Knowledge

Wilson Mizner

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hired Mizner to work as a screenplay writer for the studio's First National movies. While at the studio, Mizner had hardly any respect for authority and found it difficult to work with studio boss Jack Warner. Mizner, however, would indeed become a valuable asset to the studio's movies. As time went
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He then made his living by gambling on luxury liner boats between New York and London, until the companies prohibited it. Wilson then managed the Rand Hotel on West Forty-ninth Street in New York, posting signs that read "Carry out your own dead" and "No opium smoking in the elevators". He managed
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Mizner had a vast firsthand criminal erudition, which he commercialized as a dramatist on Broadway and a screenwriter in Hollywood. At various times during his life, he had been a miner, confidence man, ballad singer, medical lecturer, man of letters, general utility man in a segregated district,
300:, and others, that Wilson duplicated, selling the copies as originals. The marriage did not last long, as the publicity generated "numerous" letters from California and Alaska warning the new Mrs. Mizner about her husband's past criminal activities; their divorce was finalized in May 1907. 429:
cardsharp, hotel man, songwriter, dealer in imitation masterpieces of art, prizefighters, prizefight manager, Florida promoter, and roulette-wheel fixer. He was an idol of low society and a pet of high. He knew women, as his brother Addison said, from the best homes and houses.
296:, in 1906. Wilson was penniless (and 29 years old), while his new wife, aged 48, brought between $ 2 million and $ 7.5 million to the marriage and a $ 4 million mansion on Fifth Avenue, as well as several artistic masterpieces by Rembrandt, 287:
in Honduras for a few months, but returned to San Francisco to resume his career as a professional gambler. Once Addison had established himself in New York, Wilson joined him, and became a New York dilettante, raconteur, and
327:. Wilson was secretary and treasurer of the Mizner Development Corporation created in 1925, in effect working for his brother. Unfortunately Addison's plans were unsound financially and the Corporation was forced into 275:
started in 1899. As he told it (there is no confirmation), he was known as the "Prince of Nome", established McQuestion, a saloon/casino, and was appointed deputy sheriff, where his "primary duty" was "to warn
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That Wilson was a ballad singer, medical lecturer, "general utility man in a segregated district", songwriter, and a roulette-wheel fixer are all undocumented except in Wilson's own unreliable words.
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for a year, the brothers allegedly spending their free time robbing churches, as they later claimed (both brothers recounted unverifiable details about their foreign experiences).
244:, managed fighters, robbed a restaurant to get chocolate for his girlfriend "Nellie the Pig" Lamore (saying "Your chocolates or your life!"), and grub-staked prospector 1397: 639: 623: 397:(a friend of Addison) wrote a song about Wilson: "Black Sheep Has Come Back to the Fold". He began but did not complete a musical based on Wilson's life. 375:
such as, "Be nice to people on the way up because you'll meet the same people on the way down", "Never give a sucker an even break" (also attributed to
1038: 577: 360:. Wilson called his Hollywood years "a trip through a sewer in a glass-bottomed boat". Several of the brothers' friends from New York, including 319:, and received a suspended sentence. After he was nearly beaten to death – the details are unknown – at Addison's invitation he followed him to 1432: 1355: 1320: 308:, the greatest middleweight of his time, was murdered, and Wilson joked, "Tell 'em to start counting ten over him, and he'll get up." 1407: 315:
addiction that started when he was prescribed painkillers after an assault. He was convicted in 1919 for operating a gambling den on
1422: 1402: 1427: 1285: 1270: 1190: 981: 1090: 533: 1073: 1299: 1253: 1048: 1018: 991: 1412: 155:(May 19, 1876 – April 3, 1933) was an American playwright, raconteur, and entrepreneur. His best-known plays are 379:), and "When you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research". When President 923: 404: 1116: 240:
in Canada, where he allegedly bilked miners rather than looking for gold. He claimed later that he operated
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The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars
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Addison could no longer pay Wilson, so he returned to California. There, he obtained backing from
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Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series
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several boxers, fixing the fights to enhance his gambling revenues. One of his fighters,
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In 1897, Addison and Wilson, with brothers William and Edgar, traveled north to the
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in Los Angeles, California, and was part of the failed project of his older brother
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on Wilson Mizner, whom Loos described as "America's most fascinating outlaw".
