Dewitt Bodeen

Screenwriter

About

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Also Known As

Homer Dewitt Bodeen

Birth Place

Fresno, California, USA

Born

July 25, 1908

Died

March 12, 1988

Cause of Death

Bronchial Pneumonia

Biography

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Stage actor and playwright turned screenwriter, responsible for such fine thrillers as "Cat People" (1942) and "The Seventh Victim" (1943), Bodeen also won praise for the highly regarded drama "I Remember Mama" (1948), which he adapted from the play by John Van Druten. Bodeen frequently wrote on film, contributing to journals and penning several books including "From Hollywood," an exami...

Filmography

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Cat People (1981)

Billy Budd (1962)

12 to the Moon (1960)

Twelve to the Moon (1960)

The Girl in the Kremlin (1957)

Based on a Story by

Mrs. Mike (1949)

Photos & Videos

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Cat People (1942) -- (Movie Clip) That's What Makes Me Dangerous

12 To The Moon (1960) -- (Movie Clip) No Air Detected

Family & Companions

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Val Dufour

Companion

Actor. Had lived together in the 1950s.

Bibliography

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"The Films of Cecil B DeMille"

DeWitt Bodeen

"From Hollywood"

DeWitt Bodeen

"More From Hollywood"

DeWitt Bodeen

Biography

Stage actor and playwright turned screenwriter, responsible for such fine thrillers as "Cat People" (1942) and "The Seventh Victim" (1943), Bodeen also won praise for the highly regarded drama "I Remember Mama" (1948), which he adapted from the play by John Van Druten. Bodeen frequently wrote on film, contributing to journals and penning several books including "From Hollywood," an examination of the William Desmond Taylor murder case.

Filmography

Writer (Feature Film)

Cat People (1981)

Billy Budd (1962)

12 to the Moon (1960)

Twelve to the Moon (1960)

The Girl in the Kremlin (1957)

Based on a Story by

Mrs. Mike (1949)

Without Honor (1949)

Additional Dialogue

I Remember Mama (1948)

The Miracle of the Bells (1948)

Contr to Screenplay constr and Special seq

Night Song (1948)

The Enchanted Cottage (1945)

The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

Yellow Canary (1944)

The Seventh Victim (1943)

Cat People (1942)

Life Events

1942

First screenwriting credit, "Cat People"

Videos

Cat People (1942) -- (Movie Clip) That's What Makes Me Dangerous Increasingly troubled newlywed immigrant Irina (Simone Simon) is unaware that friend Alice (Jane Randolph) has nothing but benevolent intentions toward her worried husband Oliver (Kent Smith), thus a famous sequence from director Jacques Tourneur, in the original Cat People, 1942.

12 To The Moon (1960) -- (Movie Clip) No Air Detected Lunar landscaping, and not much fuss about any giant leaps, the first moon landing, with Ken Clark as American Captain Anderson leading the group, Cory Devlin the Nigerian astronomer, and Richard Weber as the Israeli crew member, recording events, some unexpected, in 12 To The Moon, 1960.

12 To The Moon (1960) -- (Movie Clip) World-Shattering History After symphonic credit sequence, silent star Francis X. Bushman (who was seen frequently on TV by this time) introduces the movie, the idea and the astronauts, Robert (billed as “Bob”) Montgomery Jr., John Wengraf, Tema Bey, Anna-Lisa, Roger Til, Phillip Baird, Michi Kobi, Tom Conway, Cory Devlin, Richard Weber, Anthony Dexter and Ken Clark, in 12 To The Moon, 1960.

12 To The Moon (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Everyone Acting Artificially Calm Looks like Noah’s Ark with lawn loungers from Sears, in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 favorite, the ship just launched and the multinational crew communing, with Ken Clark, Anna-Lisa, Phillip Baird, John Wengraf, Roger Til, Robert (“Bob”) Montgomery Jr., and Richard Weber as the Polish-born Israeli who tangles with Tom Conway, as the Soviet Orloff, in Columbia’s low-rent 12 To The Moon, 1960.

