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Basil Woon
Basil Woon
Basil Woon
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Basil Dillon Woon (28 September 1893, London – 4 June 1974 Reno) was a British playwright, American author, and American journalist. He covered the Mexican Revolution for United Press, and also worked for the New York World, The Houston Press, the San Francisco News, and the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Filmography

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His writings were used in several films from the 1920s through the 1940s. His play Misdeal was adapted into the film Recaptured Love in 1930, and he was credited as a writer for the 1933 film Pilgrimage.

Death

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Woon died in Reno, Nevada, 4 June 1974.[1]

References

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Basil Woon

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Basil Woon (28 September 1893 – 4 June 1974) was a British-born journalist, author, and screenwriter known for his more than sixty-year career in journalism across multiple countries and his books offering insights into notable personalities and Hollywood. He emigrated from England to the United States at age 16 in 1909, initially founding and editing a weekly newspaper in Alaska before embarking on a diverse path that included covering major events and contributing to publications on both sides of the Atlantic. Woon covered the Mexican Revolution for United Press, worked for newspapers including The New York World, The Houston Press, and The San Francisco News, served as a Paris correspondent, and contributed to the British Broadcasting Corporation. He also acted as a publicity representative for Cuba and ghost writer for actress Peggy Hopkins Joyce. His published works include “Sarah Bernhardt as I Knew Her: The Memoirs of Madame Pierre Berton as Told to Basil Woon,” a work based on the memoirs of Mme. Pierre Berton (a friend of Bernhardt) as told to and presented/translated by Woon, and “Incredible Land: A Jaunty Baedeker to Hollywood and the Great Southwest.” In addition to journalism and authorship, Woon worked as a screenwriter on various films during the 1930s and 1940s. He first traveled to Nevada in 1910 to report on the Jim Jeffries–Jack Johnson heavyweight title fight and settled there permanently in 1950, residing in the state until his death on June 4, 1974, in a Reno hospital at the age of 80.

Early life

Birth and youth in England

Basil Dillon Woon was born on 28 September 1893 in London, England. Little is documented about his youth and early years in England beyond this vital statistic, with no available records or accounts detailing his family background, education, childhood experiences, or other formative events prior to his emigration.

Emigration to the United States

Basil Woon left his native England in 1909 at the age of 16 and worked his way to Alaska. There he founded and edited a weekly newspaper north of Nome, establishing an early foothold in American frontier journalism. In 1910, Woon traveled to Nevada to cover the Jim Jeffries–Jack Johnson heavyweight title fight, a major international event held in Reno that drew widespread attention.

Journalism career

Frontier reporting in Alaska

Basil Woon embarked on his journalism career shortly after emigrating from England in 1909 at the age of 16, working his way to Alaska where he founded and edited the Iditarod Weekly Press north of Nome. This role represented his entry into frontier reporting in the remote and rugged territory during the early 20th century, when local newspapers were essential for disseminating news in isolated mining communities and settlements far from major urban centers. The experience in Alaska formed the beginning of his six-decade career in journalism. This frontier reporting preceded his later coverage of the Mexican Revolution.

Coverage of the Mexican Revolution and major assignments

Basil Woon covered the Mexican Revolution for United Press. This assignment built on his prior frontier reporting in Alaska by extending his work to major international events. He later served as a correspondent in Paris. Woon also acted as a publicity man for Cuba. In addition, he ghostwrote the memoirs of actress Peggy Hopkins Joyce.

Work with newspapers and broadcasters

Basil Woon's journalism career encompassed affiliations with several American newspapers and the British Broadcasting Corporation. He worked for the New York World, the Houston Press, and the San Francisco News. He also contributed to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). His work in journalism spanned more than 60 years.