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died in 1933, Mizner's comment was "How do they know?" (Coolidge was known as
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by, Warner became more tolerant of Mizner and invested in the restaurant
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playwright. He married Mary Adelaide Yerkes, widow of industrialist
209:, one of eight children, including brothers William, Edgar, Murray, 297: 323:, where Addison and other investors were announcing a new resort, 311:
Wilson's playwriting career was undermined by his laziness and an
163:, produced in 1912. He was manager and co-owner of the restaurant 384: 347: 92: 32: 1265:, Farrar, Straus and Young, 1953. (Reissued in paperback 2003, 277: 312: 229:
to the Central American states, and the family relocated to
553: 213:, Henry, and Lansing and sister Mary. Portrait painter Sir 1114: 350:. His best known movie work is the screenplay for the 1318: 283:After leaving Alaska, he claimed to have managed a 1091:"Architect Addison Mizner: Villain or visionary?" 916:Panic in Paradise. Florida' Banking Crash of 1926 1398:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 1379: 1066:Villa Mizner: The House that Changed Palm Beach 1205: 1203: 1201: 1199: 1146:Tully, Jim (July 1938). "California Playboy". 346:, and wrote screenplays for some of the early 331:within a year, and bankruptcy soon afterward. 1196: 1115:Benicia Historical Society (May 19, 2014). 1032: 1030: 217:was their great-great-uncle. Their father, 31: 1036: 909: 907: 905: 903: 901: 899: 897: 895: 893: 175:. He and Addison are the protagonists of 1117:"The Mizners. A Very Interesting Family" 1027: 387:.) Mizner has suffered the same fate as 1108: 1037:Pietrusza, David (September 13, 2011). 1006: 979: 913: 1380: 1063: 890: 1433:Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park 1308:, The Henkle Company, New York, 1935. 1145: 1088: 1057: 980:Fadiman, Clifton (October 31, 2009). 950: 368:, helped him in his later escapades. 264:, whom Wilson considered his mentor. 1294:, Clarkson Potter, New York, 2001. 1185:, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2008, 983:The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes 543:(UK), May 1937 (posthumous reprint) 371:Wilson Mizner is noted for several 280:that they'd have to smell better". 256:, who became a lifelong friend. In 205:Wilson ("Bill") Mizner was born in 13: 1312: 1280:, Pineapple Press, Florida, 1994. 1089:Bubil, Harold (January 27, 2008). 14: 1444: 1340: 1408:People of the Klondike Gold Rush 1278:Dreamers, Schemers and Scalawags 1007:Collins, Paul (April 24, 2012). 342:and bought into and managed the 262:Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith 1423:20th-century American criminals 1403:People from Benicia, California 1212: 1175: 1139: 1130: 1082: 918:. University of Alabama Press. 436: 1428:American confidence tricksters 1319:School for Scoundrels (2002). 1000: 973: 965:; published May 18, 1907; via 941: 932: 881: 859:"One Way Passage" (episode of 568:Activity (if not main writer) 547: 407:based the character played by 252:. He also claimed to have met 1: 1238: 1064:Silvin, Richard RenΓ© (2014). 914:Vickers, Raymond B. (1994). 267:He followed gold seekers to 7: 457: 225:'s Envoy Extraordinary and 16:American writer (1876–1933) 10: 1449: 1306:The Fabulous Wilson Mizner 505:"The Discord of Harmony", 499: 171:to create a new resort in 78:Cypress Lawn Memorial Park 1209:Thomas (1990), pp. 89–92. 745:20,000 Years in Sing Sing 357:20,000 Years in Sing Sing 250:Grauman's Chinese Theatre 134: 122:20,000 Years in Sing Sing 110: 104:1909–1912 (as playwright) 98: 87: 73: 59: 39: 30: 23: 874: 462: 227:Minister Plenipotentiary 159:, produced in 1910, and 106:1931–1933 (in Hollywood) 1413:Writers from California 1095:Sarasota Herald Tribune 609:The Law of Compensation 200: 141:, Ella Watson (parents) 69:Los Angeles, California 1304:Edward Dean Sullivan, 1220:"Wilson Mizner – IMDb" 947:Johnson, 1953. p. 104. 508:The All-Story Magazine 431: 185:(alternately known as 91:Writer, entrepreneur, 1356:School for Scoundrels 1263:The Legendary Mizners 1136:Johnson, 1953. p. 66. 938:Johnson, 1953. p. 84. 640:The Five Dollar Plate 426: 1068:. Star Group Books. 