Billy Budd (1962) -- (Movie Clip) What Was His Crime? The merchant ship from which he was pressed still on the horizon, title character Terence Stamp is made to witness the administration of punishment by Master-At-Arms Claggart (Robert Ryan), Peter Ustinov (who also directed and co-wrote) in command, Melvyn Douglas as veteran seaman Dankser, in BIlly Budd, 1962, from the Herman Melville novel.

Billy Budd (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Too Much Perfection With officers Seymour (Paul Rogers) and Ratcliffe (John Neville), Peter Ustinov (who also directed and co-wrote) as Captain Vere considers the promotion of the the title character (Terence Stamp, not seen) and the challenge posed by his abusive Master-At-Arms, on a British fighting ship, ca. 1800, in BIlly Budd, 1962, from the Herman Melville novel.

Billy Budd (1962) -- (Movie Clip) To Subdue All Things Committing the body of a sailor whose death was caused by the cruelty of one commander (Robert Ryan as Claggart), Peter Ustinov as Captain Vere officiates, also directing, from his co-written screenplay, Melvyn Douglas joining the liturgy as Dansker, Terence Stamp as the title character reflects, Victor Brooks and Thomas Heathcote his jaded colleagues, in Billy Budd from the Herman Melville novel.

Billy Budd (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Is It Ignorance Or Irony? Part of a notable exchange, pivotal in the original Herman Melville novel, Terence Stamp as the ingenuous title character converses with his cynical Master-At-Arms Claggart (Robert Ryan), whose role in the death of a colleague he earlier exposed, on board a British man-of-war during the Napoleonic wars, in BIlly Budd, 1962, directed by co-star Peter Ustinov.

Cat People (1942) -- (Movie Clip) Torn To Ribbons Jealous Irina (Simone Simon), still wrongly believing that old friend Alice (Jane Randolph) may be carrying on with her husband, decides to give her a fright at the pool, in the celebrated scene from producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur, in the original Cat People, 1942.

I Remember Mama (1948) -- (Movie Clip) First And Foremost A grown-up Katrin (Barbara Bel Geddes, assuming the voice of Katnryn Forbes, from her semi-autobiographical novel) reading her own prose, flashes back to San Francisco ca. 1910 and memories of her mother, Marta (Irene Dunne), opening George Stevens' I Remember Mama, 1948.

I Remember Mama (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Everyone But Me! Cranky Norweigan Uncle Kris (Oscar Homolka) intrudes with San Francisco Dr. Johnson (Rudy Vallee), who's determined that young Dagmar needs an operation, then gets told off by Marta (Irene Dunne, title character) in George Stevens' I Remember Mama, 1948, based on Kathryn Forbes' novel.

Curse Of The Cat People, The (1944) -- (Movie Clip) There's A Witch In It Young Amy (Ann Carter), ditched by her playmates, is drawn toward an old house then scolded by the lurking Barbara Farren (Elizabeth Russell) in producer Val Lewton's semi-sequel The Curse of the Cat People, 1944.

Curse Of The Cat People, The - (Original Trailer) In the 1944 sequel to Cat People (1942), a lonely child creates an imaginary playmate with surprisingly dangerous results.

Cat People (1942) - (Re-issue Trailer) A newlywed fears that an ancient curse will turn her into a bloodthirsty beast in Cat People (1942), directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton.

Enchanted Cottage, The - (Original Trailer) A scarred veteran and a homely woman are transformed by love in The Enchanted Cottage (1945) starring Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young.

I Remember Mama - (Re-issue Trailer) Norwegian immigrants face the trials of family life in turn-of-the-century San Francisco in George Stevens' I Remember Mama, 1948, starring Irene Dunne and Barbara Bel Geddes.

Seventh Victim, The - (Original Trailer) A girl's search for her missing sister puts her in conflict with a band of satanists in The Seventh Victim (1943) starring Kim Hunter.

Family

Gustaf Bodeen

Father

Bank manager.

Companions

Val Dufour

Companion

Actor. Had lived together in the 1950s.

Bibliography

"The Films of Cecil B DeMille"

DeWitt Bodeen

"From Hollywood"

DeWitt Bodeen

"More From Hollywood"

DeWitt Bodeen

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