H.M. Walker
H.M. Walker
Biography
WALKER, H.M. (Harley Marquis Walker) started as a telegrapher, tapping out the descriptions of sportswriters at boxing matches and sending them to the offices of their newspapers. In 1903 he became a sportswriter himself and wrote a column, “The Wisdom of Blinkey Ben,” for the Los Angeles Examiner before joining Roach in 1917 as a part-time scenario and title writer for Harold Lloyd. In 1920, he left newspaper work and joined Roach full time as head of the editorial department. A brilliant title writer in the silent era, Walker was less skilled at dialogue; he was credited for providing these elements on more than 350 Roach comedies. He usually came up with the title for each film and also wrote fairly severe critiques after each preview. After leaving Roach in 1932 he wrote dialogue for some features, including Son of a Sailor (1933) with Joe E. Brown, W.C. Fields’ The Old Fashioned Way (1934), and the ZaSu Pitts picture Affair of Susan (1935). Walker died in the home of his good friend Leroy Shield, who had written scores at the Roach lot in 1930 and ’31. Died June 23, 1937, Chicago, Illinois, age 58; of a heart attack. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Harley M. "Beanie" Walker (June 27, 1878 – June 23, 1937) was a member of the Hal Roach movie production company from 1916 until his resignation in 1932. The title cards he wrote for Harold Lloyd, Charley Chase, Our Gang and Laurel and Hardy comedies "have entered legend, both for silent films, and as opening remarks for the earlier talkies." He was also an officer of the Roach Studio corporation. On Roach's "Lot of Fun", script development usually started with meetings among the gag men, who would develop what was known as an "action script": the outline of the story and a description of the scenes and some of the sight gags, which generally would run three to six legal-size pages. This document would then pass to Walker, the head of the editorial department, which oversaw not only script editing, but film editing as well. Walker usually came up with the title of each film, wrote "brilliantly witty" title cards which would be produced and inserted into the film, and wrote a critique before the picture went out to the distributors, Pathé Exchange, or later, M-G-M. Walker's writing did not transition well to talkies and by 1931 he had left Roach studio and wrote dialogue for comedies produced by ex-Roach general manager Warren Doane at Universal Pictures. Later, he worked at Paramount Pictures, where he contributed to the W. C. Fields picture The Old Fashioned Way (1934).
Personal Info
Known For
Writing
Known Credits
198
Gender
Male
Birthday
1878-06-27 (147 years old)
Place of Birth
West Middlebury, Ohio, USA
Crew

