Biography
Educated at London's University College, Arthur Wimperis served in both the Boer War and WWI. In between his military obligations, Wimperis established himself as a newspaper illustrator and music-comedy librettist: One of his better-known stage assignments was the popular operetta The Arcadians. His film career began in the early '30s under the auspices of
Alexander Korda. Frequently writing in collaboration with
Lajos Biro, Wimperis contributed to the screenplays of such Korda productions as
Private Life of Henry VIII (1933),
Catherine the Great (1934),
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), and
The Drum (1938), and also wrote the lyrics for the songs heard in the Paul Robeson starrer
Sanders of the River (1936). From 1941 until his death, Arthur Wimperis was employed in Hollywood by MGM, sharing an Academy Award for his scriptwork on 1942's Mrs. Miniver (in which he also acted) and an Oscar nomination for
Random Harvest (1942). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide