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Anthony Coldeway
Anthony Coldeway
Anthony Coldeway
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Anthony W. Coldeway (August 1, 1887 – January 29, 1963) was an American screenwriter who had an extensive career from 1910 through 1954. Although most of his work was on films, he did some writing for television and also was the director of a silent film, entitled Her Great Dilemma, in 1917. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

Key Information

In 1928, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1st Academy Awards for his film Glorious Betsy.[1]

Selected filmography

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References

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Anthony Coldeway

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Anthony Coldeway is an American screenwriter known for his extensive career in Hollywood that spanned from the silent film era through the 1950s, contributing scripts to numerous features, shorts, and later television productions. Born on August 1, 1887, in Louisville, Kentucky, Coldeway entered the film industry in 1911 as a scenarist for two-reel shorts and occasionally directed early works. He spent significant portions of his career under contract to Warner Brothers from 1927 to 1929 and again from 1936 to 1942, where he specialized in westerns and crime dramas produced by the studio's B-unit, frequently adapting his own original stories for the screen. Among his notable credits are Glorious Betsy (1928), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing, Adaptation, as well as Pacific Liner (1939) and various B-movies in the mystery, western, and action genres. Coldeway continued writing into the television era before his death on January 29, 1963, in Los Angeles, California.

Early life

Origins and entry into film

Anthony Coldeway was born Anthony W. Coldewey on August 1, 1887, in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. He is most commonly credited as Anthony Coldeway, though variations such as Anthony W. Coldeway, A. W. Coldewey, Anthony Coldewey, A. W. Codeway, and Caldwell also appear in film credits. No verified details regarding his family background, education, or pre-film career are documented in reliable sources. Coldeway entered the film industry in Hollywood in 1911, working as a scenarist writing for 2-reel short films. This marked the beginning of his career in screenwriting.

Professional career

Silent era and early sound work (1911–1930s)

Anthony Coldeway began his screenwriting career in 1911, contributing scenarios to two-reel short subjects during the early silent film era. He quickly established himself as a prolific writer, authoring dozens of short films throughout the 1910s—often one- and two-reel comedies and westerns—before expanding into action serials and feature-length productions in the 1920s. His work appeared across various studios, including Universal, where he provided the scenario for the eighteen-part action serial King of the Circus (1920), adapted from his own original story. Representative early credits include The Morals of Hilda (1916), for which he wrote the scenario, and Cobra (1925), where he handled the screenplay. As the industry transitioned to sound in the late 1920s, Coldeway continued producing features such as Old San Francisco (1927) and Glorious Betsy (1928), demonstrating his adaptability during this shift. In several cases across his silent and early sound work, he adapted his own original stories into screenplays.

Warner Bros. contracts and B-unit focus (1927–1929 and 1936–1942)

Anthony Coldeway was under contract to Warner Bros. during two distinct periods: from 1927 to 1929 and from 1936 to 1942. He primarily handled westerns and crime dramas for Bryan Foy's B-unit, contributing to the studio's output of low-budget genre films during these years. Coldeway adapted a number of his screenplays from his own original stories, a practice that supported his prolific contributions to the B-unit's fast-paced production schedule. In the 1940s phase of his second contract, his credits frequently appeared under the variant spelling "Anthony Coldewey." Representative examples of his work during the later Warner Bros. period include Draegerman Courage (1937) for which he provided the original story and screenplay, Devil's Island (1939) with his original story, Smashing the Money Ring (1939) as original screenwriter, Busses Roar (1942) with screenplay and original story, and The Hidden Hand (1942) with screenplay. These B-pictures reflect his specialization in westerns and crime stories for the unit, with no assignments to the studio's A-list productions.

Later films and television (1940s–1950s)

In the 1940s, Anthony Coldeway continued his screenwriting career primarily through low-budget B-westerns and similar genre pictures, many produced by Republic Pictures. His work during this period focused on action-oriented scripts for series films and standalone features, reflecting Republic's emphasis on economical western and adventure output. Selected credits include the screenplay for Tucson Raiders (1944) and the original screenplay for Prairie Express (1947). Coldeway's film credits grew sparse after the mid-1940s, with Prairie Express standing as his final feature screenplay in 1947. He made only rare forays into television during the 1950s, a sharp contrast to his prolific earlier film work. In 1954, he supplied the story for the Four Star Playhouse episode "The Wallet." He also contributed the teleplay and story (as Anthony Coldewey) to the 1957 Colt .45 episode "Rebellion." These limited television assignments marked the end of his writing activity, with his last known credit in 1957.

Directing work

Her Great Dilemma

Anthony Coldeway's sole known directing credit is the silent short film Her Great Dilemma, released in 1917. Co-directed with Donald MacDonald, the production is credited as a two-reel drama and represents his only foray into directing throughout his career. Primary film databases confirm the 1917 release date based on credited records. The film starred Lee Hill and Louise Lovely in the principal roles, supported by Edwin Wallock and Malcolm Blevins. Its narrative follows Mary Blanton, a nurse with a concealed past tied to a notorious criminal named Red Shang; after marrying Dr. Grayson, she faces threats when Red Shang emerges from prison and attempts blackmail to force her assistance. This limited-scope project stands as Coldeway's unique contribution to direction, distinct from his primary body of work in screenwriting.

Recognition

Academy Award nomination for Glorious Betsy

Anthony Coldeway received his only Academy Award nomination for Writing (Adaptation) for the 1928 film Glorious Betsy. This recognition came at the inaugural 1st Academy Awards ceremony, held on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, honoring films released between August 1, 1927, and August 1, 1928. In the Writing (Adaptation) category, Coldeway was one of two nominees alongside Alfred Cohn for The Jazz Singer, though Benjamin Glazer ultimately won for 7th Heaven. Glorious Betsy was a Vitaphone part-talkie historical drama produced by Warner Bros. and directed by Alan Crosland. The film marked an early experiment in synchronized sound technology while depicting a historical romance. Coldeway's nomination for adapting the material remains his sole Academy recognition, as no other nominations or wins appear in official records for his career.

Death

Later years and passing

Anthony Coldeway's final screenwriting credit was in 1957 for an episode of the television series Colt .45. He lived the remainder of his life out of the public eye, with no available details on his personal circumstances, family, or residence during this period. He died on January 29, 1963, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 75. As a journeyman screenwriter with 155 writing credits concentrated in B-genres, Coldeway's long career extended from the silent era into early television, yet his passing attracted no known obituaries or critical commentary in major publications, and no memoirs or retrospectives have emerged to document his contributions. His relative obscurity in historical accounts reflects the often-overlooked role of prolific B-picture writers in Hollywood's studio system.
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