underground Agent Writing Story N/A
N/A
1942 In Old California Writing Original Story 58
Average
1940 Charter Pilot Writing Story 59
Average
1939 Parents on Trial Writing Story N/A
N/A
1939 Parents on Trial Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1938 Crime Ring Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1938 This Marriage Business Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1938 Double Danger Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1938 Everybody's Doing It Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1937 Hideaway Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1937 Behind The Headlines Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1937 The Man Who Found Himself Writing Writer 59
Average
1937 China Passage Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1936 Without Orders Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1936 High Tension Writing Story 58
Average
1934 Looking for Trouble Writing Story 59
Average

Production
1949 El Paso Production Associate Producer 58
Average
1945 First Yank into Tokyo Production Producer 59
Average