Detroit-born Howard Estabrook entered show business as a stage actor in New York in 1904. He appeared in several films starting in 1914 and even directed a few in 1917. He left films for a career in the business world, but returned in 1921 in executive positions with various studios, then began producing films in 1924. He soon turned to screenwriting, and was responsible for several of what have come to be regarded as classics of Hollywood: Les anges de l'enfer (1930), La ruée vers l'ouest (1931) (for which he won an Academy Award) and David Copperfield (1935), among others. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for La rue de la chance (1930).