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John Russell was an American journalist, short story writer, and screenwriter from Iowa. He is primarily remembered for scripting the acclaimed silent films "The Iron Horse" (1924) and "The Sorrows of Satan" (1926). He was also an uncredited co-writer for the gothic horror film "Frankenstein" (1931), which was his last known film.
In 1885, Russell was born in Davenport, Iowa. Davenport was a commercial railroad hub in the 19th century, connected through the Rock Island Railroad with the boom-town of Chicago, Illinois. Russel started working as a journalist for the news agency "New York City News Association" and was later hired by the newspaper "New York Tribune".
In 1910, Russell published the fiction story "The Society Wolf" under a pseudonym. He started writing short stories for various magazines and newspapers. Some of them were reprinted in the short story collection "The Red Mark and Other Stories" (1919). During the 1920s and early 1930s, he published the books "In Dark Places" (1923), "Far Wandering Men" (1929), and "Cops 'N Robbers" (1930s).
Russell started working as a screenwriter in the 1920s, also working as a consultant in adaptations of his own stories. He was the scriptwriter for "The Iron Horse" (1924), the first major film in the career of young director John Ford. The film narrated the construction of the first transcontinental railroad (constructed between 1863 and 1869), and highlighted the backbreaking work provided by impoverished immigrants.
Among Russell's most famous films was "Beau Geste" (1926). In the film, a self-exiled Englishman joins the French Foreign Legion. He survives a mutiny by fellow soldiers, but is mortally wounded in a siege. His posthumous letter reveals that he had taken the blame for a theft to protect a beloved aunt. The film was popular at the time of its release, and inspired a scene-for-scene remake in 1939.
Russel also scripted the fantasy film "The Sorrows of Satan" (1926). In the film, Satan takes human form and convinces a struggling writer to place his fate in Satan's hands. The writer becomes a social climber, and his patron demon arranges for him a loveless marriage to a Russian princess. The writer eventually rejects Satan's promises, and chooses his own romantic partner. The film was a success for director D. W. Griffith, and is well-regarded by later generations of critics.
Russell's writing career abruptly ended in the 1930s. He lived the rest of his life in obscurity. In 1956, Russell died in Santa, Monica California, two weeks prior to his 71st birthday. Some of his films were later chosen for preservation by the National Film Registry. However, several of his other films are considered lost.
