Frederick Hazlitt Brennan was born on September 23, 1901 in St. Louis,
Missouri, the son of Jesse K. (1865-1936) and Mary Sharpe Brennan. His
father and brother (Jesse K. Jr.) were Episcopalian ministers. Brennan
attended the University of Missouri, but left after a couple years to
work for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, where he became a rewrite man
and political reporter. In 1923 he began working as a movie critic,
feature and editorial writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While at
the Post-Dispatch Brennan wrote an expose on a murder investigation
that led to indictments against a circuit attorney, an assistant
prosecutor, four lawyers and an attaché of the district attorney's
office. His story also played a part in the defeat in the next general
election of the judge responsible for the case and the governor
Missouri.
After leaving the newspaper business in the late 1920s Brennan began
working as a scenario writer for Metro Golden Mayer, Fox Films and
First National Films and as a free-lance fiction writer, contributing
stories to such magazine as Liberty, Collier's, Red Book, Saturday
Evening Post, Cosmopolitan and others. In the 1950s he began writing
for television, eventually becoming chief writer on the ABC series
Wyatt Earp greift ein (1955).
A few examples of works by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan include: "God Got
One Vote" (1927), "The Matron's Report" (1929), "Pie in the Sky"
(1931), "Battleship Gertie" (1934), "One Young American" (1937),"The
Sin of the Father" (1941), "The Manager" (1936), "They Sell Sailors
Elephants" (1941), "The Wookey" (1941), "Memo to a Firing Squad"
(1943), "Smith's Life of Jones" (1949), "The Irish Lullaby" (1950) and
"One of Our H-bombs is Missing" (1955). In 1948 Brennan wrote the
libretto to Brazilian composer,
Heitor Villa-Lobos' operetta
Magdalena
In 1937, Brennan was seriously injured in an automobile accident that
occurred on New Year's eve near Wickeburg, Arizona. Two others died in
the collision and his wife received severe cuts and bruises. Brennan
and his wife were released from a Phoenix area hospital after a 30 day
stay to recuperate at home.
Frederick Hazlitt Brennan chose to end his life on June 30, 1962, at
his Hidden Valley home with a .38 caliber revolver. Depression over his
diabetes, a recent heart attack and work stress were thought to have
been contributing factors. Brennan was credited with coining the word
ergophobia to describe an abnormal and persistent fear of work. He was
survived by his wife and three children.
