Cyril Hume
A Yale wit who translated his literary flair into the golden age of Hollywood, scripting everything from Tarzan adventures to sci-fi noir.
1900–1966 (age 66)·American screenwriter·Birthday: March 16·The Lost Generation
Biography
Cyril Hume arrived in Hollywood not as a starstruck hopeful, but as a published novelist with a Yale pedigree and a sharp sense of humor. After editing the famed Yale Record, he brought a writer's sensibility to the rapidly evolving film industry of the 1930s and '40s. He wasn't confined to a single genre; his typewriter was as versatile as the studios demanded. He could craft the primal dialogue for Johnny Weissmuller's first outing as Tarzan and, years later, co-write the sophisticated, haunting screenplay for *Forbidden Planet*, adapting Shakespeare's *The Tempest* into a landmark of science fiction. Hume worked steadily, often without fanfare, contributing to over two dozen films. His career traces a path through the studio system, proving that a clever mind with a solid literary foundation could thrive in the dream factories, leaving behind scripts that entertained millions and, in at least one case, redefined a genre.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Cyril was born in 1900, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cyril Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Cyril's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 40
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 50
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 60
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1966Died at 66
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
Key Achievements
- Wrote the screenplay for the groundbreaking science fiction film *Forbidden Planet* (1956).
- Authored the dialogue for the first Johnny Weissmuller *Tarzan* film, *Tarzan the Ape Man* (1932).
- Published novels and served as an editor for *The Yale Record Book of Verse*.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the Skull and Bones society at Yale University.
His son, actor and writer Christopher Hume, was married to actress Jane Greer.
The iconic robot Robby from *Forbidden Planet* also appeared in the film *The Invisible Boy*, for which Hume wrote the story.
“A good script is a blueprint for emotion, built with structure and surprise.”
