Comments on: John Monk Saunders: Something in the Air

By: TCM's Classic Movie Blog

TCM's Classic Movie Blog — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:02:22 +0000

[...] Single Lady (1931) (Moira Finnie wrote a detailed history of the writer’s life and career here). Saunders had already won an Oscar for Howard Hawks’ The Dawn Patrol (1930), and had [...]

By: moirafinnie

moirafinnie — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:57:42 +0000

Hi Patrick, Thanks so much for replying to my article about John Monk Saunders. While I had to concentrate on one of the many neglected authors in early Hollywood at a time for the purposes of this blog, I thought that Saunders was a particularly interesting figure, especially since both Fay Wray and Jesse Lasky, Jr. had written about him so eloquently in their memoirs. I was aware of Rupert Hughes (who was Howard Hughes' uncle) as a filmmaker, author and all round iconoclastic figure who influenced many early Hollywood figures. While I suspect that you may already be aware of his equally remarkable story, James Kremm's revelatory 1997 biography Rupert Hughes: A Hollywood Legend (Pomegranate Press) and this online source may interest many readers who wish to learn more about Rupert Hughes too. I find John Monk Saunders an intriguingly complex individual, whose rather tragic life left far too many questions unanswered as well as his potential unfulfilled. As I wrote this article, I found that many reliable sources about Saunders to be difficult to find, but hope that this brief blog stimulates more research. As with so many of the writers in the silent and early talkie period, they helped to create whole genres and affected moviemaking to this day. Your contribution is very much appreciated. Thanks again, Moira

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:22:42 +0000

I am the grandson of Avis Hughes, Mr. Saunders’ first wife. I found this article very informative, as it filled in some gaps and gave a very full picture of his life and career. I know a fair amount up to “Wings,” as he and my grandmother separated in 1927 either during or after filming. They were together for over five years. She spoke often about him while I was growing up (she lived to be almost 92) and this was obviously a fascinating period in her life. I have letters he wrote to her from San Antonio during production. In at least one he mentions she would be proud of him for staying away from the ladies. By the way, I would mention that Rupert Hughes was an early Hollywood screenwriter, and he influenced both Saunders and his nephew Howard in their pursuit of movie interests.

By: J. Dellareina

J. Dellareina — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:07:02 +0000

Thank you for posting this information as it helps me understand John Monk Saunders far better than I could have otherwise. This week I managed to obtain a DVD copy of The Eagle and the Hawk. I was struck by its emotional depth and the complexity of the characters. It is everything that insipid Fly Boys should have been. They really don’t make movies like this anymore.

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:40:55 +0000

The contributions of writers like John Monk Saunders have been overlooked for too long by Hollywood historians. It's refreshing to learn more about a complex man. While many romanticize the period of World War I and the Twenties, his rather bleak outlook on life is a more accurate reflection of his disillusioned generation. It was most interesting to see some light cast on the man behind WINGS and so many other movies.