John Monks Jr., 94; Playwright, Coauthor of ‘Brother Rat’
John Monks Jr., 94, a playwright and screenwriter, has died.
Monks died Dec. 10 of natural causes, according to a friend, Marci Slade Crestani.
Monks was a coauthor, with Fred F. Finklehoffe, of “Brother Rat,” which George Abbott directed and produced on Broadway in 1936 and which starred Eddie Albert. The play ran more than 500 performances and was made into a 1938 movie starring Albert and featuring Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, who met on the film and later married.
Among other movies that Monks co-wrote were “13 Rue Madeleine” and “West Point Story,” both starring Jimmy Cagney; “Knock on Any Door,” with Humphrey Bogart; “Brother Rat and a Baby”; and “House on 92nd Street.”
Monks served in the Marines during World War II and later co-wrote a documentary, “We Are the Marines.”
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
