James Bridie

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James Bridie was the pseudonym used by Osborne Henry Mavor (January 3, 1888, in Glasgow - January 29, 1951 in Edinburgh) who was a playwright, screenwriter and surgeon.

He studied medicine at the University of Glasgow, then he served as a military doctor during World War I, seeing time in France and Mesopotamia. His comedic plays saw success in London, and he became a fulltime writer in 1938. Despite this, he returned to the army during World War II, again serving as a military doctor.

He was the main founder of the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. James Bridie worked with famous director Alfred Hitchcock in late 40s. Here are the films James Bridie and Alfred Hitchcock worked together.

The Paradine Case (1947) Screenplay by David O. Selznick. Adaptation by Alma Reville. Treatment in consultation with James Bridie. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Studio: Selznick Studio.

Under Capricorn (1949) Screenplay by James Bridie. Adaptation by Hume Cronyn. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Studio: Transatlantic Pictures.

Stage Fright (1950) Screenplay by Whitfield Cook, Ranald MacDougall (uncredited). Additional dialogue by James Bridie (uncredited). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Studio: Warner Bros.

James Bridie originally wrote the screenplay for The Paradine Case. Ben Hecht did some additional dialogue on James Bridie's script. But due to casting, the characters had to be changed. So David O. Selznick had to write another script from the very beginning. James Bridie's script is available at IUCAT Library in Indiana.

The Bridie Library at the Glasgow University Union is named for him.

[edit] Selected bibliography

Some Talk of Alexander - 1926
The Anatomist - 1930
Jonah and the Whale - 1932
One Way of Living - 1939
Daphne Laureola - 1949
Meeting at Night - 1956

[edit] Quotations

"Boredom is a sign of satisfied ignorance, blunted apprehension, crass sympathies, dull understanding, feeble powers of attention, and irreclaimable weakness of character."