Literary career

Non-fiction books and travel guides

Basil Woon authored several non-fiction books and travel guides that drew heavily on his journalistic background and extensive travels, blending personal anecdotes, cultural observations, and descriptive prose. These works often focused on exotic locales, social scenes, and historical contexts, reflecting his eye for the unconventional and vibrant. His output in this genre spanned from pioneer narratives to wartime accounts, with many titles serving as informal guides to places he visited or studied. Woon's earliest non-fiction effort was Arizona's Yesterday (1916), a rewritten narrative of pioneer John H. Cady's experiences in the American West. In 1923, he published Sarah Bernhardt as I Knew Her, presenting the memoirs of Madame Pierre Berton as told directly to him. These early books established his skill in capturing personal stories through editing and narrative reconstruction. Much of Woon's non-fiction centered on travel guides that highlighted the less-touristy or more indulgent sides of destinations. The Paris that's not in the guide books (1926) offered an insider's view of Paris beyond standard tourist attractions. He followed with Guide to the gay world of France (1929), which explored the sophisticated and lively social milieu across French resorts and cities. Around the same period, When it's Cocktail Time in Cuba (1928) provided a spirited account of Cuban nightlife and cocktail culture. In the 1930s, Woon turned to American subjects. Incredible Land: A Jaunty Baedeker to Hollywood and the Great Southwest (1933) delivered a humorous, lighthearted guide to Hollywood and the southwestern United States. San Francisco and the Golden Empire (1935) provided a detailed portrait of the city's history and cultural significance. During World War II, Woon contributed Atlantic Front (1941), an account of the merchant navy's critical role in the conflict. Some travel themes in these books overlapped with his earlier journalism assignments.

Theatrical work

Plays and stage contributions

Basil Woon's contributions to the theatre are primarily represented by his authorship of the play Misdeal. This domestic drama explores the theme that "there is no fool like an old fool," depicting an aging husband's infatuation with a younger woman and his clever wife's efforts to manage the situation and reclaim their marriage. Details of the play's original stage production, including premiere date, venue, or cast, remain limited in available records. Misdeal was adapted into the 1930 film Recaptured Love. No other plays by Woon have been documented in major contemporary sources.

Film career

Screenwriting credits and adaptations

Basil Woon contributed to screenwriting across Hollywood and British cinema from 1930 to 1946, with credits encompassing screenplays, original stories, dialogue, and occasional uncredited work. He sometimes used the pseudonym Basil Dillon for certain credits. His early Hollywood contributions included the screenplay for Men on Call (1930) and a writer credit for While Paris Sleeps (1932). He received an uncredited writing credit on John Ford's Pilgrimage (1933). His play Misdeal was adapted into the film Recaptured Love (1930), where he is credited for the original play. Woon later worked extensively in British films, including The Perfect Crime (1937) and Who Killed John Savage? (1937, as Basil Dillon). He provided the story for Simply Terrific (1938, as Basil Dillon). His 1940s credits include writing for Two for Danger (1940), screenplay and dialogue for Freedom Radio (also known as A Voice in the Night, 1941), original story for This Was Paris (1942), screen play for Rhythm Serenade (1943), writing for Flight from Folly (1945), and dialogue for Showtime (also known as Gaiety George, 1946).

British and Hollywood contributions

Basil Woon's screenwriting career encompassed contributions to both Hollywood and British cinema, spanning from 1930 through his final work in 1946. His Hollywood contributions occurred primarily in the early 1930s, where he provided screenplays and additional writing for productions at 20th Century Fox, including several feature films during that period. From the late 1930s onward, Woon's work shifted predominantly to the British film industry, where he supplied screenplays, original stories, dialogue, and other writing elements for numerous productions through the wartime and immediate postwar years. Across his film career, he amassed credits on approximately 17 titles, with no documented contributions to television.

Later life and death

Permanent move to Nevada

In 1950, Basil Woon returned to Nevada and settled there permanently, marking a shift to the region after decades of international journalism and writing. This move followed his initial visit to the state in 1910, when he covered the Jim Jeffries–Jack Johnson heavyweight title fight in Reno. In 1961, Woon married Fuji Adamson Stephens in France; she died in 1963. Following her death, he donated $20,000 to Ormsby County (now Carson City) to create a public park in her memory, which became Fuji Park.

Final years

Basil Woon spent his final years in Nevada, where he had resided since 1950. He died on 4 June 1974 at the age of 80 in a Reno hospital. Some records note the hospital as being in Carson City, but contemporary reports consistently place his death in Reno. Woon's career as a journalist, author, and writer spanned more than sixty years, encompassing work in newspapers, broadcasting, non-fiction books, plays, and screenwriting across British and American media.
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