Jerome Cady

Here is a brief biographical sketch of Jerome Cady:

Jerome Cady — Life, Career & Contributions

Early Life & Career Beginnings

• Jerome Cady was born on August 15, 1903 in Cabell County, West Virginia.

• He began his career in journalism: first as a newspaper copy boy, then as a reporter for The Los Angeles Record.

• In June 1932, he joined the continuity staff at radio stations KECA / KFI in Los Angeles.

• During the 1930s, he spent time in New York, working for Fletcher & Ellis Inc. as the director of radio, before returning to Los Angeles in 1936.

Hollywood Screenwriting & Notable Works

• Cady moved into film, eventually signing with 20th Century Fox in 1940 (after earlier stints in radio and with RKO).

• Among his major screenwriting credits are:
    • Guadalcanal Diary (1943)   • Wing and a Prayer (1944) — for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay   • Forever Amber (1947) (adaptation)   • Call Northside 777 (1948)

Death & Final Projects

• Jerome Cady died on November 7, 1948, off Catalina Island aboard his yacht, reportedly from an overdose of sleeping pills.

• At the time of his death, he was working on a treatment for a documentary about the Northwest Mounted Police.

• His funeral included a Masonic service.

Legacy & Recognition

• Posthumously, Call Northside 777 was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1950) for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.

• Cady’s career is often viewed as one cut short just as he was consolidating a serious reputation in Hollywood.

Selected Quote

“It is a wise man who knows where courage ends and stupidity begins.”