Robert Presnell's life was marked by a rich tapestry of experiences, having spent part of his childhood in Cuba and the Philippines before his family settled in Chicago. He attended technical school and later Chicago University, graduating in 1914. After drifting into journalism, Presnell worked as a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune between 1919 and 1923, simultaneously developing his skills as a writer of plays and short stories.
His work eventually caught the attention of the film community, and he was signed by Jesse L. Lasky in 1928. Over the years, Presnell and Lasky developed a close friendship, with Presnell penning several scripts in New York before moving to the West Coast. As a scenarist and writer of screen adaptations, or as an occasional production supervisor/associate producer, Presnell worked for major studios in Hollywood, including Paramount, Warner Brothers, and Universal, during most of the 1930s.
One of Presnell's most notable achievements was being credited as the original author of the story on which the classic film Meet John Doe (1941) was based, earning him an Oscar nomination. During World War II, Presnell rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel with the Signals Corps and became chief photographic officer for combat films in the Southwest Pacific. His work was deemed so important that General Douglas MacArthur permitted him to attend military staff briefings.
After the war, Presnell was based on the East Coast, working variously for the United Nations as a film promotion officer or for private enterprise, scripting industrial and training documentaries. He spent the remainder of the decade as a freelance writer for television. Presnell's son, Robert Presnell Jr., followed in his father's footsteps as a Hollywood screenwriter.
