Howard Estabrook, born Howard Bolles on July 11, 1884, in Detroit, Michigan, was a multifaceted American artist, exceling as an actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter.
His illustrious career in the entertainment industry began in 1904 as a stage actor in New York, with his film debut arriving in 1914 during the silent era. Estabrook's early appearances in features, such as Four Feathers, laid the groundwork for his future endeavors.
After a brief hiatus from films in 1916, Estabrook returned in 1921, taking on executive roles with various studios before transitioning to film production in 1924. He soon discovered his true calling in screenwriting, crafting several timeless Hollywood classics, including Hell's Angels (1930) and Street of Chance (1930),for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
In 1931, Estabrook's exceptional work earned him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Cimarron, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne. The following year, he adapted Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield for the 1935 film version, featuring W. C. Fields and Lionel Barrymore, alongside Hugh Walpole and Lenore J. Coffee.
Throughout the next three decades, Estabrook continued to excel in screenwriting, as well as directing and producing films, before his passing on July 16, 1978, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.
