| John Monk Saunders | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 22, 1897 Hinckley, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | March 11, 1940 (aged 42) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Occupation | Novelist, screenwriter, film director |
| Spouse | Avis Hughes (1922–1927) Fay Wray (1928–1939) |
| Children | Susan Saunders |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Story (1930) |
John Monk Saunders (November 22, 1897 – March 11, 1940) was an American novelist, screenwriter and film director.
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Born in Hinckley, Minnesota, Saunders received his education at Washington University in St. Louis and then was a Rhodes Scholar. He later served in the Air Service during World War I as a flight instructor in Florida, but was never able to secure a posting to France, a disappointment that frustrated him for the remainder of his life.
His screenwriting credits include Wings (1927), The Last Flight (which he adapted from his own novel Single Lady), and The Conquest of the Air (1936), which he also directed. Wings (1927), was the first film to ever win a Best Picture Academy award on May 16, 1929. He won an Oscar for Best Story for the writing of The Dawn Patrol.[1]
Saunders was married first to Avis Hughes from 1922 to 1927 then to the actress Fay Wray from 1928 to 1939, with whom he had a daughter, Susan.
After battling poor health, Saunders hanged himself at his Fort Myers, Florida home in March 1940.[2]