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Frederick Hazlitt Brennan was born on September 23, 1901 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Jesse K. (1865-1936) and Mary Sharpe Brennan. His father and brother (Jesse K. Jr.) were Episcopalian ministers. Brennan attended the University of Missouri, but left after a couple years to work for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, where he became a rewrite man and political reporter. In 1923 he began working as a movie critic, feature and editorial writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While at the Post-Dispatch Brennan wrote an expose on a murder investigation that led to indictments against a circuit attorney, an assistant prosecutor, four lawyers and an attaché of the district attorney's office. His story also played a part in the defeat in the next general election of the judge responsible for the case and the governor Missouri.
After leaving the newspaper business in the late 1920s Brennan began working as a scenario writer for Metro Golden Mayer, Fox Films and First National Films and as a free-lance fiction writer, contributing stories to such magazine as Liberty, Collier's, Red Book, Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan and others. In the 1950s he began writing for television, eventually becoming chief writer on the ABC series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955).
A few examples of works by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan include: "God Got One Vote" (1927), "The Matron's Report" (1929), "Pie in the Sky" (1931), "Battleship Gertie" (1934), "One Young American" (1937),"The Sin of the Father" (1941), "The Manager" (1936), "They Sell Sailors Elephants" (1941), "The Wookey" (1941), "Memo to a Firing Squad" (1943), "Smith's Life of Jones" (1949), "The Irish Lullaby" (1950) and "One of Our H-bombs is Missing" (1955). In 1948 Brennan wrote the libretto to Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos' operetta Magdalena
In 1937, Brennan was seriously injured in an automobile accident that occurred on New Year's eve near Wickeburg, Arizona. Two others died in the collision and his wife received severe cuts and bruises. Brennan and his wife were released from a Phoenix area hospital after a 30 day stay to recuperate at home.
Frederick Hazlitt Brennan chose to end his life on June 30, 1962, at his Hidden Valley home with a .38 caliber revolver. Depression over his diabetes, a recent heart attack and work stress were thought to have been contributing factors. Brennan was credited with coining the word ergophobia to describe an abnormal and persistent fear of work. He was survived by his wife and three children.