868:original screenplay 822:original screenplay 294:Charles Tyson Yerkes 1183:"Have You Seen...?" 968:Chronicling America 846:Merry Wives of Reno 672:The Cock-Eyed World 624:Outlaws of the Deep 525:The Cock-Eyed World 520:, December 26, 1908 325:Boca Raton, Florida 321:Palm Beach, Florida 219:Lansing Bond Mizner 207:Benicia, California 173:Boca Raton, Florida 139:Lansing Bond Mizner 53:Benicia, California 1374:at Virtual History 1290:Caroline Seebohm, 1276:Stuart B. McIver, 1248:, New York, 1975, 887:Seebohm 2001 p. 22 659:(survival unknown) 537:, May 3, 1930 and 238:Klondike Gold Rush 1327:on March 18, 2008 1286:978-1-56164-155-0 1271:978-0-374-51928-5 1191:978-0-307-26461-9 1163:Missing or empty 986:. Little, Brown. 872: 871: 862:Lux Video Theatre 787:Strictly Personal 285:banana plantation 223:Benjamin Harrison 150: 149: 99:Years active 82:Colma, California 1440: 1362:Les Miz Brothers 1336: 1334: 1332: 1323:. 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Warner 273:Nome Gold Rush 202: 199: 148: 147: 144:Addison Mizner 136: 132: 131: 112: 108: 107: 100: 96: 95: 89: 85: 84: 75: 71: 70: 67:(aged 56) 61: 57: 56: 41: 37: 36: 28: 27: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1445: 1434: 1431: 1429: 1426: 1424: 1421: 1419: 1416: 1414: 1411: 1409: 1406: 1404: 1401: 1399: 1396: 1394: 1391: 1389: 1386: 1385: 1383: 1373: 1372:Wilson Mizner 1370: 1367: 1363: 1360: 1357: 1354: 1352: 1348: 1347:Wilson Mizner 1345: 1344: 1326: 1322: 1317: 1316: 1307: 1303: 1301: 1300:0-609-60515-1 1297: 1293: 1289: 1287: 1283: 1279: 1275: 1272: 1268: 1264: 1260: 1259:Alva Johnston 1257: 1255: 1254:0-399-11423-8 1251: 1247: 1243: 1242: 1221: 1215: 1206: 1204: 1202: 1200: 1192: 1188: 1184: 1178: 1170: 1157: 1149: 1142: 1133: 1118: 1111: 1096: 1092: 1085: 1077: 1071: 1067: 1060: 1052: 1050:9780465029396 1046: 1042: 1041: 1033: 1031: 1022: 1020:9780307592217 1016: 1012: 1011: 1003: 995: 993:9780316084727 989: 985: 984: 976: 970: 969: 964: 963: 958: 953: 944: 935: 927: 921: 917: 910: 908: 906: 904: 902: 900: 898: 896: 894: 884: 880: 867: 864: 863: 858: 855: 854: 850: 848: 847: 843: 840: 839: 836: 834: 833: 829: 826: 825: 821: 819: 818: 814: 811: 810: 806: 804: 803: 799: 796: 795: 791: 789: 788: 784: 781: 780: 777: 775: 774: 770: 767: 766: 763: 761: 760: 756: 753: 752: 749: 747: 746: 742: 739: 738: 734: 732: 731: 727: 724: 723: 720: 718: 717: 713: 710: 709: 705: 703: 702: 698: 695: 694: 691: 689: 688: 684: 681: 680: 676: 674: 673: 669: 666: 665: 661: 658: 657: 653: 650: 649: 645: 642: 641: 637: 634: 633: 629: 626: 625: 621: 618: 617: 613: 611: 610: 606: 603: 602: 598: 595: 594: 590: 587: 586: 582: 580: 579: 578:The Greyhound 575: 572: 571: 567: 564: 561: 560: 557: 555: 542: 541: 536: 535: 530: 527: 526: 522: 519: 518: 513: 510: 509: 504: 503: 494: 491:, 1911, with 490: 489: 488:The Greyhound 485: 482: 479:, 1910, with 478: 477: 473: 470: 467: 466: 455: 453: 448: 447:Darryl Zanuck 444: 441:Around 1931, 434: 430: 425: 423: 422:Alva Johnston 418: 416: 415: 414:San Francisco 411:in the movie 410: 406: 402: 398: 396: 395:Irving Berlin 392: 390: 386: 382: 378: 374: 369: 367: 363: 359: 358: 353: 349: 345: 341: 337: 332: 330: 326: 322: 318: 314: 309: 307: 301: 299: 295: 291: 286: 281: 279: 274: 270: 265: 263: 260:, Wilson met 259: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 234: 232: 228: 224: 220: 216: 212: 208: 198: 196: 192: 188: 184: 183: 178: 174: 170: 166: 162: 161:The Greyhound 158: 154: 153:Wilson Mizner 145: 140: 137: 133: 130: 129: 124: 123: 118: 117: 113: 111:Notable works 109: 101: 97: 94: 90: 86: 83: 79: 76: 74:Resting place 72: 63:April 3, 1933 62: 58: 54: 42: 38: 34: 29: 25:Wilson Mizner 22: 19: 1365: 1329:. 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Index


Benicia, California
Cypress Lawn Memorial Park
Colma, California
con man
One Way Passage
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
The Little Giant
Lansing Bond Mizner
Addison Mizner
The Brown Derby
Addison
Boca Raton, Florida
Stephen Sondheim
Road Show
Benicia, California
Addison
Joshua Reynolds
Lansing Bond Mizner
Benjamin Harrison
Minister Plenipotentiary
Guatemala
Klondike Gold Rush
badger games
Sid Grauman
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Wyatt Earp
Skagway, Alaska
Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith
Nome, Alaska

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