Lewis R. Foster

Lewis R. Foster (* 5. August 1898 in Brookfield , Missouri ; † 10. June 1974 in Tehachapi , California ) was an American journalist , screenwriter and director , who in 1940 the Oscar for best original story won.

Life

After attending school, Foster studied at the University of California and then worked as a journalist for daily newspapers in San Francisco . His decades-long career in the film industry in Hollywood , he began in 1925 as assistant director in the short - silent film Is not Life Terrible? with Charley Chase . As a screenwriter, he wrote the templates and scripts for 75 films and also directed over sixty films and numerous episodes for television series .

At the 1940 Academy Awards, he won the Oscar for Best Original Story for Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939) by Frank Capra with James Stewart , Jean Arthur and Claude Rains .

In 1960 Foster, who was married to actress Dorothy Wilson between 1936 and his death , also became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

personal data
SURNAME	Foster, Lewis R
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American screenwriter and director
DATE OF BIRTH	August 5, 1898
PLACE OF BIRTH	Brookfield, Missouri
DATE OF DEATH	June 10, 1974
Place of death	Tehachapi , California