Carey Wilson — Biographical Sketch (1927) 🇺🇸

Rarely in the history of the motion picture industry has a sales manager of one of the larger companies switched to scenario writer and producer and made a success of it. That is just what Carey Wilson did. He jumped from sales manager and assistant general manager of Fox Film Corporation to the producing end of the game, and he made good with a bang.

There is a wide difference between selling pictures and making them. There are few men in the industry who can do both. Wilson, from selling pictures, figured he knew just what should go into them to make them more salable, and most of the industry and a large percentage of the exhibitors are ready to admit he was right. He has written and produced pictures that have been eminently satisfactory to some of the leading companies and to thousands of pleased exhibitors.

Wilson says he switched from film salesman to scenario writer just to prove that it could be done. While he has written and produced many pictures, his best-known one is Ben Hur. He arose one morning without any thought other than his routine work for the day, but before that night he started on a 13,000-mile jaunt which landed him in Italy to do the scenario for Ben Hur. He had just six hours’ notice to make the trip, and the results of the venture are best attested by the manner in which the picture is being received now in theatres throughout the world.

Proud as he is of Ben Hur, he declares his best picture to date was “His Secretary,” with Norma Shearer. It more clearly reflected just his idea of what a motion picture should be than any he has made. Among his other successful efforts are “Helen of Troy,” “The Stolen Bride,” “Naughty But Nice,” “American Beauty,” “Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model,” He Who Gets Slapped, “Light of Old Broadway,” “The Masked Bride,” “Soul Mates,” “The Sporting Lover,” and scores of others.

Wilson was born and educated in Philadelphia. After graduating from high school he attended the Industrial Art School of Philadelphia. He served as sales manager for both Fox and First National before he went into the production end of the industry.

—

Carey Wilson — Author | Scenarist | Producer

First National Pictures

Collection: Motion Picture News, October 1927 (Booking Guide and Studio Directory)