Joan Harrison English film producer and screenwriter Country: Great Britain

1. Joan Harrison: An English Film Producer and Screenwriter
2. Early Life and Career
3. Collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock
4. Success as a Film Producer
5. Legacy and Personal Life

Joan Harrison: An English Film Producer and Screenwriter

Joan Harrison, born on June 26, 1907, in Guildford, Surrey, was an English film producer and screenwriter. She was involved in the production of over two dozen films and television series, with her directorial work on the TV shows "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" totaling around 200 episodes. Additionally, she wrote scripts for a dozen films. Joan continued her work in the industry until the early 1970s.

Early Life and Career

Joan Harrison attended St Hugh's College, Oxford, where she reviewed films for the student newspaper. She completed her education at Sorbonne University in Paris. In 1933, after recovering from a hangover, Joan's life took a significant turn when a friend handed her a newspaper advertisement for a secretary position with Alfred Hitchcock. She swiftly traveled to London, beating out fifty other candidates for the role. Although Joan was less than stellar as a secretary, her ability to summarize and retell screenplays proved invaluable to Hitchcock, who disliked reading scripts himself.

Collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock

Joan quickly began improving the scripts she handled, making revisions to scenes and dialogues, and even adding new elements. In 1939, she wrote her first full screenplay, based on Daphne du Maurier's novel, "Jamaica Inn," which was later adapted into a film. Over time, Joan became one of Hitchcock's most trusted collaborators, earning his utmost trust. When Hitchcock ventured to Hollywood in 1936 to work with David O. Selznick, Joan accompanied him as an assistant and screenwriter. However, by 1941, Joan decided to leave Hitchcock and pursue her own path, driven by her desire to achieve more.

Success as a Film Producer

For the next two years, armed with her screenplays, Joan knocked on the doors of major studios such as Paramount, Columbia, MGM, and Warner Bros. Yet, she faced rejections everywhere since she was not taken seriously without Hitchcock's endorsement. Just as she was about to give up, an agent offered her a chance to work on a detective film about a man accused of murdering his wife, due to an elusive alibi. This opportunity allowed Joan to demonstrate her foresight, sharp wit, and sound judgment. In 1944, her exceptional thriller, "Phantom Lady," was released, marking her breakthrough as a successful producer in Hollywood.

Legacy and Personal Life

Joan Harrison was one of the three female producers, alongside Harriet Parsons and Virginia Van Upp, who worked under contract with major Hollywood studios from 1943 to 1965. Producing over two dozen films and television series, including the acclaimed TV shows directed by Hitchcock, Joan made significant contributions to the industry. In 1958, Joan married renowned spy and detective novel writer Eric Ambler, who was also a successful screenwriter and appeared in a minor role in Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in 1934. Their marriage lasted until Joan's death on August 14, 1994, in London at the age of 87.