| Garrett Elsden Fort | |
|---|---|
Garrett Fort with Meher Baba, Nasik, India 1937 |
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| Born | June 5, 1900 New York City, New York |
| Died | October 26, 1945 (aged 45) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Playwright, Screenwriter |
| Nationality | United States |
| Genres | Drama, Horror |
Garrett Elsden Fort (June 5, 1900 - October 26, 1945) was an American short story writer, playwright, and Hollywood screenwriter. He was also a close follower of Meher Baba.
Fort made his screenwriting debut with the silent film, One of the Finest (1917). Early in his career, Fort co-wrote the Broadway play Jarnegan (1928), based on the novel by Jim Tully.[1] Fort's first talkie effort was the ground-breaking Rouben Mamoulian production Applause (1929). In 2006 Applause was recognized as a culturally, historically and aesthetically significant film by the National Film Registry.[2]
Fort was adept at alternating horrific highlights with bits of unexpected humor.[3] As a screenwriter he is best remembered for his work on the original screen adaptations of such horror/melodramas as Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), Dracula's Daughter (1936), and The Mark of Zorro (1940).[4]
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Garrett Fort became deeply interested in the spiritual path and was a devotee of Indian guru Meher Baba whom he met in Hollywood in 1934. He worked with Mercedes de Acosta to develop a screenplay based on Baba's philosophy. Fort eventually traveled to India in 1937 to continue the screenplay. However, he became depressed and returned to America. Upon returning he found it difficult to find profitable work and died penniless in a Hollywood hotel room in 1945 of an overdose of sleeping pills.[5] Fort remained in contact with Meher Baba until the end of his life and was included in Meher Baba's list of deceased male followers that Baba had a disciple read out to him in 1967.[6]