Frances Hyland (born Frances C. Moore) was an American screenwriter active between the late 1920s and the late 1940s. She was the first woman hired as a "gagman" at a film studio, and she wrote dozens of comedic scripts over the course of her career.[1]
Frances Hyland | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frances C. Moore 1903 (estimated) Arkansas |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Parent(s) | William C. Moore Aura Lee Dickey. |
Hyland was born in Arkansas, the daughter of William C. Moore and Aura Lee Dickey. Her father was the editor of the local newspaper; he would later move to California and edit The Hueneme Harbor Bulletin.[2]
In 1926, she became the first woman to be hired by Universal as a "gagman" (comedy writer).[3] She later worked for Tiffany Pictures.[4] She continued to work steadily throughout the 1930s and 1940s, producing scripts for well-received films like The Sin of Nora Moran, A Shriek in the Night, and In Old California.
She was married to filmmaker Albert Ray until his death.[5] Her date of death and final resting place are unknown.