Frank S. Nugent was a renowned American screenwriter, celebrated for his remarkable collaborations with the illustrious director John Ford. Despite his relatively modest output of just 21 feature films, Nugent's influence is astonishingly widespread and enduring.
Throughout his illustrious career, Nugent garnered two WGA Awards for Best Written Comedy, specifically for his exceptional work on The Quiet Man (1952) and Mister Roberts (1955). Furthermore, he co-wrote two films within Ford's iconic "Cavalry Trilogy" and penned the screenplay for The Searchers (1956),which was later recognized by the WGA as one of the 101 greatest screenplays of all time. It is an understatement to claim that every subsequent western movie bore the imprint of Nugent's masterful writing.
Nugent's journey in the film industry began as a film critic for The New York Times, where he quickly gained notoriety for his scathing reviews of popular movies. His prolific output and biting critiques caught the attention of producer Darryl F. Zanuck, who subsequently hired Nugent as a script doctor. This opportunity led to Nugent's fateful meeting with John Ford, with whom he formed one of the most successful and enduring writer-director partnerships in Hollywood history. Nugent's association with Ford spanned several decades, resulting in some of his most renowned and successful films.
