---
name: "Jo Swerling"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jo-swerling"
roles: ["Additional writing"]
born: "18 April 1893"
died: "23 October 1964"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T00:51:20.454575+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jo Swerling

Additional writing. Born 18 April 1893 in Berdichev, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire [now Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine]. Died 23 October 1964.

## Details

- **Work:** Additional writing
- **Born:** 18 April 1893, Berdichev, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire [now Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine]
- **Died:** 23 October 1964
- **Active:** 1942–1946
- **Also known as:** Joseph Swerling, Joseph Swirling
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 writing, 1 crew
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Swerling, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q369404, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0842485/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/82172

## Streaming the US now

- **Pluto TV:** [*The Pride of the Yankees*](https://film.one/film/the-pride-of-the-yankees.md) (71)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Jo Swerling was an American screenwriter, playwright and lyricist. Born in Berdichev in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine), he grew up on New York City's Lower East Side and began his career as a journalist in Chicago before moving into vaudeville sketches and plays.

In Hollywood from the early 1930s, Swerling wrote or co-wrote dozens of screenplays, often in collaboration with directors such as Frank Capra. His credits include *Platinum Blonde* (1931), *The Westerner* (1940), *Blood and Sand* (1941), *The Pride of the Yankees* (1942, for which he received an Academy Award nomination), *Lifeboat* (1944) and *Leave Her to Heaven* (1945). He also contributed uncredited work to *Gone with the Wind* (1939) and *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946).

Swerling returned to Broadway in 1950, co-writing the book for the musical *Guys and Dolls* (1955 film adaptation followed), which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. He continued occasional screen work into the 1950s.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

### Wrote (1)

- *The Pride of the Yankees* (1942), Fi1m 71, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-pride-of-the-yankees.md)

### Crew (1) — the average rests on these

- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), Fi1m 91, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)

## Complete filmography (56)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein* (1961), Writer
- *Guys and Dolls* (1955), Theatre Play
- *Thunder in the East* (1952), Screenplay
- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), as Additional Writing — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)
- *Leave Her to Heaven* (1945), Screenplay
- *Lifeboat* (1944), Screenplay
- *A Lady Takes a Chance* (1943), Story
- *Crash Dive* (1943), Screenplay
- *The Pride of the Yankees* (1942), Screenplay — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/the-pride-of-the-yankees.md)
- *Confirm or Deny* (1941), Screenplay
- *New York Town* (1941), Story
- *Blood and Sand* (1941), Writer
- *The Westerner* (1940), Screenplay
- *The Real Glory* (1939), Screenplay
- *Made for Each Other* (1939), Screenplay
- *I Am the Law* (1938), Writer
- *Doctor Rhythm* (1938), Screenplay
- *Double Wedding* (1937), Screenplay
- *Pennies from Heaven* (1936), Screenplay
- *Love Me Forever* (1935), Screenplay
- *The Whole Town's Talking* (1935), Screenplay
- *Lady by Choice* (1934), Screenplay
- *The Defense Rests* (1934), Story, Screenplay
- *Sisters Under the Skin* (1934), Screenplay
- *No Greater Glory* (1934), Screenplay, Adaptation
- *Once to Every Woman* (1934), Screenplay
- *East of Fifth Avenue* (1933), Screenplay
- *Man's Castle* (1933), Screenplay
- *As the Devil Commands* (1933), Writer
- *The Wrecker* (1933), Screenplay
- *The Woman I Stole* (1933), Writer
- *Below the Sea* (1933), Screenplay, Story
- *Man Against Woman* (1932), Screenplay
- *Washington Merry-Go-Round* (1932), Screenplay
- *War Correspondent* (1932), Adaptation
- *Hollywood Speaks* (1932), Writer
- *Attorney for the Defense* (1932), Writer
- *Shopworn* (1932), Dialogue
- *Love Affair* (1932), Writer
- *Behind the Mask* (1932), Writer, Story
- *Forbidden* (1932), Screenplay
- *Platinum Blonde* (1931), Adaptation
- *The Miracle Woman* (1931), Screenplay
- *The Good Bad Girl* (1931), Dialogue
- *Carne de Cabaret* (1931), Story
- *Dirigible* (1931), Screenplay
- *Ten Cents a Dance* (1931), Story, Screenplay
- *Madonna of the Streets* (1930), Screenplay
- *Rain or Shine* (1930), Writer
- *Ladies Must Play* (1930), Dialogue
- *Hell's Island* (1930), Adaptation, Screenplay
- *Sisters* (1930), Scenario Writer
- *Around the Corner* (1930), Dialogue, Story
- *Ladies of Leisure* (1930), Dialogue, Screenplay
- *Melody Lane* (1929), Theatre Play
- *Humor Risk* (1921), Writer, Producer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1943: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Pride of the Yankees*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Tony Award for Best Musical 1951: Tony Award for Best Musical (won), for *Guys and Dolls*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jo-swerling