Doorway to Hell (1930)

Born in Akron, Ohio. A former fashion illustrator and sports cartoonist, he arrived in Hollywood in 1928 and began his film career as a laborer on the Fox lot, later working up to property boy and gagman. By 1930 he was on the payroll as a screenwriter, and in 1931 he directed his first film, QUICK MILLIONS, which received excellent critical acclaim. Critics hailed Brown as an original new talent with a keen eye for detail, a sharp perception of character, and an exiting visual style. Brown fulfilled his promise with two other similarly intriguing films, HELL'S HIGHWAY (1932) and BLOOD MONEY (1933) and then directed no more. An uncompromising individualist, he found himself at odds with the studio system, and his film career became studded with unrealized projects and last-minute replacements by other directors. The final blow came when he punched a producer in a fit of rage. He then tried his luck in England, where he was assigned to direct THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, but was removed from the helm after less than a month. Upon returning to the US, he wrote a number of original stories and screenplays, made an abortive try as a playwright and Broadway producer in 1942, and all but disappeared from the Hollywood scene. Other notable writing credits (alone or in collaboration) include POINTS WEST (1929), WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? (1932), THE DEVIL IS A SISSY (1936, also director), ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938), JOHNNY APOLLO (1940), NOCTURNE (1946), THE NEVADAN (1950) and KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952).    Nominated for Writing (Original Story) 1930-31: DOORWAY TO HELL 1 nomination