Howard Kelly "Jack" Fincher (December 6, 1930 – April 10, 2003) was an American screenwriter and journalist who had written for various magazines and periodicals, notably as San Francisco bureau chief of Life magazine. He was the father of film director David Fincher.
Jack Fincher | |
|---|---|
| Born | Howard Kelly Fincher December 6, 1930 Bonham, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 10, 2003 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, screenwriter |
| Spouse |
Claire Boettcher (m. 1960) |
| Children | 2, including David |
| Relatives | Ceán Chaffin (daughter-in-law) |
Life and work
editFincher was born in Bonham, Texas, the son of Grace Mae (Hutcheson) and Murlin Jackson Fincher,[1][2] and was raised in Oklahoma.[3] After graduating from high school in 1949, Fincher spent two years attending the University of Tulsa, also writing for the Tulsa World. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force.[4] In 1960, he married Claire Mae Boettcher,[5] a mental health nurse from South Dakota who worked in drug addiction programs; their son is film director David Fincher. In 1964, when David was two, the family moved from Denver, Colorado to San Anselmo, California, where filmmaker George Lucas was one of their neighbors.[6]
Fincher once wrote a Howard Hughes biopic before his script was ultimately merged into the project that became The Aviator instead.[7] He also wrote The Brain: Mystery of Matter and Mind[8][9] He wrote the screenplay for Mank, a biographical film about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. Originally set to be filmed in the late 1990s, the script was not produced until his son David began filming in 2019. Starring Gary Oldman in the title role, the film was released by Netflix in 2020, to positive reception.[10] The screenplay earned Fincher a posthumous nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, 16 years after his death.[11]
Jack Fincher died in Los Angeles on April 10, 2003, at the age of 72, following a year with cancer.[4][12]
References
edit- ^ U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- ^ Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997
- ^ 1940 United States Federal Census
- ^ a b "GenLookups.com". GenLookups.com. Archives. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985
- ^ Rebello, Stephen (September 16, 2014). "Playboy Interview: David Fincher". Playboy. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- ^ McDougal, Dennis (January 9, 2005). "A Movie Story as Elusive as Its Main Character". New York Times.
- ^ The brain: mystery of matter and mind. Washington, D.C.: U.S. News Books. 1981. ISBN 0891936017. OCLC 7464042.
- ^ Shprintz, Janet. "Evan Sues Over Hughes Pic." Variety. February 28, 2001.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 10, 2019). "David Fincher, Gary Oldman Team On B&W 'Mank' At Netflix; Film On 'Citizen Kane' Writer Herman J. Mankiewicz Scripted By Fincher's Late Father Howard". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ "2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Nominations". British Academy Film Awards. March 9, 2021. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Swallow, James (2003). "Dark and Light". Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher. Reynolds & Hearn. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-903111-52-9.
External links
edit- Jack Fincher at IMDb