1935

Public Ghost # 1 Writer

1934

Them Thar Hills Writer

1934

Love Birds Additional Dialogue

1933

Her First Mate Screenplay

1932

Any Old Port! Writer

1932

The Chimp Writer

1932

What Price Taxi Dialogue

1932

What Price Taxi Writer

1932

The Nickel Nurser Writer

1932

Red Noses Dialogue

1932

In Walked Charley Writer

1932

The Old Bull Dialogue

1932

Alum and Eve Dialogue

1932

The Music Box Writer

1932

County Hospital Writer

1932

Scram! Writer

1932

First in War Dialogue

1932

Young Ironsides Dialogue

1932

Girl Grief Dialogue

1932

The Music Box Dialogue

1932

Scram! Dialogue

1932

Helpmates Dialogue

1932

The Tabasco Kid Writer

1932

The Pooch Writer

1932

Choo-Choo! Writer

1932

Spanky Writer

1932

Show Business Dialogue

1932

County Hospital Dialogue

1932

You're Telling Me Dialogue

1932

Free Eats Writer

1931

Be Big! Writer

1931

On the Loose Writer

1931

Beau Hunks Writer

1931

Our Wife Dialogue

1931

War Mamas Dialogue

1931

The Pajama Party Dialogue

1931

Let's Do Things Dialogue

1931

The Chiselers Writer

1931

Catch-As Catch-Can Dialogue

1931

Thundering Tenors Dialogue

1931

The soul of the party Dialogue

1931

Messing Around Writer

1931

Rough Seas Dialogue

1931

One of the Smiths Dialogue

1931

Skip the Maloo! Dialogue

1931

What a Bozo! Dialogue

1931

Hasty Marriage Dialogue

1931

Come Clean Dialogue

1931

One Good Turn Dialogue

1931

Chickens Come Home Dialogue

1931

Helping Grandma Writer

1931

Shiver My Timbers Writer

1931

Love Business Writer

1931

Little Daddy Writer

1931

Pardon Us Dialogue

1931

Call a Cop! Dialogue

1930

Night Owls Writer

1930

Dollar Dizzy Dialogue

1930

The Shrimp Writer

1930

The King Writer

1930

The Head Guy Writer

1930

The Big Kick Writer

1930

Below Zero Dialogue

1930

Hog Wild Dialogue

1930

The Night Life Writer

1930

Dollar Dizzy Story

1930

Hog Wild Writer

1930

All Teed Up Dialogue

1930

The golf player Writer

1930

The golfer Writer

1930

Fast Work Dialogue

1930

Girl Shock Writer

1930

Follies of love Writer

1930

Gold Diggers Story

1930

A gray in the air Writer

1930

High C's Dialogue

1930

Blotto Dialogue

1930

Brats Dialogue

1930

Shivering Shakespeare Story Editor

1930

The First Seven Years Story Editor

1930

When the Wind Blows Story Editor

1930

Teacher's Pet Dialogue

1930

Whispering Whoopee Dialogue

1930

Night of Goblins Dialogue

1930

Bear Shooters Story Editor

1930

Another Fine Mess Dialogue

1930

School's Out Dialogue

1930

Doctor's Orders Writer

1930

Temps d'Hiver Writer

1930

The Real McCoy Story Editor

1929

Big Business Writer

1929

Liberty Writer

1929

Double Whoopee Writer

1929

Men O' War Writer

1929

Boxing Gloves Dialogue

1929

Small Talk Dialogue

1929

Skirt Shy Story

1929

Berth Marks Title Designer

1929

Wrong Again Writer

1929

Angora Love Other

1929

Hotter Than Hot Writer

1929

Moan & Groan, Inc. Story Editor

1929

Bouncing Babies Story Editor

1929

Crazy Feet Scenario Writer

1929

Sky Boy Writer

1928

From Soup to Nuts Writer

1928

Should Tall Men Marry? Title Graphics

1928

Came the Dawn Writer

1928

Playin' Hookey Writer

1928

Early to Bed Writer

1928

Fair and Muddy Title Designer

1927

Fluttering Hearts Writer

1927

Sugar Daddies Writer

1927

The Battle of the Century Title Designer

1927

The Second 100 Years Title Graphics

1927

Hats Off Title Designer

1927

Sailors, Beware! Writer

1927

Ten Years Old Title Designer

1927

Fighting Fathers Writer

1926

The Nickel-Hopper Writer

1926

Get 'Em Young Writer

1926

Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes Title Graphics

1926

Wandering Papas Title Designer

1926

Thundering Fleas Title Designer

1926

Along Came Auntie Title Designer

1926

Crazy Like a Fox Title Designer

1926

Bromo and Juliet Title Designer

1926

Good Cheer Writer

1926

Long Fliv the King Writer

1925

Should Sailors Marry? Title Designer

1925

Papa Be Good! Writer

1925

Dog Days Title Graphics

1925

Black Cyclone Writer

1924

Just a Good Guy Writer

1924

Wide Open Spaces Writer

1924

A Truthful Liar Writer

1923

Heavy Seas Writer

1923

Dogs of War! Title Graphics

1923

The Soilers Title Graphics

1923

Uncensored Movies Writer

1923

Mother's Joy Writer

1923

The Whole Truth Writer

1922

Grandma's Boy Writer

1922

Dr. Jack Title Designer

1921

Now or Never Writer

1921

Never Weaken Writer

1920

Number, Please? Writer

1920

Haunted Spooks Writer

1920

His Royal Slyness Writer

1920

High and Dizzy Writer

1919

From Hand to Mouth Title Graphics

1919

Ask Father Writer

1919

Count Your Change Title Graphics

1919

Don't Shove Title Graphics

1919

Captain Kidd's Kids Title Graphics

1919

Heap Big Chief Dialogue

1919

Chop Suey & Co. Writer

1918

A Gasoline Wedding Writer

1918

The Tip Dialogue

1918

Beat It Dialogue

1918

Here Come the Girls Dialogue

1917

We Never Sleep Writer

1917

All Aboard Writer

1917

Clubs Are Trump Writer

1917

The Flirt Writer

1917

Rainbow Island Writer

1917

Bliss Writer

1917

Birds of a Feather Writer

1917

Step Lively Writer