Volume III: Biographies

LONERGAN, Philip

Scenario writer (1912-1917)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Philip Lonergan wrote many scenarios for Thanhouser during the 1912-1917 years.

Biographical Notes: Born in Hackensack, New Jersey in 1883 (one account says 1885), Philip Lonergan, the brother of Lloyd F. Lonergan, pursued a career in business. Later, inspired by his brother, he crafted short stories and joined Charles J. Hite's Reliance-Majestic firm and Thanhouser as a scenario writer, at first on a part-time basis. It is believed that his first work for Thanhouser was done in May 1912. The July 26, 1913 issue of The Moving Picture World announced that he was being transferred to the Majestic studio in Los Angeles to write scenarios there. However, by autumn of the same year he was back in New Rochelle, where he wrote many additional Majestic scenarios. While writing for Majestic, he also created numerous scenarios for Thanhouser. For a time he went back to Los Angeles, only to return to the East once again. The New Rochelle Pioneer, May 2, 1914, told of his coming back: "Philip Lonergan, brother of Lloyd Lonergan, scenario editor of the Thanhouser Film Corporation, has left the Majestic Company in Los Angeles, where he has been scenario editor, and has returned to his desk in this city to assist his brother."

A 1914 Biographical Sketch: The New Rochelle Pioneer, September 5, 1914, printed a biographical sketch by John William Kellette: "Philip Lonergan is the new editor of the Thanhouser Corporation, as Lloyd F. finds his production work crowding him away from the desk and more into shaping events at the big studio. But the desk is in capable hands, and Phil has been responsible for some of the best stuff seen on the screen this year. In Jean of the Wilderness he gave one of the intensely dramatic hits of the current month, and among his best known work for the screen this year are L'Article 47, The Lackey, The Wheels of Destiny, The Clerk, A Mixup in Pedigrees, for Majestic; The Broken Barrier, 2 reels, Reliance; and Deborah, For Her Child, The Substitute, The Guiding Hand, all two reelers, for the Thanhouser Corporation, while for Princess he wrote A Telephone Strategy, His Enemy, The Little Senorita, The Toy Shop, The Veteran's Sword, The Belle of the School, and many others not shown yet in this city.

"He was born in Hackensack, N.J., May 18, 1885 and graduated from the Commercial High School. He wrote short stories for the Munsey publications, 'At the Switchboard,' All Story Magazine, being his best known. In May 1912, he came to Thanhouser, and his first story, The Little Girl Next Door, featured the Fairbanks Twins, and since that time he has given them many vehicles that made them famous internationally. He is a member of the Photoplayers of Los Angeles, Ed-Au Club, New York, and the Photoplaywright Authors League, Los Angeles. He finds night his best time to work, and he works on more than one script at a time, preferring drama exclusively. He has written about 250 stories for the screen and is very prolific.

"Phil, is responsible now for three Thanhouser releases and a Princess every week, and those who have tried to originate four totally different plots a week knows he has no sinecure, but a glance at his photo will show that he's getting stout on the job. He lives in Brooklyn, but we hope some day to get him to pick a villa in New Rochelle, and can assure him that we'll take care to see that the natives treat him right. Every day, rain or shine, Phil can be found at the studio in consultation with directors and his hours are only limited by the face of the clock."

Later Years: Philip Lonergan lived in Brooklyn during most of his association with the Thanhouser studio, and did not move to New Rochelle until August 1915. He remained with Thanhouser until the last year of production, 1917. According to an article in the June 16, 1917 issue of The New Rochelle Pioneer, Philip Lonergan "resigned" as assistant editor of the scenario department at the same time that several other Thanhouser employees were dismissed because of "dullness in the moving picture game due to the war spirit." At the time his home address was 130 Lefferts Place, Brooklyn, New York. The January 29, 1916 edition of the Motion Picture News Studio Directory stated that he had written over 300 scenarios for various studios. In 1919 he wrote Mandarin's Gold for World. In 1920 he co-authored the scenario of The Penalty (Goldwyn). Philip Lonergan died in Hollywood, California on March 8, 1940.

Thanhouser Filmography:

1912: The Little Girl Next Door (11-1-1912)

1913: Frazzled Finance (8-31-1913), The Message to Headquarters (9-12-1913), The Problem Love Solved (12-2-1913)

1914: A Telephone Strategy (Princess 5-29-1914), His Enemy (Princess 6-5-1914), The Toy Shop (Princess 6-12-1914), The Girl Across the Hall (6-14-1914), The Man Without Fear (6-19-1914), The Little Senorita (Princess 6-19-1914), For Her Child (6-23-1914), Professor Snaith (Princess 6-26-1914), The Widow's Mite (6-28-1914), The Decoy (Princess 7-3-1914), Deborah (7-7-1914), The Girl of the Seasons (Princess 7-10-1914), The Substitute (7-14-1914), A Gentleman for a Day (7-17-1914), The Veteran's Sword (Princess 7-17-1914), The Target of Destiny (Princess 7-31-1914), The Guiding Hand (8-4-1914), The Tell-Tale Scar (8-9-1914), A Rural Romance (Princess 8-14-1914), The Belle of the School (Princess 8-21-1914), The Keeper of the Light (Princess 8-28-1914), His Winning Way (Princess 9-4-1914), Jean of the Wilderness (9-8-1914), Sis (Princess 9-11-1914), The Master Hand (Princess 9-18-1914), The Varsity Race (9-22-1914), The Final Test (Princess 9-25-1914), The Balance of Power (Princess 10-2-1914), The Cripple (10-6-1914), The Diamond of Disaster (10-13-1914), Old Jackson's Girl (10-20-1914), The Terror of Anger (11-10-1914), Seeds of Jealousy (Princess 11-13-1914), The Man With the Hoe (11-15-1914), Pawns of Fate (11-17-1914), A Messenger of Gladness (11-22-1914), Mrs. Van Ruyter's Stratagem (11-24-1914), The Center of the Web (12-1-1914), The Reader of Minds (12-8-1914), The Barrier of Flames (12-15-1914)

1915: The Bridal Bouquet (1-3-1915), Her Menacing Past (1-5-1915), The Speed King (1-12-1915), A Man of Iron (2-16-1915), The Final Reckoning (3-9-1915), The Duel in the Dark (3-23-1915), The Magnet of Destruction (3-30-1915), The Actor and the Rube (Falstaff 4-16-1915), Crossed Wires (6-29-1915), The Game (8-1-1915), A Disciple of Nietzsche (9-25-1915), The Mill on the Floss (12-16-1915), Ambition (12-21-1915), Their Last Performance (12-28-1915)

1916: The Five Faults of Flo (1-20-1916), Betrayed (1-29-1916), Silas Marner (2-19-1916), A Bird of Prey (3-16-1916), The Man's Sin (4-20-1916), Master Shakespeare, Strolling Player (4-20-1916), The Nymph (5-30-1916), Brothers Equal (6-13-1916), The Fugitive (8-13-1916), Saint, Devil and Woman (9-25-1916), The Black Terror (9-29-1916), The Pillory (10-8-1916), The World and the Woman (11-19-1916), King Lear (12-17-1916)

1917: Her Life and His (2-18-1917), Her Beloved Enemy (3-4-1917), The Candy Girl (5-20-1917), War and the Woman (9-9-1917)

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